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 Ocean Rescue Plan would create a huge network of protected areas (ocean sanctuaries) covering at least 30% of the oceans by 2030. Greenpeace International
• [New] Target 2 of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework aims to ensure that 30% of the total area of degraded terrestrial, inland water, and marine and coastal ecosystems is under effective restoration by 2030. IUCN
• [New] Sea levels today are climbing more quickly than at any time in the past 4,000 years, with China's coastal cities facing some of the most severe risks. ScienceDaily
• [New] Under current climate policies, emissions until 2050 lock in 0.3m more global mean sea-level rise by 2300 than historical emissions until 2020. Nature
• [New] There are substantial uncertainties associated with the translation of globally aggregated ocean heat content and thermal expansion to local ocean dynamic sea-level change, in particular when extrapolating to 2300. Nature
• [New] Coastal erosion, salinity intrusion, flooding, and rising sea levels threaten to displace at least 30 million people over the coming decades. / Bangladesh Daily Times Of Bangladesh
• [New] Coastal communities worldwide face a risk from rising sea levels. Yahoo News
• [New] Rising sea levels could have catastrophic impacts on one of the United States' most populous regions - but also that smart response strategies could mitigate that risk. Yahoo News
• [New] The 10 countries that will experience the biggest increase in dangerous heat days are almost all small, ocean-dependent nations like Panama, the Solomon Islands, and Samoa. Al Jazeera
• [New] 10 small, ocean-dependent nations will experience the biggest increase in dangerous heat days, despite collectively producing only 1% of global heat-trapping gases. Al Jazeera
• [New] Estimates of plastic currently in oceans vary; some place the stock between ~75 and ~199 million tonnes as of the mid-2020s. Polyestertime
• [New] For both powers, the Northern Sea Route is an answer to vulnerability: Russia's dependence on constrained western markets, and China's reliance on southern sea lanes policed by the U.S. Navy. WITA
• [New] Emerging technologies such as sodium-ion batteries, rare-earth-free electric motors, and deep-sea mining in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone of the Pacific could redefine the global resource map. Panorama Minero
• [New] As Amtrak cuts down on trips due to East River Tunnel repairs, the Metro-North Railroad will run its first-ever trains between Albany and New York City starting in the spring of 2026. Center for Economic Growth
• [New] Extreme heatwaves are increasing in frequency and severity due to climate change, and without immediate, ambitious actions to slow ocean warming and boost coral resilience, we risk the extinction of even more corals from reefs in Florida and around the world. IFLScience
• [New] In marine sediments, MISO could account for up to 7% of global sulfide oxidation to sulfate, driven by the substantial flux of reactive iron from rivers and melting glaciers into the oceans. SciTechDaily
• [New] Emissions must drop by about 60% by 2035 to keep global temperature rise within 1.5 °C above pre-industrial levels - a critical threshold beyond which the world faces far more catastrophic consequences, including heatwaves, droughts, floods and sea-level rise. ESG Post
• [New] OC plans to implement a world-first approach to consistent ocean monitoring by deploying multiple USVs equipped with sensors and communication networks through an initiative dubbed 'Oceanic Constellations'. MarineLink
• By unlocking the potential of commercial nuclear energy and easing restrictions on North Sea oil and gas, Britain can secure affordable, reliable energy from its own resources. Electricity Info
• Models tend to simulate a too warm Southern Ocean in the preindustrial state and therefore have too little warming potential. EurekAlert!
• Under future climate change scenarios, models with greater historical sea ice tend to lose more sea ice by 2100, contributing to stronger radiative feedback. EurekAlert!
• Ocean heat uptake and the resulting thermal sea level rise by the year 2100 are projected to be 3-14% higher than the average from CMIP6, a leading collection of climate models. EurekAlert!
• Redwing measures ocean salinity, depth and temperature, helping scientists predict severe weather events and study trends in the planet's climate cycles. The Vineyard Gazette - Martha's Vineyard News

Last updated: 02 November 2025