As 10 years of intensive research draw to a close, the Census of Marine Life has released the most comprehensive inventory of life in the ocean to date. This landmark collection of scientific papers describes and documents marine life in 25 key ocean areas from the tropics to the poles, and will serve as a baseline for measuring future changes.

To see some of the underwater creatures that were discovered by scientists during the Census, check out an image gallery of Wild and Wonderful Creatures from the Census of Marine Life and Sea Creatures from the Deep.