Reaching these depths is not easy. It takes specialised vessels, full-ocean depth-rated equipment, and enormous coordination and planning. Months – sometimes years – of preparation all lead up to a few weeks at sea.
In 2022, during a two-month expedition funded by Caladan Oceanic and Inkfish aboard the vessel DSSV Pressure Drop, together with scientists from the Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology, we descended into some of the deepest places around Japan: The Japan Trench, Ryukyu Trench and Izu-Ogasawara Trench – the latter reaching nearly 10 km below the ocean’s surface.
👁 Image Bathymetry of the Northwest Pacific Ocean with specific study areas labelled. Inset maps relate to individual study sites described here in: Japan Trench (A), Boso triple junction (B), Izu-Ogasawara Trench (C) and Ryukyu Trench (D), with locations of submersible dives and lander deployments indicated. All regional elevation data sourced from the General Bathymetric Chart of the Oceans (GEBCO Compilation Group 2024) and multibeam bathymetry data at study sites acquired for this study onboard DSSV Pressure Drop, which was supplemented with GEBCO data for the Ryukyu Trench (D). Credit to Jamieson et al., 2026.
We used two methods to document deep-sea life – crewed submersible transects and free-fall baited landers. This combination enabled us to build the most comprehensive visual baseline yet for abyssal and hadal megafauna in the Northwest Pacific to date.
👁 Image The submersible ‘Limiting factor’ before the expedition launch. Photo credit to Minderoo-UWA Deep-Sea Research Centre, Inkfish and Caladan Oceanic.
👁 Image The ‘Limiting Factor’ submersible descending. Photo credit to Minderoo-UWA Deep-Sea Research Centre, Inkfish and Caladan Oceanic.
👁 Image The submersible observed from the lander. Photo credit to Minderoo-UWA Deep-Sea Research Centre, Inkfish, Caladan Oceanic.
Subduction trenches, such as the Japan Trench, Ryukyu Trench, and Izu-Ogasawara Trench, are the planet’s deepest geological features. They are formed by the process of subduction, in which one tectonic plate is forced beneath another. Although this movement is slow on human timescales – cms per year – over millions of years, it carves long, narrow depressions in the seafloor that reach extreme depths, reshaping entire ocean basins.
These subduction zones are also known for major seismic events, such as earthquakes, which can trigger submarine landslides, remobilising sediment and rapidly transporting material into the trenches.
The trenches we studied are situated along some of the most tectonically active margins on Earth. Combined with the effects of depth, high hydrostatic pressure, near-freezing temperatures, and lack of sunlight, life in subduction trenches is shaped by a remarkable combination of forces. Understanding biodiversity in these systems, therefore, also means consideration of the unique environmental context that has shaped the ecosystems observed today.
Why this study matters
Videos from the submersible data collected in the Japan Trench in 2022. Video credit to Inkfish, Caladan Oceanic and The University of Western Australia.
Historically, our understanding of abyssal and hadal ecosystems, including those associated with subduction features, relied largely on trawls and physical samples. While these methods provide essential information, they can damage fragile organisms and rarely capture behaviour or ecological context.
Although observing them in their own habitat is still rare, image-based identification is central to biodiversity science at extreme depths. But without illustrated guides, consistent identification is difficult, often leaving researchers like ourselves with limited reference material.
So, this study was not simply about observing deep-sea organisms, but also aimed to establish a foundation for future research at these depths. With the help of taxonomic experts worldwide, we wanted to create baseline biodiversity data for the region at these depths – information that can inform imagery-based surveys and targeted specimen collection on subsequent expedition.
What did we see?
The submersible surveys enabled us to traverse different habitats and observe animals in their natural environment. Just as importantly, the submersible dives allowed us to record behaviour – something that remains poorly documented at these depths.
👁 Bassozetus sp. at a 6,600 m depth. Bassozetus sp. at a 6,600 m depth. Credit to Jamieson et al., 2026, Minderoo-UWA Deep-Sea Research Centre, Inkfish and Caladan Oceanic.
Among the most striking encounters were dense aggregations of stalked crinoids at 9,137 m (forming a “crinoid meadow”), with hundreds of individuals anchored to rocks and terraces. We also observed carnivorous sponges at nearly 10 km depth, and filter-feeding isopods perched along rock edges.
👁 Crinoid meadow at a 9300 m depth. Crinoid meadow at a 9,300 m depth. Credit to Jamieson et al., 2026, Minderoo-UWA Deep-Sea Research Centre, Inkfish and Caladan Oceanic.
👁 Image Crinoid on a rock at a 9,100 m depth. Credit to Jamieson et al., 2026, Minderoo-UWA Deep-Sea Research Centre, Inkfish and Caladan Oceanic.
👁 Isopods at a 7,500 m depth. Isopods at a 7,500 m depth. Credit to Credit to Jamieson et al., 2026, Minderoo-UWA Deep-Sea Research Centre, Inkfish and Caladan Oceanic.
👁 Image Supergiant amphipod and Pseudoliparis fish at 7,000 m depth. Credit to Jamieson et al., 2026, Minderoo-UWA Deep-Sea Research Centre, Inkfish and Caladan Oceanic.
Meanwhile, baited landers revealed a different side of the ecosystem: the mobile scavenger and predator communities. They are deployed from the surface and free-fall to the seabed.
Once settled, they record everything that approaches the bait – mostly crustaceans and fish. We caught footage of supergiant amphipods (Alicella gigantea), predatory amphipods hunting smaller prey, and perhaps most excitingly, a snailfish feeding at depths down to 8,336 m – the deepest in-situ observation of a fish to date.
Macrouridae species and snailfish feeding on the baited lander at a 7,300 m depth. Credit to Jamieson et al., 2026, Minderoo-UWA Deep-Sea Research Centre, Inkfish and Caladan Oceaninc.
Together, these two approaches revealed complementary parts of the same system and show that the hadal environment supports a remarkable diversity of life, with organisms highly adapted to conditions considered extreme by human standards.
Rarities and mysteries
Video footage of the mysterious organism. Footage credit to Jamieson et al., 2026, Minderoo-UWA Deep-Sea Research Centre, Inkfish and Caladan Oceanic.
Even with high-definition footage and international taxonomic expertise, some animals remain enigmatic. Twice, we filmed a slow-gliding animal that we have not been able to confidently assign to any phylum. Some thought they looked like nudibranchs, others like sea cucumbers, but nobody could agree.
👁 Image Foraminifera (Monothalamea). A, B Clusters associated with metal debris; C clusters associated with wood debris; D dense localised patches; E clusters not associated with foreign objects; F patch of xenophyophore-like spherical structures. Credit to Jamieson et al., 2026
Then there were xenophyophores: giant, single-celled organisms that build elaborate homes out of sediment. While a few morphotypes could be identified, the overall diversity and number of species remain uncertain.
😯Fascinating new #study recorded 108 morphotaxa from 4,500m down to the #hadal depths of 9,775m, revealing the hidden life of the NW Pacific trenches. 🎥They analyzed 460 hours of video from landers & submersibles across the Japan, Ryukyu, and Izu-Ogasawara trenches. 👇Full study here: https://doi.org/10.3897 /BDJ.14.e182172 📗You can read all about it on Pensoft’s blog 👇 https://blog.pensoft.net/2026/04/06/what-lives-10-km-below-the-surface-a-new-look-at-life-in-japans-deepest-ocean-trenches/ Research center: Minderoo-UWA Deep-Sea Research Centre. Main funders of the expedition: Inkfish, Caladan Oceanic #deepsea#sciencetok#research
One of the most exciting aspects of this study was the ability to compare three separate subduction trenches. Broadly, many morphotaxa were shared across all three but local patterns differed. The Japan Trench hosted the highest number of observed morphotaxa, likely influenced by both sampling effort and environmental heterogeneity.
The Izu-Ogasawara Trench, the deepest surveyed, showed dramatic biological aggregations in its deepest parts. The Ryukyu Trench, despite being about as deep as the Japan Trench, lacked several taxa present in the other trenches. The differences in community composition and diversity likely reflect variations in depth, tectonic setting and nutrient input from surface waters.
Final thoughts
By integrating footage from submersible transects and baited lander deployments, we gained an unprecedented picture of the habitats and biodiversity of the Japanese subduction trenches.
👁 Image Rock and various fauna and litter at 7,500 m depth. Credit to Jamieson et al., 2026, Minderoo-UWA Deep-Sea Research Centre, Inkfish and Caladan Oceaninc.
Our observations show that these systems are shaped by a complex interplay of geological processes, productivity, disturbance and depth. While it’s easy to think of deep-sea trenches as untouched wilderness, our findings also showed evidence of human-derived debris, likely transported by downslope processes.
More than anything, the hadal zone remains one of Earth’s least-explored and most intriguing frontiers. As technological capabilities advance, continued exploration will be essential for uncovering the mechanisms that sustain life at these depths.
Original source:
Jamieson AJ, Swanborn DJB, Bond T, Cundy MC, Fujiwara Y, Lindsay D, Stott MS, Kitazato H (2026) Faunal biodiversity of the lower abyssal and hadal zones of the Japan, Ryukyu and Izu-Ogasawara trenches (NW Pacific Ocean; 4534-9775 m). Biodiversity Data Journal 14: e182172. https://doi.org/10.3897/BDJ.14.e182172
Pensoft participated in this year’s 9th European Conference on Tropical Ecology (ECTE 2026) and signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Society for Tropical Ecology (gtö).
Under the theme ‘Species-Ecosystems-People,’ the conference offered a multidisciplinary perspective through 175 oral presentations and 42 posters across 17 thematic sessions, bridging the gap between fundamental ecological research and the sustainable restoration of vital ecosystems.
From the very first day and throughout the week, the Pensoft booth was buzzing with people and activities. Attendees had the chance to explore our diverse portfolio of journals, many of which align seamlessly with the ‘Species-Ecosystems-People’ theme, including:
Editors of existing or yet-to-be-launched Diamond and Gold Open Access journals were also invited to visit the Pensoft stand to learn more about the process and benefits of migrating to or launching a journal on the ARPHA Platform.
Developed by Pensoft to power its own well-renowned scientific journals, ARPHA is now a globally recognised end-to-end solution for innovative, technologically advanced scientific publishing that comes with multiple in-house human-provided services.
Beyond browsing journals and discussing publishing opportunities, visitors engaged with our interactive “Pin Your Favourite Species” board and took promotional materials and stickers featuring the stunning artwork of Pensoft’s in-house scientific illustrator Denitsa Peneva, which proved to be a major visual draw.
On 24th of February, Dr. Katerina Sam (gtö) signed the partnership. This MoU aims to promote research activities and optimise the dissemination of scientific knowledge within the tropical ecology community to ensure that important research findings reach a global audience through robust publication support.
One major highlight of this year’s conference was the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Society for Tropical Ecology (gtö) and Pensoft during the general assembly.
Keynote speakers
Our team on-site was delighted to meet several Pensoft authors who took the stage as keynote speakers to share their expertise.
On February 24th, Prof. Alexandre Antonelli of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew delivered a compelling lecture on “Illuminating Biodiversity Darkspots,” reminding us that over 90% of fungi remain unknown and 45% of plants are at risk of extinction.
👁 Image Prof. Antonelli during his keynote talk at ECTE 2026.
👁 Image Prof. Antonelli during his keynote talk at ECTE 2026.
That same day, Dr. Maria Fungomeli of the National Museums of Kenya presented her keynote on “Biodiversity Patterns in the Kenyan Coastal Forests,” highlighting the vital links between coastal ecosystems, culture, and community.
A valued author and reviewer for VCS, Dr. Fungomeli has also contributed to several journals powered by ARPHA Platform, including Pensoft’s Biodiversity Data Journal and ZooKeys, as well as Senckenberg’s Contributions to Entomology.
On February 25th, Prof. Rob Marchant of the University of York, an author in our open-access journal African Invertebrates, delivered his talk, “Embedding the Past for Balanced Future Tropical Mountain Social Ecological Systems.”
He explored how shifts in human-nature interactions over the last 6,000 years can help researchers understand the complex transitions from original forest extents to our modern landscapes. See Prof. Marchant’s paper in African Invertebrates here.
👁 Image Prof. Marchant delivering his keynote talk.
👁 Image Dr. Evangelia Chronopoulou at Pensoft’s booth.
Her presentation, “Aromatic delight: Revealing diversity and function of fruit microbiome in seed dispersal,” proposed a fascinating shift in ecological understanding.
During her talk, she suggested the potential that microbes co-evolved with animals and plants to support scent-driven seed dispersal effectively transforming a traditional bipartite interaction (plant-animal seed dispersal) into a tripartite one.
Dr. Chronopoulou received a waiver for a free publication in any open-access journal within the Pensoft portfolio.
After a fantastic week in Passau at ECTE 2026, Pensoft is now looking forward to the 10th European Conference on Tropical Ecology, which will take place in Aarhus, Denmark. There, Pensoft plans to establish further partnerships and continue its support for open science in insect research. See you there!
Lunar New Year is a celebration of the arrival of spring and the beginning of a new year on the lunar calendar. As the most important holiday in China, it is also widely celebrated across Korea, Vietnam, and other countries with a substantial Chinese diaspora.
In celebration of 2026 as the Year of the Horse, we reviewed our journals for horse-related studies. While our recent publications do not focus on horses themselves, we have highlighted several fascinating species that share an equine connection in their names.
2026 may be the Year of the Fire Horse, but we start our series with a creature of the opposite element: the seahorse!
Monitoring tiny, cryptic pygmy seahorses can be costly and logistically challenging. To overcome this, researchers from Taiwan turned to citizen science, gathering photographs from divers and underwater photographers via social media. Five species were identified, including two never before recorded in the region.
Among them is the charismatic “Japan pig” seahorse, Hippocampus japapigu, originally described from Japan in the open-access journal ZooKeys.
At the time, only seven pygmy seahorses had been identified globally. Documenting five of them in Taiwan established the region among the world’s biodiversity hotspots for these miniature fish.
But seven did not remain the final count for long. In Chinese tradition, eight is considered an auspicious number, associated with prosperity and good fortune.
Enter Hippocampus nalu – the eighth recognized pygmy seahorse species!
👁 Image Hippocampusnalu in situ, Sodwana Bay, South Africa at 14 m depth. (Photo credit: Richard Smith, oceanrealmimages.com).
It is also the first confirmed true pygmy seahorse recorded from Africa. Measuring just 20 mm, this tiny species was discovered at depths of 17 m on a sandy coral reef in Sodwana Bay, South Africa.
Seahorses also feature in a remarkable Mediterranean story…
A study published in Acta Ichthyologica et Piscatoria documented a stable and conspicuous population of the long-snouted seahorse, Hippocampus guttulatus, in a highly polluted coastal lagoon in the Ionian Sea.
👁 Image Hippocampus guttulatus observed during the diving visual census carried out in the Mar Piccolo of Taranto (Ionian Sea), 2011-2013. (Photo credit: Francesco Tiralongo and Rossella Baldacconi).
Through three years of diving surveys, amounting to 69 hours underwater, researchers recorded 196 sightings. The seahorses showed a clear preference for artificial hard substrates, while only a few individuals were found in algal meadows.
Despite environmental fluctuations and pollution, the population persists. In the Year of the Horse, we wish you the same resilience and strength!
Fish is a traditional Lunar New Year dish, symbolising abundance and good fortune. While you won’t find a horsefish at the markets of Hainan, China, you can certainly spot a ponyfish.
Researchers have reported the first confirmed record of Aurigequula striata in Chinese waters, based on specimens collected at a fish market in Sanya, Hainan Island.
👁 Image Aurigequulastriata, left lateral view. (Photo credit: Jia-Jie Chen).
Live seafood markets have long proven to be unexpected hotspots for scientific discovery – just like the remarkable giant isopod Bathynomus vaderi described from market-purchased material in Vietnam.
As fresh as the seafood on display, this discovery was published in late January 2026 in ZooKeys. Newly collected specimens of Aurigequula fasciata enabled detailed morphological and genomic analyses, including the first complete mitochondrial genomes for both species and new phylogenetic insights into the family Leiognathidae.
👁 Image Aurigequulafasciata, left lateral view. (Photo credit: Jia-Jie Chen).
Fittingly, we close with a horseshoe bat once feared lost. Its name bridges our equine theme with a traditional Chinese symbol: the word for bat (fú, 蝠) is a homophone for blessing (fú, 福), representing happiness and prosperity.
Hill’s horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus hilli), listed as Critically Endangered and unseen since 1981, was rediscovered in Nyungwe National Park, Rwanda, after 40 years.
👁 Image Rhinolophushilli, first observation of this species since 1981 in Nyungwe National Park. (Photo credit: Flanders, et al.).
Through cave surveys, forest capture efforts, and long-term acoustic monitoring, researchers confirmed the survival of this elusive species, bringing renewed hope for its conservation.
As we gallop into 2026, may the Year of the Horse bring you strength, endurance, and a stable path toward success. On behalf of Pensoft, we wish you a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year!
Original sources:
Chen J-J, Zhong J-S, Zeng S, Yang D-Y, Liu P, Wang X-D, Zhang H-Y, Ye J-Q (2026) A new leiognathid record from China with complete mitogenomes and phylogenetic insights of two Aurigequula (Teleostei, Leiognathidae) species. ZooKeys 1267: 31-49. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1267.174380
Flanders J, Frick WF, Nziza J, Nsengimana O, Kaleme P, Dusabe MC, Ndikubwimana I, Twizeyimana I, Kibiwot S, Ntihemuka P, Cheng TL, Muvunyi R, Webala P (2022) Rediscovery of the critically endangered Hill`s horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus hilli) and other new records of bat species in Rwanda. Biodiversity Data Journal 10: e83546. https://doi.org/10.3897/BDJ.10.e83546
Heard J, Chen J-P, Wen CKC (2019) Citizen science yields first records of Hippocampus japapigu and Hippocampus denise (Syngnathidae) from Taiwan: A hotspot for pygmy seahorse diversity. ZooKeys 883: 83-90. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.883.39662
Short G, Claassens L, Smith R, De Brauwer M, Hamilton H, Stat M, Harasti D (2020) Hippocampus nalu, a new species of pygmy seahorse from South Africa, and the first record of a pygmy seahorse from the Indian Ocean (Teleostei, Syngnathidae). ZooKeys 934: 141-156. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.934.50924
Tiralongo F, Baldacconi R (2014) A conspicuous population of the long-snouted seahorse, Hippocampus guttulatus (Actinopterygii: Syngnathiformes: Syngnathidae), in a highly polluted Mediterranean coastal lagoon. Acta Ichthyologica et Piscatoria 44(2): 99-104. https://doi.org/10.3750/AIP2014.44.2.02
Berlin (Germany) and Sofia (Bulgaria), 10th February, 2026 – ResearchGate, the professional network for researchers, and Pensoft Publishers, an independent open access publisher and provider of high-quality scholarly publishing services, today announced an expansion of their Journal Home partnership. Building on an earlier collaboration announced in 2023, the list now expands to 40 journals, covering the majority of Pensoft’s and partners’ journals using the publisher’s ARPHA Publishing Platform.
With most of Pensoft’s eligible partner journals choosing to participate, the expansion reflects strong demand for greater exposure and engagement opportunities, particularly among smaller and developing journals in niche research areas. Through Journal Home, partner publishers can reach more relevant audiences, improve discoverability, and connect more effectively with researchers worldwide.
Participating Pensoft journals will also benefit from:
Increased usage and readership, with full-text open access journal content seamlessly surfaced to highly relevant researcher communities across the ResearchGate platform.
Stronger engagement from new and returning authors, connecting partner journals, including specialist and emerging titles, with targeted researchers and potential authors throughout the research lifecycle.
Dedicated Journal Profiles and prominent placement of Pensoft journals to enhance visibility and branding, boosting recognition of partner journals with researcher communities around the world.
Improved author experience, with the automatic addition of published articles to author profiles, clearer insight into reader engagement, and greater opportunities for meaningful collaboration.
“Journal Home allows us to provide our partner journals with improved visibility and stronger connections with global researcher communities. Many of these journals serve highly specialised fields, and Journal Home helps make sure their articles reach the right researchers, who will benefit from them most.”
Lyubomir Penev, CEO and founder of Pensoft Publishers
“We’re pleased to expand our Journal Home partnership with Pensoft to support an increasing number of partner journals. By bringing these journals onto the platform, smaller and emerging titles can expand their reach, attract high-quality submissions, and connect with the most relevant researcher communities at key moments in their research journey.”
Robyn Mugridge, Head of Partnership Development at ResearchGate
For more information about Pensoft Publishers, please visit www.pensoft.net.
About ResearchGate
ResearchGate is the professional network for researchers. Over 25 million researchers use researchgate.net to share and discover research, build their networks, and advance their careers. Based in Berlin, ResearchGate was founded in 2008. Its mission is to connect the world of science and make research open to all.
About Pensoft Publishers
Pensoft is an independent, open-access scholarly publisher and technology provider, best known for its 40+ biodiversity journals, including ZooKeys, Biodiversity Data Journal, PhytoKeys, MycoKeys, One Ecosystem, and Metabarcoding and Metagenomics. Ever since becoming the first to introduce semantic enrichments and hyperlinks within a scientific article in the field of biodiversity in 2010, Pensoft has been working on various tools and workflows designed to facilitate data findability, accessibility, discoverability and interoperability.
A new deep-sea chiton has been officially named by the public and described in the Biodiversity Data Journal. The name is the result of a viral, week-long collaboration between science communicator Ze Frank, Senckenberg, and Pensoft Publishers.
From over 8,000 suggestions submitted via social media, the research team responsible for describing the species selected the name Ferreiraella populi. The specific epithet populiis a Latin singular noun in the genitive case meaning “of the people”. Curiously, the name was independently suggested by 11 different contributors during the naming contest.
From a YouTube video to Taxonomy
It all began when Ze Frank featured the rare deep-sea chiton (genus Ferreiraella) in an episode of his “True Facts” YouTube series.
Equipped with an iron-clad radula (a rasping tongue) and eight protective shell plates, the chiton also hosts a tiny community of worms near its tail that feed on its excrements. Everyone was invited to propose a scientific name and justification; within a week the community responded with over 8,000 name suggestions.
“We were overwhelmed by the response and the massive number of creative name suggestions!” says Prof. Dr. Julia Sigwart, co-chair of SOSA at the Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt. “The name we chose, Ferreiraella populi, translates to “of the people”.
Other notable suggestions included Ferreiraella stellacadens meaning “Shooting star chiton” – named for its unique aesthete pattern and the fact that it “shot to fame” during the selection process.
Another was Fereiraella ohmu in reference to a chiton-like creature from Studio Ghibli, providing a nod to Japan, where the species was discovered.
A Specialized Resident of the Deep
Originally discovered in 2024 within the Izu-Ogasawara Trench at a depth of 5,500 meters, the new deep-sea chiton Ferreiraella populi belongs to the genus Ferreiraella, a rare and specialized group of mollusks that live exclusively on sunken wood in the deep sea.
Deep-sea sample extraction. Video Credit to Chong Chen/JAMSTEC
The new species represents an addition to a lineage of chitons that has been little researched to date and provides further evidence that deep-sea wood-fall ecosystems host highly specialized and still largely undiscovered communities,
explains Sigwart
Chitons are often described as a cross between a snail and a beetle. However, unlike common mollusks with a single shell, chitons possess eight separate shell plates(valves). This unique anatomy allows them to roll into a protective ball or cling to the irregular surfaces of deep-sea wood-falls.
Found in both warm coastal waters and coral reefs as well as the deep sea, chitons can live at depths of up to 7,000 meters under extreme conditions and in absolute darkness.
Ever wonder how a creature goes from “that deep-sea thing” to a formal scientific entry? Every newly discovered species is assigned a scientific name as part of its original taxonomic description.
This follows Carl Linnaeus’s principle of binomial nomenclature and consists of two parts: the genus name (the first part, capitalized and italicised) and the specific epithet (the second part, lowercase and italicised).
The name is assigned by the author(s) of the first description in a scientific publication, adhering to international codes such as the ICZN (zoology) or the ICN (botany). The name must be novel, unique, and latinized. Usually, epithets are often derived from characteristics like color or size, geographic locations, mythology, or personal names used to honor a specific individual.
Ferreiraella populi in its natural habitat. Video credit to Chong Chen/JAMSTEC
Ferreiraella populi exemplifies the overwhelming biodiversity of the oceans, the vast majority of which remains unexplored. Many species go extinct before we even know they exist – this is especially true for marine invertebrates,
says Sigwart
“It can often take ten, if not twenty years, for a new species to be studied, scientifically described, named, and published. At SOSA, we have therefore made it our mission to streamline these processes while simultaneously engaging the public with these fascinating creatures. Finding a name for the chiton together on social media is a wonderful opportunity to do just that!” comments Sigwart.
“Ferreiraella populi has now been described and given a scientific name only two years after its discovery. This is crucial for the conservation of marine diversity, especially in light of the threats it faces such as deep-sea mining!” she says.
Research paper:
(SOSA) SOSA, Chen C, Frank H, Kraniotis L, Nakadera Y, Schwabe E, Sigwart JD, Trautwein B, Vončina K (2026) Ocean Species Discoveries 28–30 — new species of chitons (Mollusca, Polyplacophora) and a public naming competition. Biodiversity Data Journal 14: e180491. https://doi.org/10.3897/BDJ.14.e180491
Prophy’s AI-driven discovery system will provide editors with a broader and more diverse pool of qualified peer reviewers based on automated semantic analysis.
In a new partnership between open-access scholarly publisher Pensoft and the AI-driven reviewer discovery system provider: Prophy, the editorial teams at all journals hosted on the publisher’s ARPHA Platform receive access to a broader and more diverse global pool of researchers.
The integration connects ARPHA’s editorial and peer review workflows with Prophy’s continuously updated database of millions of active, qualified researchers. As a result, editorial teams across more than 90 open-access peer-reviewed journals powered by ARPHA can now opt to enjoy data-driven reviewer recommendations based on structured analysis of researcher expertise and publication history, with matches based on each manuscript’s topic, field, and research focus.
This development responds to a growing challenge in scholarly publishing. As submission volumes rise, the pressure on a relatively small pool of frequently invited reviewers increases, which eventually leads to delays and reviewer fatigue. By expanding the pool of potential experts and improving how they are identified with the help of semantic analysis, the integration supports a more sustainable and balanced approach to peer review.
“By working with Prophy, we’re helping editors discover expertise that might otherwise be overlooked, opening the door to a more inclusive, well-distributed, and resilient peer review ecosystem. This is about using technology not to replace human judgment, but to support it in a smarter and more responsible way.”
Prof. Dr. Lyubomir Penev, founder and CEO of Pensoft and ARPHA.
“We’re excited to work with Pensoft and ARPHA to bring smarter reviewer discovery to their editorial teams. Peer review should be efficient and fair, and this partnership helps with both. Editors can find the right expertise faster, which means less time searching and fewer delays. This integration helps editorial teams manage growing submission volumes without burning out their reviewer networks.”
Oleg Ruchayskiy, CEO of Prophy.
To further support editorial teams and client journals’ owners, Pensoft and ARPHA are offering the Prophy integration free of charge to all journals on the platform until the end of 2026.
The partnership reflects Pensoft and ARPHA’s continued focus on equipping journals with practical, forward-looking tools that strengthen peer review, support editors, and help ensure the long-term sustainability of scholarly publishing.
Stay up to date with the latest from Pensoft and ARPHA by subscribing to our blogs and following us on social media, including BlueSky, Facebook and Linkedin.
The agreement encompasses five key research and medical bodies, and allows corresponding authors to publish their findings without individual Article Processing Charges.
Pensoft and the University of Zurichhave signed a comprehensive Open Access (OA) agreement, starting a partnership that enables researchers at participating institutions to publish their findings in Pensoft’s peer-reviewed journals without incurring individual Article Processing Charges (APCs).
Under this new framework, publishing costs for corresponding authors affiliated with the respective institutions are 100% covered by a centralised institutional deposit secured by the University of Zurich. By removing financial barriers, the agreement encourages scientists to disseminate their work to both the academic community and the wider public, making research immediately and freely available upon publication.
This initiative ensures that research is shared under open licences in strict accordance with the FAIR principles—making data Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable.
“We are excited to start this partnership with the University of Zurich and sign an agreement that reflects our strong commitment to inclusive and equitable open science. By supporting researcher-driven publishing, we continue to foster a sustainable environment for high-impact scientific communication.”
Prof. Lyubomir Penev, CEO of Pensoft
“We are pleased to extend our portfolio of gold open access journals, in which our researchers can publish their findings without paying individual APCs. We thereby strengthen our commitment to open research information.”
University Library Zurich
Are you affiliated with a research institution operating with OA agreements? Is your institution interested in helping resident researchers navigate the complex processes underpinning academic publishing and knowledge sharing? Reach out to <publishing@pensoft.net> to discuss a potential collaboration.
The agreement covers almost 100 institutions, including Karolinska Institutet, Lund University, Uppsala University, and the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.
Pensoft and the Bibsam Consortium, operated by the National Library of Sweden, are pleased to announce the signing of a comprehensive Open Access (OA) agreement, marking a significant step in the transition towards a more transparent and open scholarly publishing landscape in Sweden.
Thanks to this move, researchers at participating institutions will be able to publish their findings in 65 journals published by Pensoft or using its advanced publishing platform ARPHA, including flagship titles such as ZooKeys, PhytoKeys, Biodiversity Data Journal, NeoBiota and IMA Fungus, without incurring individual article processing charges (APCs).
All authors affiliated with participating institutions can benefit from this agreement, with publishing costs 100% covered by an institutional deposit secured by the National Library of Sweden.
Unlike subscription-based systems, an OA framework ensures that scientific findings are immediately and freely available to the global community, supporting the global shift toward accessible science and adhering to the FAIR principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable).
OA agreements like this one reduce the financial burden on scientists and encourage them to share their work with both academia and the wider public, ultimately lowering barriers to sharing knowledge in a time when scientific input is key to resolving global challenges.
“We are excited to start this partnership with Bisbam and sign an agreement that reflects our strong commitment to open science. By supporting researcher-driven publishing, we continue to foster a sustainable environment for high-impact scientific communication.”
Prof. Lyubomir Penev, CEO of Pensoft
“We are delighted to announce the addition of Pensoft Publishers to our portfolio of nationally funded agreements for 2026. This represents an important step towards achieving full open access to scientific publications in Sweden.”
Niklas Willén, License Manager at Bibsam Consortium and National Library of Sweden
Are you affiliated with a research institution operating with OA agreements? Is your institution interested in helping resident researchers navigate the complex processes underpinning academic publishing and knowledge sharing? Reach out to <publishing@pensoft.net> to discuss a potential collaboration.
Continuing its tradition, Pensoft Publishers honors its authors and editors with awards for the most cited 3-year-old articles and the most active editors of 2025.
As per tradition, every January we at Pensoft Publishers celebrate the achievements of our authors and editors through our annual award initiative, which spotlights the most cited articles from several flagship journals and recognizes some of our most dedicated editors.
Traditionally, the award is presented in two categories:
Leading authors of the three most cited 3-year-old scientific articles.
The three editors, who have demonstrated the highest level of activity over 2025.
This year, our open-access journals participating in the awards are:
Found on Bluesky, X and Facebook, this journal is designated to accelerate data-rich publications and innovative formats that make biodiversity information easier to discover, reuse, and integrate.
The most impactful papers of 2022 for Biodiversity Data Journal are:
An updated checklist of Azorean arthropods (Arthropoda) (2022). Authored by Borges PAV, Lamelas-Lopez L, Andrade R, Lhoumeau S, Vieira V, Soares AO, Borges I, Boieiro M, Cardoso P, Crespo LCF, Karsholt O, Schülke M, Serrano ARM, Quartau JA, Assing V.
We would also like to extend our sincere gratitude to our editorial team for their commitment throughout 2025. This year, we are proud to recognize the journal’s three most prolific contributors:
Open-access scientific journal that is internationally recognized as a leading outlet for describing new animal species and advancing modern, data-driven zoological taxonomy. Found on Bluesky, X and Facebook.
The most impactful papers of 2022 for ZooKeys are:
Catalogue of the Diptera (Insecta) of Morocco—an annotated checklist, with distributions and a bibliography(2022). By Kettani K, Ebejer MJ, Ackland DM, Bächli G, Barraclough D, Barták M, Carles-Tolrá M, Černý M, Cerretti P, Chandler P, Dakki M, Daugeron C, De Jong H, Dils J, Disney H, Droz B, Evenhuis N, Gatt P, Graciolli G, Grichanov IY, Haenni J-P, Hauser M, Himmi O, MacGowan I, Mathieu B, Mouna M, Munari L, Nartshuk EP, Negrobov OP, Oosterbroek P, Pape T, Pont AC, Popov GV, Rognes K, Skuhravá M, Skuhravý V, Speight M, Tomasovic G, Trari B, Tschorsnig H-P, Vala J-C, von Tschirnhaus M, Wagner R, Whitmore D, Woźnica AJ, Zatwarnicki T, Zwick P.
Benthic megafauna of the western Clarion-Clipperton Zone, Pacific Ocean (2022). Authored by Bribiesca-Contreras G, Dahlgren TG, Amon DJ, Cairns S, Drennan R, Durden JM, Eléaume MP, Hosie AM, Kremenetskaia A, McQuaid K, O’Hara TD, Rabone M, Simon-Lledó E, Smith CR, Watling L, Wiklund H, Glover AG.
We are also delighted to award the three editors who have completed the highest number of editorial tasks over the past year.
A key open-access journal for documenting fungal diversity worldwide and promoting modern mycological research and taxonomy. It can be found on Bluesky, X and Facebook.
PhytoKeys plays a central role in publishing research on global plant diversity and supporting cutting-edge research in plant systematics and evolution. Found on Bluesky, X and Facebook.
We would also like to acknowledge the dedication of our editors in 2025. The three most active editors receiving this year’s recognition are:
Lorenzo Peruzzi
Blanca León
Alexander Sennikov
On behalf of the journals’ publisher, Pensoft, we wish to thank ALL authors, editors, reviewers and readers for their continued support and engagement.
We once again invite our readers to celebrate these contributions and to engage with the featured articles and editor profiles, recognizing the collective effort that supports high-quality, open-access scholarly publishing.
Found on Bluesky and Facebook, this is journal with a vast scope covering all aspects of nature conservation and integrating research on the ecological, evolutionary, economic, and social dimensions of conservation management.
The most impactful papers of 2022 for Nature Conservation are:
Scientists compiled and summarized the largest dataset to date on the cladocerans of the Republic of Tyva—the result of almost thirty years of field work.
Guest blog post by Nadezhda Kirova, Valeria Kirova, Alexey Kotov and Dr. Petr Garibian
The functioning of freshwater ecosystems is impossible without cladocerans (water fleas), which play a key role in the food chains of most continental water bodies. Although the cladoceran fauna is relatively well-studied in the Palearctic as a whole, vast territories of Central Asia, including the Republic of Tyva, have until recently been only fragmentarily studied and required systematic survey.
The first mentions of water bodies in Tyva date back to the 16th century, with the first data on zooplankton appearing in the early 20th century in the works of the Norwegian researcher Georg Ossian Sars (1903) and the Soviet scientist Vyacheslav Rylov (1923, 1930). Historical events of the 20th century significantly influenced the development of hydrobiological research in the region: after the republic became part of the USSR in 1944, the study of water bodies was actively conducted within the framework of ichthyological and fisheries tasks.
Starting from the 1960s, under the leadership of Tomsk scientists Alexey Gundrizer and later Victor Popkov, large-scale ichthyological and hydrobiological research was carried out in the region. During this period, zooplankton was studied primarily as a food source.
Cladocerans — the invisible foundation of freshwater life
If you were to scoop up water from any lake, pond, or steppe salt marsh and examine it under a microscope, you would almost certainly see cladocerans among the first creatures—microscopic crustaceans, usually 0.2–6 mm in size, invisible to the naked eye, but playing a huge role in freshwater ecosystems.
What are they?
Cladocerans are small crustaceans with a characteristic rounded or oval body shape; in most species, the limbs are hidden behind paired valves or a carapace. Externally, they may resemble miniature droplets pulsating in the water. The most well-known representatives of cladocerans are from the genus Daphnia. When first discovered, they were called “pulex aquaticus” or “water flea,” a term still used in scientific publications.
What is their role in nature?
👁 Image Ceriodaphnia reticulata, a common cladoceran species found in US lakes. This is a female carrying two (orange) eggs in her brood chamber. Photo by Florida Sea Grant under a CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 license
Cladocerans play a key role in the functioning of freshwater ecosystems. Primarily, they are a central link in food chains: continuously filtering water and consuming phytoplankton, bacteria, and organic particles, these tiny crustaceans regulate the intensity of algal blooms, maintain water transparency, and control algal numbers. Thanks to cladocerans, many processes in aquatic ecosystems remain balanced, and they themselves serve as a crucial food source for the fry of most freshwater fish and predatory insect larvae. Without them, many species simply could not survive their early stages of development.
Thus, cladocerans perform the function of ecosystem sanitizers. By filtering water, they cleanse it of fine organic debris and bacteria, acting as a natural “microbial vacuum” that maintains freshwater quality.
Finally, these crustaceans are very sensitive to changes in the aquatic environment. Some cladocerans quickly react to changes in salinity, the presence of heavy metals, toxic substances, and other types of pollution. Thanks to this sensitivity, cladocerans are widely used in water quality biotesting, making them a valuable tool for environmental monitoring.
Cladocerans have an amazing life cycle. Under favorable conditions, they reproduce by parthenogenesis, without the participation of males—females simply clone themselves. This allows them to instantly colonize temporary water bodies after rains or snowmelt.
When “hard times” come—with the onset of cooling, shorter daylight hours, or the drying up of a water body—cladocerans produce resting eggs. These eggs are covered with a strong shell, can withstand drying, frost, and persist in bottom sediments for decades. Sometimes this “cladoceran archive” in the silt is used to study past climatic epochs—like a natural flash drive.
Where do they live?
Almost everywhere, on all continents including Antarctica. They can be found in diverse continental water bodies: rivers, lakes, swamps, ditches, puddles, and other temporary pools. There are even unique species living in leaf axils, tree hollows, damp moss, groundwater, and caves.
The cladocerans of Central Asia are very diverse, where fresh, slightly saline, and saline water bodies are in close proximity—each with its own unique crustaceans.
Specimens found in permafrost allow scientists to literally “reconstruct zooplankton communities of the past,” comparing populations from different periods, researching evolution in real time, and tracing climate change processes.
Tyva
The Republic of Tyva is one of the most contrasting and unusual regions of Eurasia. Within a relatively small area, almost all of the Earth’s natural zones are found—from semi-deserts and dry steppes to alpine meadows and high-mountain tundras.
The climate in the region is sharply continental, with cold winters, hot summers, large daily temperature fluctuations (up to 30°C), and extremely low precipitation, especially in the steppe basins. The climate in the mountains is milder, with more precipitation, warmer winters, and cooler summers than in the basins. The highest peaks have eternal snow. The highest mountain, Mongun-Taiga, is 3976 meters above sea level. This diversity of natural and climatic conditions creates a wide ecological spectrum.
The landscape mosaic of Tyva is impressive—steppe plains with sand massifs, taiga slopes, high-mountain plateaus, swampy areas, and numerous lakes coexist here. There are about two thousand lakes in Tyva, from large ones like Chagytai and Azas to small brackish and freshwater lakes.
The Ubsunur Basin stands out among the natural landscapes—a unique transboundary natural complex included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Here, in a small area, one can find desert, steppe, tundra, and alpine meadows, as well as many lakes with varying degrees of mineralization—from almost fresh to hyperhaline.
This combination of contrasting climatic zones, altitudinal gradients, types of water bodies, and salinity levels makes Tuva a natural laboratory for studying aquatic biota.
Dataset
In the course of the research, scientists compiled and summarized the largest dataset to date on the cladocerans of the Republic of Tyva—the result of almost thirty years of field work in the region (1993–2022). A total of 902 water bodies of various types were surveyed: permanent and temporary, differing in depth, altitude, and salinity.
It is important to note that only a few of the lakes located in the basins can be reached by a comfortable road. Most of the water bodies are situated in the mountains, in hard-to-reach areas with difficult mountain roads. The work was incredibly labor-intensive but also exhilarating: our cars broke down high in the mountains far from any settlements, we experienced earthquakes, we had to spend nights near ancient burial mounds, wolves walked near our camp, and marals would occasionally approach us. We even once had to run quickly high in the mountains to escape a thundercloud whose lightning was striking the ground.
👁 Image The group of scientists on one of the expeditions: Professor Artem Sinev (Lomonosov Moscow State University, Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences), Natalia Sheveleva (Limnological Institute of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences), Nadezhda Kirova (Tuvinian Institute for Exploration of Natural Resources of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences)
On one occasion, we fell into a glacial quickstream. These formations, which occur near high-mountain lakes due to the melting of relict ice, suck you into the depths like quicksand, and are incredibly difficult to escape! So this dataset is inextricably linked with a whole series of adventures.
The final dataset, published in Darwin Core Archive format on GBIF, includes 3,599 occurrence records and 76 species of cladocerans. It is noteworthy that not a single invasive species was found in Tyva, although such finds are not uncommon in studies of cladocerans in other regions.
The obtained materials significantly expand the understanding of the composition and spatial distribution of cladocerans in Tyva, which was previously poorly studied from a faunistic perspective.
A special mention must be made of the constant members of our expedition team — Toby the dog, who took part in the annual field trips from 2011 onward, growing from a playful puppy into a wise “scientist dog,” and Karkusha the raven, who joined us in 2016 after we found him as a chick with broken legs and decided to keep him. Without exaggeration, both became an integral part of the long-term history of our fieldwork and made their own contribution.
Toby passed away in November 2025, shortly after our research paper was published, at the age of fourteen. It would not be an overstatement to say that he truly devoted his life to these studies, accompanying us year after year and becoming a symbol of the expedition itself.
Research article:
Kirova N, Kirova V, Kotov A (2025) Diversity of the cladocerans (Crustacea, Branchiopoda) in the Republic of Tyva, Russian Federation. Biodiversity Data Journal 13: e163656. https://doi.org/10.3897/BDJ.13.e163656
