Global Scans · Life Below Water · Weekly Summary

In September 2015, 193 world leaders agreed to 17 Global Goals for Sustainable Development. If these Goals are completed, it would mean an end to extreme poverty, inequality and climate change by 2030.
Goal 14: Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development.

• [New] The UK could store enough green hydrogen in depleted North Sea oil and gas fields to meet future electricity demand for up to seven years. Electricity Info
• [New] Japan is expected to represent approximately 32% of Asia Pacific marine peptide revenue in 2026. Persistence Market Research
• [New] The U.S. is projected to account for approximately 88% of North American marine peptide revenue in 2026. Persistence Market Research
• [New] Even a partial loss of ecosystem services like marine fisheries or crop pollination could cut global GDP by $2 trillion a year. ASLA
• [New] Warming oceans, acidification and shifting species distributions are already disrupting fisheries worldwide, threatening the communities that depend on them. Inter Press Service
• [New] The last ice area is projected to be the last place on Earth to retain year-round sea ice by 2040. The Conversation
• [New] The first land stockpile in the Asia-Pacific is expected to open in 2026 in the Philippines, close to potential flashpoints in the South China Sea. Dawn
• [New] Illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing threatens national and international fish stocks, ocean ecosystems, and global markets. SeafoodNews
• [New] The observed decline in Arctic sea ice is projected to continue, opening shorter trade routes across the Arctic Ocean, with potentially global economic implications. AGU Journals
• [New] Climate change is anticipated to disrupt global transport routes through increasingly intense storms, rising sea levels, prolonged periods of heavy rainfall, and drought. GOV.UK
• [New] Recent disruptions at major maritime chokepoints such as the Suez Canal, the Red Sea, and the Panama Canal illustrate how rapidly global costs and lead times can increase when core nodes and corridors are impaired. GOV.UK
• [New] CMA CGM and Maersk are cautiously testing Red Sea routes after 15 months of diversions, with a potential large-scale return in 2026 that could free up 9% of global container capacity currently absorbed by Cape of Good Hope rerouting. Shipping Intelligence Hub
• [New] The Red Sea basin's importance for Gulf countries is likely to only deepen, and the political logics that play out Gulf interests on the Persian Gulf will now be intrinsically tied to the Red Sea. The Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy -
• [New] The coming decade is decisive: without rapid, coordinated global action, ocean health will continue to decline, threatening climate stability, biodiversity resilience, food security, livelihoods and the wellbeing of billions. The United Nations Office at Geneva
• [New] The ocean economy is valued at $1.5 trillion per year and projected to exceed $3 trillion by 2030. The United Nations Office at Geneva
• [New] Governments have promised to protect 30% of the world's ocean by 2030 - the minimum scientists say we need for the ocean to be able to recover. The Guardian
• [New] The European Commission adopted a new initiative, OceanEye, to expand EU's role in ocean observation, with goals to contribute to 35% of the global ocean observing system by 2035. TerraWatch Space Newsletter
• [New] In 2026, the United Nations theme Reimagine, alongside the wider action focus on Strong Marine Protected Areas for Our Blue Planet, calls for a fundamental shift in how we interact with the ocean and accelerates efforts to protect at least 30% of global waters by 2030. Raymarine
• [New] Mangroves are among the world's most effective natural carbon stores, but new research suggests their ability to lock away carbon could weaken as sea levels continue to rise. ScienceDaily
• [New] Researchers led by the University of Exeter, working with partners in Colombia and the United States, created a new computer model to examine how sea-level rise could affect carbon storage across entire mangrove forests. ScienceDaily
• [New] Sea level rise may increase carbon storage in some localized areas at first, but whole-forest carbon storage is likely to decline over the next century, meaning more carbon will be kept in the atmosphere, adding to the effects of climate change. Live Science
• [New] Even when some withdrawn water is recycled by datacenters, large-scale withdrawals can strain aquifers and river systems, particularly in arid or groundwater-depleted regions, a recent UN report warned. The Guardian
• [New] China's military operations to project power over Taiwan and its efforts to assert sovereignty claims in the South and East China Seas occur routinely with confrontations that increase concern of miscalculations potentially leading to conflict. Perry World House

Last updated: 21 June 2026