The Nikkei Hoshi Shinichi Literary Award is named after Hoshi Shinichi, a Japanese sciencefiction author whose books include "The Whimsical Robot" and "Greetings from Outer Space.

The survey, part of a 10-year Census of Marine Life, turned up hosts ofunknown microbes - some of them looking like extras in a sciencefiction movie and underpinning all life in the seas.