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] Warmer and drier conditions are expected from June to October because of El Nino and the Indian Ocean Dipole - a climate phenomenon linked to oceanic surface temperatures. ST
• [New] Antarctica's west coast is missing an area of winter sea ice the size of France, sparking concerns for threatened penguins other marine life and global sea levels. The Guardian
• [New] An El Nino is declared when sea temperatures in the tropical eastern Pacific rise to 0.5 °C above the long-term average, leading to high wind shear across the Atlantic Basin, and increasing the risk of heavy rain in some parts of the world, and conversely, drier conditions and drought in others. The Drinks Business
• [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] Yemen's Houthis declared a ban on Israeli shipping in the Red Sea and claimed a missile strike on Israel, with the Bab el-Mandeb and Hormuz blockades now simultaneously threatening roughly a third of the world's seaborne oil and gas. Euronews
• [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] In the East, a vital rail corridor connecting Nova Scotia with the rest of mainland Canada is in danger of washing away as sea levels rise and violent storms occur more frequently, putting at risk residents and the transportation of $35 billion per year in goods and services. SenCanada
• [New] A new pipeline to the Red Sea is expected to be operational in 2027. Oakglen Wealth - Advisory and Discretionary Management
• [New] Climate change is a major threat to the small-scale fishing communities, particularly in South Asia, a region characterized by widespread coastlines, extreme population density, and high dependence on marine resources for food, income, and employment. Ocean Acidification
• [New] Due to ongoing security risks, ocean carriers are avoiding the Suez Canal and routing ships around the Cape of Good Hope in Africa. Global Signals
• [New] The Red Sea and the Suez Canal will continue to be indispensable routes for global trade, necessitating sustained international cooperation to ensure their security and stability. Grc
• [New] The world's oceans will become increasingly warmer and acidic, sea levels will continue to rise, and storm and ocean circulation patterns will be altered because of anthropogenic inputs of carbon in the atmosphere. PubMed Central (PMC)
• 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
• 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
• 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
• Scientists have uncovered a hidden Antarctic threat that could accelerate global sea level rise far faster than expected. ScienceDaily
• While disease is a concern, the main threat to polar bears globally continues to be sea ice loss from human-driven climate warming. Refractor
• The UN urged all countries on Tuesday to bolster early warning systems after confirming the onset of El Nino, warning that the Pacific Ocean-warming phenomenon will bring above-average temperatures nearly everywhere and fuel more extreme weather. UN News
• Sea surface temperatures in a key region of the central equatorial Pacific Ocean will climb 5.4 degrees Fahrenheit (3 degrees Celsius) above average by December of 2026, with some scenarios showing they could go above 7.2 F (4 C). Live Science
• Ocean temperatures reached a near-record-breaking monthly high in April as forecasters warn that we could be on the cusp of one of the strongest El Nino events of the century. Live Science

Last updated: 15 June 2026