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] Antarctica is warming faster than anywhere else on Earth, which could destroy its ecosystems and put other parts of the planet at risk by driving sea level rise and damaging food chains. Mirage News
• [New] Under the highest emissions scenario, sea ice coverage could fall by 20%, devastating species that rely on it - such as krill, an important prey for whales and penguins - and amplifying ocean warming worldwide. Mirage News
• [New] In higher emissions scenarios, the Southern Ocean will get hotter faster. Mirage News
• [New] Ocean acidification and hypoxia pose major risks to BC's seafood industries, with projected losses in the hundreds of millions by 2050. Canadian OA CoP
• [New] A hidden network of underwater fibre optic cables could offer unprecedented new insights into the lives of some of the world's most threatened and elusive sea creatures. Positive News
• [New] Much of trafficked waste around the world ends up in illegal landfills or the ocean, or it is burnt in the open - endangering human health, ecosystems, and livelihoods. Thailand
• [New] By examining the material of cold-water geysers on Earth, scientists can speculate what might happen to plumes on ocean worlds as they move from the ocean to space. Discover Magazine
• [New] Scientists are expecting to learn more about ocean worlds and their plumes when NASA's Europa Clipper arrives at Europa in 2030, and the European Space Agency's Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer reaches Jupiter in 2031. Discover Magazine
• [New] The Lebanese cabinet and the LAF will almost certainly adopt a cautious approach toward disarming Hezbollah north of the Litani River given that Hezbollah has framed its disarmament in the north as an existential issue. Critical Threats
• [New] The rise of outdoor swimming will not solve England's plastic problem on its own but as access to designated bathing waters expands, rivers and coastlines become shared spaces, protected by the people who use them. Positive News
• [New] Red Sea rerouting, Panama Canal restrictions, port labour risks, and regulatory shifts create persistent uncertainty. Limcologistics
• [New] In the United States, the Northeast and Great Lakes regions are bracing for lake-enhanced bands that could dump similar totals in the hardest-hit zones over the next 48 hours. Ayush College
• [New] Arctic summer sea ice is critical to global climate regulation and regional climate stability, but it is projected to disappear by 2050. Ocean Visions
• In 2026, €60 million will be made available for cable repair equipment, along with a separate €20 million call for monitoring tools that can detect damage and track conditions under the sea. EU Blue Economy Observatory
• Artists all over the world are celebrating the entry into force of the Global Ocean Treaty, also marking the beginning of a crucial four-year countdown to protect 30% of the world's ocean by 2030 and stop deep sea mining before it begins. Greenpeace International
• By 2050, offshore wind power capacity in the North Sea is set to increase more than tenfold. Climate Tech Venture Review
• The Global Ripple Effect on Trade and Supply Chains The simultaneous disruptions in the Red Sea and Panama Canal have had a ripple effect across global supply chains. Global Trade Magazine
• In a hothouse Earth scenario, global temperatures could remain above even the worst current projections for thousands of years, causing massive sea-level rises that submerge coastal cities. ANews
• In a few years, marine drones on the surface of the sea or just below will carry both legal cargo and illegal contraband, just as aerial drones will transport commercial products and illicit goods at both the wholesale and retail level within countries and even across them. Brookings
• Like other criminal groups around the world, they will further embrace the evolving aerial and, eventually, marine drone technology to conduct crime over larger distances and with fewer personnel. Brookings
• The construction of artificial islands in the South China Sea, explicit support for Russian military operations, and the rapid modernization of Chinese forces create a threat environment fundamentally different from the relatively stable post-Cold War period. Second Line of Defense
• Ships at sea near Cote d'Ivoire are vulnerable to major threats from piracy, armed robbery, and kidnapping for ransom. U.S. Embassy in Cote d'Ivoire

Last updated: 08 March 2026