The stunning secret life in our oceans has been captured as never before by explorers. The inventory has catalogued some of the the ocean species that are the hardest to see, yet together underpin almost all other life on Earth.

A part of the 10-year Census of Marine Life, a huge project involving researchers in more than 80 nations, the survey aimed to catalogue tiny creatures, including microbes, zooplankton, larvae and burrowers, for the first time. And the results are breathtaking.

This transparent pink sea cucumber was discovered in the Celebes Sea. It may be a new species but requires a specialist to take a look at an actual specimen to be able to say for sure. The internal brown tube is its gut.

Photo credit: CoML