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] Ruling out the use of all residual fuels and switching to polar fuels could reduce black carbon emissions in the new ECAs including the Canadian Arctic, Norwegian Sea, and NE Atlantic (including the waters around Greenland, Iceland and the Faroe Islands). Clean Arctic Alliance
• [New] Invasive alien species are emerging as one of the fastest-growing threats to biodiversity across Europe, affecting ecosystems from rivers and wetlands to forests and marine habitats. fundsforNGOs News - Grants and Resources for Sustainabi
• [New] Russia and Ukraine are targeting each other's commercial ships and ports in the Black Sea area, raising fears about the impact on grain supplies to world markets. Farm Progress
• [New] Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi militant group has threatened shipping via the Bab el-Mandeb Strait in the Red Sea. Los Angeles Times
• [New] For Thailand, Dawei could eventually provide another maritime outlet toward the Indian Ocean and help diversify logistics beyond existing routes through the Strait of Malacca. RUSSIA'S PIVOT TO ASIA
• [New] Sea conditions are expected to remain slight in the Arabian Gulf and the Oman Sea. Emirati Times
• [New] The Panama Canal will continue to closely monitor weather conditions, watershed inflows, and lake levels. Autoridad del Canal de Panama
• [New] North Sea decommissioning costs will exceed GBP 20 billion through 2035. Persistence Market Research
• [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

Last updated: 14 September 2026