An authoritative classification and catalogue of marine names
News
![](http://www.marinespecies.org/images/news/cv-image-g-boxshall-39015-1.jpg)
New Steering Committee, Chair and Vice-chair in place for WoRMS
Added on: 2013-06-19 16:06:47 by Vandepitte, Leen
Following the nominations and elections earlier this year for a number of positions within the Steering Committee (SC), the new WoRMS SC, with a newly elected chair and vice-chair is in place....
![](http://www.marinespecies.org/images/news/spongemaps.png)
New taxonomic collaboration resource launched by WoRMS Porifera editors
Added on: 2013-05-25 10:00:33 by Costello, Mark
SpongeMaps (www.spongemaps.org) is an online, password protected “collaboration-in-the-cloud”, built specifically for those working on the difficult taxonomy of sponges (Porifera), but likely with more global utility across other phyla. ...![](http://www.marinespecies.org/images/news/DeepSeaID.png)
The World Register of Deep Sea Species is pleased to announce the availability of our first iOS app: Deep Sea ID v1.0
Added on: 2013-03-20 12:39:42 by Vandepitte, Leen
The app is free to download and works on both iPhone and iPad. It allows offline access to the World Register of Deep-Sea Species and currently stores taxonomic information for over 20,000 deep-sea species, over 350 high-resolution photographs of deep-sea specimens and much more. ...![](http://www.marinespecies.org/images/news/vienna_museum_2013.jpg)
Report on the WoRMS editor workshop in Vienna available
Added on: 2013-03-12 11:21:06 by Vandepitte, Leen
On February 21st, we held our WoRMS editor workshop in Vienna. Although we did not have a massive turnout (11 people in total), we did have a very good workshop, with valuable feedback and discussions....
![](http://www.marinespecies.org/images/news/Carlo-formeel_LR.jpg)
In memory of Carlo Heip
Added on: 2013-02-26 02:16:48 by Costello, Mark
One of the world’s great marine biologists has passed away. ...![](http://www.marinespecies.org/images/news/image.pcol.v02.i20.g001.png)
PRESS RELEASE: The World Register of Marine Species (2013) PLOS Collections launched!
Added on: 2013-01-09 23:09:14 by Costello, Mark
This Collection has been created by the editors of the World Register of Marine Species, an open-access online database which holds information on all marine species, and some of their freshwater and terrestrial relatives. The WoRMS database contains species names, synonyms, sources and a range of other information, as described in the collection overview paper (Costello et al. 2012). ...![](http://www.marinespecies.org/images/news/afremas_banner.png)
Launch of the African Register of Marine Species (AfReMaS)
Added on: 2012-12-11 13:00:05 by BelHassen, Malika
We are pleased to announce the launch of the African Register of Marine Species (AfReMaS). It aims to compile and manage an authoritative list of species occurring along African marine coasts. It tries to provide the most up-to-date taxonomy edited by taxonomic experts. ...![](http://www.marinespecies.org/images/news/expl2161.png)
Launch of the World Register of Deep-Sea Species (WoRDSS)
Added on: 2012-12-04 14:18:16 by Horton, Tammy
We are pleased to announce the launch of the World Register of Deep-Sea Species, a new web portal in close collaboration with the WoRMS team at VLIZ and with the help of the taxonomic editors. The World Register of Deep-Sea species aims to bring together the most up-to-date taxonomy with a suite of identification tools (online keys, monographs and papers) recommended by taxonomic experts. ...![](http://www.marinespecies.org/images/news/20110925259.jpg)
Next WoRMS Steering Committee (SC) meeting: 12 Dec 2012, Ostend, Belgium
Added on: 2012-11-23 17:38:43 by Vandepitte, Leen
The meeting will be held back to back with an EMODNet/WoRMS species attributes workshop.![](http://www.marinespecies.org/images/news/curbio v22n23 cover mockup_small.jpg)
PRESS RELEASE: At Least One-Third of Marine Species Remain Undescribed
Added on: 2012-11-15 18:10:22 by Appeltans, Ward
At least one-third of the species that inhabit the world’s oceans may remain completely unknown to science. That’s despite the fact that more species have been described in the last decade than in any previous one, according to a report published online on November 15 in the Cell Press publication Current Biology that details the first comprehensive register of marine species of the world—a massive collaborative undertaking by hundreds of experts around the globe. ...![](http://www.marinespecies.org/images/news/digest.gif)
WoRMS weekly digest launched
Added on: 2012-08-24 12:14:51 by Vanhoorne, Bart
In the past, several people have asked the database management team about the possibility to create an alert system for the WoRMS editors, so they can keep better track of all the changes and additions that are made to the taxonomic group they are responsible for. ...![](http://www.marinespecies.org/images/news/data_management.gif)
New data manager for WoRMS: Leen Vandepitte
Added on: 2012-06-15 13:51:31 by Mees, Jan
The Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ) has appointed Leen Vandepitte as the new data manager for WoRMS.Leen is a biologist with a lot of experience in biological data management. In the VLIZ data centre, she is also responsable for the management of EurOBIS. Wim Decock (biologist) and Bart Vanhoorne (IT specialist) will of course continue to serve in the data management team for WoRMS.
![](http://www.marinespecies.org/images/news/49470_stygiomysida-spp.jpg)
World List of Lophogastrida, Stygiomysida and Mysida launched ('Mysidacea')
Added on: 2012-04-12 10:27:01 by Mees, Jan
The peracarid crustacean orders Mysida, Lophogastrida and Stygiomysida were formerly grouped under the name "Mysidacea". Although the treatment in three separate orders is now accepted, we have chosen to present mysids, lophogastrids and stygiomysids in the same web interface. The higher classification (orders, families, subfamilies) follows Meland & Willassen (2007), and the fossil order of Pygocephalomorpha is also included in the database....
New WoRMS Steering Committee (SC) 2012 approved
Added on: 2012-03-06 13:19:28 by Appeltans, Ward & Costello, Mark
A new WoRMS Steering Committee (SC) has been approved by the WoRMS Editors. Many of the editors said it is a well-balanced representation of expertise.![](http://www.marinespecies.org/images/news/banner1.jpg)
NEW: Marine Species of the British Isles and Adjacent Seas (MSBIAS)
Added on: 2012-03-05 14:16:06 by Appeltans, Ward
We are pleased to launch a new regional species database for the British Isles and Adjacent Seas (MSBIAS), that grew out of the World Register of Marine Species database.State of Observed Species report shows nearly 20,000 new species described in 2009
Added on: 2012-02-06 13:44:07 by Appeltans, Ward
IISE counted 176,311 new living species between 2000 and 2009, of which 19,232 were described in the last year (SOS report 2011, released on 18 Jan 2012). WoRMS has 1,928 new marine species in 2009. The data were gathered from Zoological Record, IPNI, MycoBank, WoRMS and AlgaeBase. ...![](http://www.marinespecies.org/images/news/logo.jpg)
URMO website, as a tribute to Jacob van der Land
Added on: 2011-12-21 11:32:10 by Appeltans, Ward
The UNESCO-IOC Register of Marine Organisms (URMO) was the first attempt to compile an electronic list all marine species during the 1990’s. It was invented and developed by Jacob van der Land at the National Museum of Natural History, Leiden (and several colleagues). URMO and other databases (such as the European Register of Marine Species) were the starting points for the current World Register of Marine Species. The URMO list is no longer actively maintained and is completely adopted by the World Register of Marine Species. ...![](http://www.vliz.be/images/news/ICSU.jpg)
The Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ), host institute of the WoRMS database, is now officially a World Data Centre.
Added on: 2011-11-25 10:26:18 by Appeltans, Ward
VLIZ was awarded this honour and saw its efforts in managing marine data since 2000 rewarded with an international certification within the World Data System of the International Council for Science (ICSU). VLIZ is now an official member of a global network of 28 world data centres, of which only 4 deal with marine data management. ...In Memoriam Jacob van der Land (1935-2011)
Added on: 2011-10-27 09:35:14 by Hoeksema, Bert W.
Dr. Jacob van der Land passed away on Sunday 23 October 2011, 76 years old. He spent many of his productive years - before and after his retirement - on the Unesco Register of Marine Species, the European Register of Marine Species, and indirectly also on WoRMS. ...![](http://www.marinespecies.org/images/news/wcmb2011.gif)
WoRMS frequently mentioned at the World Conference of Marine Biodiversity 2011
Added on: 2011-10-11 09:56:28 by Appeltans, Ward
WoRMS was quoted as a source of information many times during the World Conference of Marine Biodiversity (25-30 September 2011, Aberdeen, UK), the largest ever conference of marine biologists with almost 1000 present. ...[Add]
Currently in WoRMS
Accepted marine species
246 440 (98% checked)
Marine species names, including synonyms
509 788
Species with image
37 399 (73% checked)