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] Al Jazeera reported that major river basins such as the Colorado, Nile, and Indus are facing structural deficits that threaten food production for hundreds of millions of people. UN warns of "Global Water Bankruptcy" as demand surges
• [New] Climate change could mean less water for Los Angeles, which currently gets most of its supply from Northern California and the Colorado River. PRX - Public Radio Exchange
• [New] Ocean levels may increase by between 0.28 meters and 1 meter by 2100. Northwest Newsradio 97.7 | AM 1000
• [New] Sea levels in some areas in the Global South - regions such as Asia and the South Pacific - could be up to 3 feet higher than previously assumed. Northwest Newsradio 97.7 | AM 1000
• [New] Protecting just 2.5% of the world's oceans could protect nearly 90% of large whales. Skift
• [New] A glacial lake at the terminus of Malaspina Glacier, the largest glacier by area in southeast Alaska, could expand to cover an additional 570 square miles (1,475 square kilometers) alone. Insurance Journal
• [New] More than 15 million people globally live in areas at risk of glacial lake outburst floods. Insurance Journal
• [New] Suicide Basin is just one example of a growing problem from glacial lakes that threaten communities around the world, particularly in the Himalayas and Andes, and is transforming Alaska's landscape as global temperatures rise. Insurance Journal
• [New] An El Nino is favored to emerge in the Pacific Ocean by September, threatening to drive global temperatures higher and disrupt crops in the months ahead. Insurance Journal
• [New] Seasonal water supply forecasted volumes from the California-Nevada River Forecast Center dropped significantly after the late February snowmelt event in the Sierra Nevada, and most locations are forecasted to receive less than 70% of median April-July runoff. Drought.gov
• [New] Scientists have been underestimating global sea levels for decades, potentially putting millions more people at risk than current assessments suggest. Los Angeles Times
• [New] Adjusting to a more accurate coastal height baseline means that if seas rise by a little more than 1 meter - as some studies suggest will happen by the end of the century - waters could inundate up to 37% more land and threaten 77 million to 132 million more people. Euronews
• [New] Adjusting to a more accurate coastal height baseline means that if seas rise by a little more than 3 feet - as some studies suggest will happen by the end of the century - waters could inundate up to 37% more land and threaten 77 million to 132 million more people. Twin Cities
• [New] Sea-level rise (SLR) poses a high risk to vast coastal lowlands around the world, including low-elevated and populous river deltas and coastal plains. Nature
• [New] At present, we risk that global efforts to improve sea-level measurements and projections to mm accuracy are nullified by erroneous sea-level and elevation data implementation in coastal hazard and SLR impact assessments. Nature
• [New] The United States government is rolling back conservation policies in a way that demonstrably risks accelerating already at-risk coral reefs around its island territory Guam in the Pacific Ocean. EurekAlert!
• [New] An estimated 171 trillion pieces of plastic are lurking in the world's oceans, and plastic production is expected to triple by 2060 if no changes are made. Stanford Social Innovation Review
• [New] Found in tropical waters in the Indian, Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, whale sharks might be dauntingly large but they are known as the sea's gentle giants. Reasons to be Cheerful
• 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
• Red Sea Disruptions and Their Geopolitical Impact The Red Sea has always been one of the world's most strategic maritime corridors, linking Asia and Europe through the Suez Canal. Global Trade Magazine
• The repercussions of the joint military operation by the US and Israel against Iran and subsequent retaliatory action will see the further weaponization of trade and shatter hopes of a large-scale return of container shipping to the Red Sea in 2026. WorldCargo News

Last updated: 16 March 2026