Our Scans · (LF.14) 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] Geopolitical & Climate Risks Red Sea and Middle East disruptions continue to affect vessel routing, while Panama Canal constraints and low Rhine River levels can further reduce effective capacity. LinkedIn
• [New] As waterways around the world face growing risks and restrictions, vessels can quickly find themselves caught out, whether on the wrong side of a strait as access rules change during negotiations or on a river whose water levels have fallen sharply. Atlantic Council
• [New] Caribou and migratory birds face changes to migration routes and feeding grounds, while declining sea ice can force polar bears to spend more time on land, increasing the potential for human-bear encounters in some communities. GoGeomatics
• [New] Retreating sea ice is extending the summer navigation season, while disruption in the Middle East has made traditional shipping routes through Suez and the Strait of Hormuz longer, more expensive and less predictable. investing.com
• [New] A large number of capable UUVs could improve Taiwan's maritime domain awareness and ability to deny sea control of the Taiwan Strait to the PLA during an invasion. American Enterprise Institute - AEI
• [New] Taiwan could alternatively use large numbers of small UUVs to prevent the PLA from securing sea control of the Taiwan Strait during a conflict. American Enterprise Institute - AEI
• [New] The brutal conditions are likely to drag on - and possibly intensify - in 2027 because there is a lag of about three months between the peak of El Nino warming in the Pacific Ocean and temperature rises elsewhere in the world. The Guardian
• [New] Global sea levels could rise by anywhere between 0.9 to 3.3 feet (0.27 to 1.01 meters) by 2100, with even higher amounts possible depending on what happens with the ice sheets. U.S. Sea Level Change
• [New] As long as the planet is warmer, land ice will melt and ocean water will expand, rising the global sea level. U.S. Sea Level Change
• [New] Mowi warned of renewed inflationary pressure on feed raw materials, particularly marine ingredients, following poor pelagic fisheries in 2026. Salmon Business
• There is a high risk that a lake which formed after the recent landslide near the Nepal-Tibet border may breach its banks. BBC News
• Nepal is continuing to monitor two barrier lakes upstream of the flood zone, with an official warning that flood risks will persist until both lakes fully drain. The Guardian
• An artificial lake had formed after a mudslide hit the Tibet-Nepal border, posing a risk of sending flood waters downstream. The Guardian
• Remnants of Tropical Storm Dolly, which has been downgraded to an open tropical wave, were moving still across the Atlantic Ocean toward the Leeward Islands, and could bring heavy rainfall to parts of the Caribbean this weekend. The Guardian
• Over time, thermal expansion contributes to global sea level rise, increasing risks for coastal communities and low-lying islands. earth.com
• The oceans will keep getting hotter until the current El Nino - a natural temporary warming of parts of the Pacific that then warps weather and raises temperatures globally - reaches its peak, which is expected sometime between November and January. Al Jazeera
• Copernicus warns of 'unprecedented strain' on world's oceans as El Nino and climate change drive up sea surface temperatures. Al Jazeera
• Weather risk is compounding, as El Nino, heat, drought and low water on European rivers and the Panama Canal threaten feedstock and agricultural supply and costs. Kemiex AG
• Swiss startup Riverkin develops river monitoring technology that tracks water, sediment, and flood risks. Vestbee
• El Nino is putting pressure on global marine ingredient production, with reduced raw material availability in Peru and Chile expected to drive much of the decline in 2026. SeafoodNews

Last updated: 07 September 2026