An authoritative classification and catalogue of marine names
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First WoRMS Achievement Award
Added on: 2016-02-01 20:21:27 by Klautau, Michelle
We would like to announce the first WoRMS Achievement Award. The objective of this award is to recognize the editor or group of editors that promoted an outstanding contribution to the development or content of the WoRMS and/or its associated databases ...![](http://www.marinespecies.org/images/news/worms_philanthropy.png)
Support WoRMS editors through the VLIZ philanthropy programme
Added on: 2016-01-29 12:42:36 by Vandepitte, Leen
Users and the public at large can now make financial contributions to support the work of the many WoRMS editors. This can be done through the recently established VLIZ philanthropy programme, where ‘Support the WoRMS Editors’ has been recognized as a philanthropy project. ...![](http://www.marinespecies.org/images/news/databaseManagement[1].jpg)
Everything you ever wanted to know about the Aphia data system
Added on: 2015-12-15 17:10:24 by Vandepitte, Leen
Ever wondered about the structure and functionalities of Aphia, the database behind e.g. WoRMS? No need to be puzzled anymore, as a paper has recently been published on this subject. ...![](http://www.marinespecies.org/images/news/34879_heteractis-magnifica-sulawesi.jpg)
Ultimate synchronisation of Hexacorallians of the World and WoRMS
Added on: 2015-12-07 09:47:36 by Vandepitte, Leen
For years, Daphne Fautin has kept her Hexacorallians of the World Database online. Early April, she has retired from her zoology job at the Kansas University and will be taking on new challenges. ...A South African artist has ‘caught’ all fish names from WoRMS in an impressive artwork, with an environmental message
Added on: 2015-11-05 13:33:41 by Vandepitte, Leen
In January 2015, the WoRMS data management received an unusual request from a South African artist, Craig McClenaghan, who was searching for a full list of the world’s marine fish species. ...![](http://www.marinespecies.org/images/news/SK68VZu6sjMPFhh-dPN_otSaK02pKW6ZLdl6cWpDNhY[1].jpg)
Biogeographic Atlas of the Southern Ocean published!
Added on: 2015-09-11 09:38:47 by Vandepitte, Leen
The Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) has recently published the comprehensive “Biogeographic Atlas of the Southern Ocean”, as a legacy of the International Polar Year (2007-2009). ...![](http://www.marinespecies.org/images/news/molluscabase_logo.png)
MolluscaBase officially launched!
Added on: 2015-08-25 16:43:21 by Vandepitte, Leen
After more than a year of planning and preparations, the MolluscaBase portal is ready to be launched! ...![](http://www.marinespecies.org/images/news/clipart_SC.jpg)
New Steering Committee in place
Added on: 2015-08-25 13:09:44 by Vandepitte, Leen
The WoRMS Steering Committee welcomes Nicolas Bailly and Nicole Boury-Esnault as new SC members. ...![](http://www.marinespecies.org/images/news/nextgov-medium[1].jpg)
Call for applications - LifeWatch money available to support data grants and to organize editor workshops
Added on: 2015-08-05 09:04:24 by Vandepitte, Leen
Through LifeWatch, The Flanders Marine Institute – host of the WoRMS database – has a budget available to financially support editors to address a number of priority gaps within WoRMS. This can be done either through (1) data grants or (2) the organization of an editor-workshop. ...![](http://www.marinespecies.org/images/news/logo_lifewatch.png)
LifeWatch support in 2014 made it possible to make WoRMS more complete
Added on: 2015-07-31 12:18:57 by Vandepitte, Leen
In 2014, LifeWatch funded several activities directly leading to the improvement and further completion of the World Register of Marine Species. LifeWatch has invested in data grants, meetings and workshops, leading to the addition of more than 7.600 new names to WoRMS, a revision of almost 19.000 names and the development of new portals and tools, helping the user and editor community in accessing and utilizing WoRMS. ...![](http://www.marinespecies.org/images/news/banner.png)
An update from the World Register of Deep-Sea Species (WoRDSS)
Added on: 2015-07-23 09:37:14 by Horton, Tammy
In December 2012 the deep-sea web portal 'World Register of Deep-Sea Species, WoRDSS’ was launched.
Thanks to the superb efforts of many of the taxonomic editors we already have 24,977 species listed. More than 10% of known marine taxa are found deeper than 500m.
But this is the largest environment on earth and we know there are more... ...![](http://www.marinespecies.org/images/news/scarmarbin_logo.jpg)
Updating the Register of Antarctic Marine Species (RAMS)
Added on: 2015-07-07 11:56:02 by De Broyer, Claude
We noticed that in some taxonomic groups there are substantial gaps in the Southern Ocean species lists: most of the recently described species have not been registered, and for which the distribution of many taxa was largely underestimated ...![](http://www.marinespecies.org/images/news/WoRMS_SC_Crete_June2015.jpg)
Successful WoRMS Steering Committee meeting on June 8th – highlights
Added on: 2015-06-26 12:00:33 by Vandepitte, Leen
The WoRMS Steering Committee held its meeting on June 8th – World Oceans Day! – at the Hellenic Centre for Marine Research (HCMR) in Crete. ...![](http://www.marinespecies.org/images/news/about_steeringcommittee254.png)
WoRMS Steering Committee (SC) meeting 8 Jun 2015 in Crete, Greece
Added on: 2015-06-04 16:34:28 by Vandepitte, Leen
The next WoRMS SC meeting will be held on 2015-06-08, back to back with an EMODNet Marine Species Traits and EU-BON meeting. ...![](http://www.marinespecies.org/images/news/Kristian_Fauchald.jpg)
Obituary – Kristian Fauchald – WoRMS Polychaeta founding editor
Added on: 2015-04-29 10:25:36 by Vandepitte, Leen
Kristian Fauchald, emeritus research zoologist at Smithsonian, and a founding editor of the World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) passed away the 5th April 2015. ...![](http://www.marinespecies.org/images/news/smebd_logo.jpg)
SMEBD dissolved by decision of the council
Added on: 2015-04-17 20:43:41 by SMEBD Council
The SMEBD council would like to officially inform you that the Society for the Management of Electronic Biodiversity Data (SMEBD) has been dissolved by decision of the council. ...![](http://www.lifewatch.be/sites/lifewatch.be/files/public/newsvliz/CoL meeting.png)
LifeWatch supports the Catalogue of Life Global Team meeting @VLIZ
Added on: 2015-04-07 11:01:28 by Dekeyzer, Stefanie
The Global Team and Board of Directors of the Catalogue of Life have met at the Flanders Marine Institute to discuss the strategic plan for the Catalogue and how these goals can be accomplished. Back-to-back with these meetings, a mini-symposium was organized, offering a discussion platform to users, providers and related networks and initiatives to the Catalogue of Life. ...![](http://www.marinespecies.org/images/news/RogerBamber.jpg)
Obituary - Roger Bamber - WoRMS Pycnogonida editor
Added on: 2015-04-02 14:18:39 by Vandepitte, Leen
Roger Bamber, the WoRMS chief taxonomic editor of the sea-spiders has recently passed away. ...![](http://www.marinespecies.org/images/news/105420_pterois-volitans.jpg)
World Register of Marine Introduced Species (WRIMS) officially launched
Added on: 2015-03-17 08:46:21 by Vandepitte, Leen
WRIMS – a database of introduced and invasive alien marine species – has officially been released to the public. It includes more than 1,400 marine species worldwide, compiled through the collaboration with international initiatives and study of almost 2,500 publications. ...![](http://www.marinespecies.org/images/news/mysidopsis-zsilaveczi.jpg)
PRESS RELEASE: Four newly discovered marine species added to world list WoRMS every day
Added on: 2015-03-11 18:03:44 by Vandepitte, Leen
The World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) confirms that currently 228,450 marine animal and plant species are known. A critical analysis has identified almost half the names assigned over two and a half centuries to ocean dwelling creatures as redundant aliases; they turned out to be synonyms. But still every day new species are discovered and described. In 2014 alone, some 1,451 new-to-science marine creatures were added to WoRMS — an average of four per day. ...[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)