Our Scans · (LF.14) Life Below Water · Weekly Summary

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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] By 2050, plastics are expected to outweigh fish in the ocean. MIT News | Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• [New] Microplastics overlap with the prey item size of many marine organisms and can enter the food web, with the potential to transfer contaminants into cells and tissues. The Guardian
• [New] MISO activity in marine sediments could be responsible for as much as 7% of all global sulfide oxidation to sulfate. ScienceDaily
• [New] Microbes that breathe iron and eat sulfide could be quietly saving Earth's oceans. ScienceDaily
• [New] If similar cascading feedbacks are happening now, localized melting could spread and accelerate overall ice loss, contributing to faster global sea-level rise. ScienceDaily
• [New] Comparable events occurring on larger glaciers could significantly influence the rate of global sea level rise. ScienceDaily
• [New] Brands that do not incorporate sustainable practices and clear communication could lose a crucial and expanding segment of the global seafood industry, which is steadily attracting consumer and regulatory attention in a bid to protect and restore oceans. CNS Media
• [New] While plastics pollution threatens every square inch of the planet, it is the oceans that have become ground zero for the fight against disposability. Phenomenal World
• [New] Marine underwriters will need to verify that no Russian-origin LNG cargoes are covered under existing policies, while brokers may have to revisit contracts and reissue guidance to shipowners. Insurance Business
• [New] Continued high atmospheric CO2 levels are driving accelerated ocean acidification, which severely damages marine ecosystems and contributes to coral bleaching, threatening food security and coastal protection globally. Risk Prevention Mitigation and Management Forum
• [New] Sea level rise has accelerated to 4.5 mm per year versus 1.85 mm historically, and scientists warn of tipping points such as widespread coral die-off, Amazon rainforest dieback and potential weakening of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation. Winssolutions
• [New] The growing alignment among conservation-oriented members shows increasing global resolve to bring CCAMLR back in step with the world's ocean protection commitments, in line with the recently ratified High Seas Treaty and the global target to protect 30% of the ocean by 2030. Marine Technology News
• [New] A conservation agreement to the High Seas Treaty signed in 2023 set the goal of designating 30% of open ocean as protected areas by 2030. The Santa Barbara Independent
• [New] The vibrant coastal city of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil will welcome the global ocean community in 2027 for the next Ocean Decade Conference: a milestone moment to accelerate science-based ocean action and shape the legacy of the Ocean Decade. Ocean Decade
• [New] Using an ultra-high resolution global climate model, researchers discovered that the motion that circulates heat, carbon, and nutrients in the oceans is rising faster than expected. EIN Presswire
• [New] Sea surface temperatures are forecast to remain above average in the Australian region. Mirage News
• [New] Palau, threatened by rising sea levels, floods and more intense storms, is home to nearly 20,000 people, all likely to be made refugees if global heating surpasses 1.5 C for a prolonged period, a likelihood they are desperate to prevent. The Guardian
• [New] Another example of water conflict is the dam that Ethiopia is building on the Nile River, which is causing great concern and reaction from Egypt and Sudan that see a risk for their water supply abilities for the future. The Food Futurist - Anticipate, Adapt, Succeed
• [New] GCoM, the largest global alliance of cities fighting climate change, will showcase success stories of climate action worldwide, including smart mobility in Shimla (India), floating infrastructure for sea-level rise in Belize City, and waste-to-biogas projects in Basse and Sekondi-Takoradi (Ghana). SCEWC 4 - 6 NOV 2025
• [New] Ongoing negative Indian Ocean Dipole conditions are forecast to continue during November (> 85% chances, according to the IRI forecast), raising the chances that below-average rainfall will continue to impact eastern East Africa during the short rains season. GEOGLAM Crop Monitor
• [New] Deep-sea mining waste could disrupt one of Earth's most vital but least understood ecosystems. ScienceDaily
• [New] Global sea-level rise over the 21st Century and beyond will exacerbate local extreme sea-level events, which impact coastal flood risk and HAVE adverse impacts on marine ecosystems. RMetS

Last updated: 17 November 2025