The workshop will be hosted at the Instituto de la Patagonia, which is associated with the University of Magallanes, from September 7–25, 2026. Local experts and invited international participants will be drawing on samples from a series of pioneering scientific expeditions: South Sandwich Islands (SOI Trenches, underwater volcanoes, and spreading centers of the volcanic South Sandwich Islands, 2025), Chile Margin (SOI Canyons, Vents, and Seeps of the Chile Margin, 2024) and the Bellingshausen Sea (SOI Arctic climate connections in the Antarctic Peninsula in the Bellingshausen Sea, 2025).
The remote South Sandwich Islands form an 11-island arc in the Scotia Sea, within the South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands Marine Protected Area. Shaped by powerful tectonic forces, the region is home to deep-sea trenches, underwater volcanoes, spreading centers, and seamounts—habitats that can support species found nowhere else.
In February and March 2025, the Ocean Census South Sandwich Islands Expedition with Schmidt Ocean Institute explored this rarely sampled region, aiming to discover new species and map deep-sea habitats. The specimens collected during the expedition, alongside material from Schmidt Ocean Institute expeditions to the Chile Margin (Canyons, Vents, and Seeps of the Chile Margin) and Bellingshausen Sea (Climate Connections at the Ice-Sea Interface), will form the focus of the Species Discovery Workshop in Punta Arenas.
Hosted by the Instituto de la Patagonia, Universidad de Magallanes, the workshop brings together seven taxonomists from the Ocean Census Science Network and four researchers from the Universidad de Magallanes. Together, they will combine regional knowledge and taxonomic expertise to identify and document species from these pioneering expeditions.
Species data and high-quality images will be recorded in Ocean Census NOVA, the world’s only open-access data platform dedicated to the discovery of marine species, creating a foundation for future research and formal scientific description.
The workshop will also provide opportunities for knowledge sharing, collaboration, and Early Career Researchers, helping to strengthen scientific networks and build long-term capacity for marine biodiversity research in the region.
This species discovery workshop will feature an exceptional group of scientists from diverse regions and specializations, including:
- Mariano Martinez, Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales-CONICET, Argentina—Research Focus: Holothurians
- Virag Venekey, Federal University of Pará, Brazil—Research Focus: Nematodes
- Matthew Lee, Universidad de Los Lagos, Chile—Research Focus: Nematodes
- Brenda Doti, Instituto de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental y Aplicada (IBBEA, UBA-CONICET), Argentina—Research Focus: Isopods
- Emily Chen, Institute of Marine Ecosystem and Fishery Science, University of Hamburg, Germany—Research Focus: Ostracods
- Jasiel Gonzalez Bedolla, University of Aveiro, Department of Biology, Spain—Research Focus: Isopods & Amphipods
- Narissa Bax, Greenland Institute of Natural Resources & Western Australian Museum—Research Focus: Cnidarians
- Jorge Pérez-Schultheiss, Museo Nacional de Historia Natural de Chile—Research Focus: Amphipods
Workshop Hosts:
- Americo Montiel, UMAG Universidad de Magallanes, Chile
- Tania Figueroa, UMAG Universidad de Magallanes, Chile
- Christian Aldea, UMAG Universidad de Magallanes, Chile
- Leslie Novoa, UMAG Universidad de Magallanes, Chile
Ocean Census Team:
- Isla Monaghan, Workshop Coordinator, Ocean Census
- Julia Roessger, Data Management Officer, Ocean Census
- Maya de Paz, Communications Officer, Ocean Census
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If you’re interested in applying for future Ocean Census Species Discovery awards, please join the Ocean Census Science Network and sign up for updates via our newsletter.
