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] In Sydney, year-round drone monitoring will expand from 26 to all 38 ocean beaches, from Palm beach in the northern beaches to Cronulla in the south. The Guardian
• [New] Desert Ocean proposes using cyanobacteria as feedstock to produce algal biofuel, and plans to enhance algal growth in a 'water farm' using AU. Geoengineering Monitor
• [New] As Antarctic marine protection stalls, exploitative krill fishing threatens whales, wildlife, and one of Earth's most vital climate regulators. Florida Oceanographic Society
• [New] Scientists forecast a 63% chance of sea surface temperatures exceeding 2 C later in 2026. BBC
• [New] The biggest reservoir on the Colorado River is less than 6 feet from its record low, and 11 feet from the elevation at which hydropower generation will be substantially cut. Circle of Blue
• [New] Unlike other major climate risks, such as the potential of the Greenland Ice Sheet melting and contributing to sea level rise, deforestation can in theory be reversed more easily by reforestation. Live Science
• [New] Without coordinated action across climate and food systems, the growing impacts of ocean acidification will continue to undermine fisheries and aquaculture that underpin global nutrition and livelihoods. The Fishing Daily - Irish, UK and European Fishing Indu
• [New] A powerful climate phenomenon developing thousands of kilometers away in the tropical Pacific Ocean could soon influence weather patterns across the UAE, raising the prospect of hotter conditions, higher humidity and a more active autumn storm season. Gulf News: Latest UAE news, Dubai news, Business, trave
• [New] The crisis of marine plastic pollution has precipitated a multifaceted global emergency, incrementally degrading marine ecosystems, endangering human health, and inflicting devastating socioeconomic costs. IHR
• The Australian Marine Conservation Society fears the mainland arrival of H5 bird flu could pose a real extinction risk for the endangered Australian sea lion, with only 12,000 remaining along the coasts of South Australia and WA. The Guardian
• The UK could store enough green hydrogen in depleted North Sea oil and gas fields to meet future electricity demand for up to seven years. Electricity Info
• NASA and its European partners are tracking a major buildup of warm water in the Pacific Ocean that could signal the arrival of El Nino later in 2026. ScienceDaily
• Sensitive data such as ocean current dynamics, water temperature characteristics, temperature distribution, and seabed topography, if stolen by foreign intelligence agencies, will seriously endanger China's national security, military security, and economic security. Gizmodo
• The U.S. is projected to account for approximately 88% of North American marine peptide revenue in 2026. Persistence Market Research
• The new HQ and fleet expansion, with three more vessels by 2030, strengthen SCDF's marine firefighting, ensuring Singapore's waters remain protected amidst growing port activity. ST
• With hurricane season approaching and the National Weather Service's announcement this month that El Nino conditions are likely to strengthen in 2027, withdrawing the ocean sensors had worried observers. Scientific American
• NOAA has tracked a large marine heatwave for a year now, and last week announced that a separate strong El Nino has been building and is expected to peak in the coming winter of 2026-2027. / USA SeafoodNews
• A key ice shelf is about to disintegrate from Antarctica's Thwaites Glacier - nicknamed the Doomsday Glacier because its collapse could raise sea levels by 2.1 feet in the coming centuries, flooding coastal communities worldwide. Live Science
• A colossal chunk of sea ice roughly the size of Texas is missing from the west coast of Antarctica, and scientists fear it might never form again. Live Science
• Warming oceans, acidification and shifting species distributions are already disrupting fisheries worldwide, threatening the communities that depend on them. Inter Press Service
• The first land stockpile in the Asia-Pacific is expected to open in 2026 in the Philippines, close to potential flashpoints in the South China Sea. Dawn
• Illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing threatens national and international fish stocks, ocean ecosystems, and global markets. SeafoodNews
• The observed decline in Arctic sea ice is projected to continue, opening shorter trade routes across the Arctic Ocean, with potentially global economic implications. AGU Journals

Last updated: 29 June 2026