WoRMS - World Register of Marine Species Overview & Contact Data

WoRMS, the World Register of Marine Species, is an authoritative online classification and catalogue of marine names, maintained to reflect published scientific knowledge on marine taxa. The register provides accepted marine species names, synonyms, taxonomic classifications, and taxon information for a broad range of marine organisms, including marine worms, algae, nematodes, and decapod crustaceans. It does not make new taxonomic decisions; instead, it curates, checks, and updates names based on the scientific literature, with contributions from a network of editors and institutional users. The site serves marine biologists, taxonomists, biodiversity researchers, conservation practitioners, educators, and data-dependent institutions that need reliable taxonomic identifiers. Users can explore accepted marine species, browse species names and synonyms, access taxon information, and use tools such as WoRMS Match Taxa and LifeWatch Match Taxa to compare or standardise names across datasets. Web services and registered institutional access support larger research workflows, while images for many species help support identification and communication. WoRMS also connects with related taxonomic resources, including AlgaeBase and Edaphobase, and supports the use of Nemys as a taxonomic backbone for nematodes. Citation guidelines help researchers reference the register accurately in publications. The register is notable for its scale and editorial care. It currently lists 249,450 accepted marine species, 520,404 marine species names including synonyms, and 53,936 species with images. With 349 editors, 426 registered institutional users, and more than 300 million web hits in 2025, WoRMS functions as a central reference point for marine taxonomy. Developed and hosted by the Flanders Marine Institute and powered by LifeWatch Belgium, the platform remains an important reference resource for marine species names, taxon matching, and biodiversity data.