These top 10 marine species lists were compiled in order to highlight the fascinating discoveries of the numerous new marine species being made every year. A list of the 'Top Ten Species' described from ALL habitats and taxa has been announced annually since 2008 by the College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF).  Although this list often contains one or two marine species, we decided to pay homage to the ‘largest habitat on earth’ by producing our own list of the top marine species. We hope some of our favourites will make it to global list…

All editors of WoRMS were given the opportunity to nominate their favourite marine species from both the last year (2017) and the previous decade (2007-2017). A small committee (including both taxonomists and data managers) was brought together to decide upon the final candidates. The final decisions reflect the immense diversity of animal groups in the marine environment (fish, crustaceans, molluscs, corals, sponges, jellies, worms) and highlight some of the challenges facing the marine environment today (e.g. invasive species, fragile reef ecosystems threatened by climate change, deep-sea environments impacted by resource extraction).

The final candidates also feature particularly astonishing marine creatures, notable for their interest to both science and the public. Each of these marine animals has a story. It may be the among the deepest living or largest fish known, be considered a ‘living fossil’, an invasive species, the most abundant organism in a habitat, or have remained hidden in plain sight, hoodwinking researchers for decades…
Curious about the actual lists? Quickly check out the full press release on the LifeWatch website!