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] Even a modest number of surviving HIMARS launchers, properly networked with radar and unmanned systems, could pose a serious threat to PLA amphibious shipping, staging areas and nearby bases-giving Taipei a potent tool for sea denial and counter-landing operations. Sino Daily
• [New] The Russian Navy has moved almost all its significant assets to the port of Novorossiysk on the eastern coast of the Black Sea and generally minimized patrolling due to the drone threat. The New York Sun
• [New] India remains aware of the impact of China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and of rising maritime risks in the Indo-Pacific, the South China Sea, and the Red Sea. OBSERVER RESEARCH FOUNDATION ( ORF )
• [New] In the coming year, China could test U.S. resolve through provocations against Taiwan or in the South China Sea. Cleveland
• [New] The Salish Sea is one ecosystem but Canada and the US are playing by different rules when it comes to protecting threatened whales. SeafoodNews
• [New] Over 3 billion people rely on the oceans for their livelihoods, and further showed the sustainability of the oceans to be under serious threat due to plastic and marine pollution, among other factors (ocean warming, eutrophication, acidification, and fishery collapse). PubMed Central (PMC)
• [New] Nearly 10% of marine species are at risk of extinction, and at least 40% are feeling the impacts of climate change. Earth Island Journal
• [New] Great white sharks in the Mediterranean Sea are in danger of disappearing, with illegal fishing contributing to their decline. BBC News
• [New] With most coastal wetlands less than 1m above sea level, a 0.84m rise by 2100 would see most of them inundated with salt water. Australian Broadcasting Corporation
• [New] The World Trade Organization's Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies entered into force, prohibiting subsidies for illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing activities, which have long undermined sustainable fisheries management and threatened marine ecosystems. Project Syndicate
• [New] Number could reach 100 million tons by 2030, which eerily aligns with what some scientists now say will be the first-ever days with no summer sea ice. Climate TRACE
• [New] Russia and China are expected to test the United States' dedication to its allies by employing grey-zone provocations - just below the threshold of declaring war - in eastern Europe and the South China Sea. The i Paper
• [New] Ukraine has used enhanced maritime capabilities to overturn Russia's traditional naval dominance, but Russia will continue to pursue regional dominance, viewing the Black Sea as a strategic civilizational center essential for projecting global influence. Turkey recap
• [New] Russia will deploy acoustic detection grids and potentially trained marine mammals at critical ports, while Ukraine will develop longer-range UUVs with improved warheads, possibly incorporating fiber-optic control to defeat jamming, mirroring their surface drone evolution. Drone Warfare
• [New] Predictive Analysis: By 2027-2028, expect Chinese integration of satellite-independent navigation into operational drone swarms and autonomous maritime systems deployed in South China Sea operations, with hybrid sensor fusion becoming standard across PLA precision strike platforms. Drone Warfare
• [New] Allied navies, particularly in the Indo-Pacific, will pursue similar capabilities to counter Chinese maritime expansion, driving a secondary proliferation wave of sea-launched loitering munitions within 18-24 months. Drone Warfare
• [New] The U.S. Navy's first sea-launched one-way attack drone from USS Santa Barbara represents a critical shift toward affordable, distributed maritime strike capabilities that could fundamentally alter naval deterrence dynamics in contested waters. Drone Warfare
• [New] Sea conditions will be hazardous, with the Arabian Gulf experiencing rough to very rough seas early in the week before easing slightly, while the Oman Sea will be rough at times, becoming moderate towards the weekend. Big News Network.com
• [New] The potential reopening of Red Sea shipping routes in 2026 represents both significant opportunity and considerable risk for Singapore's maritime sector. Maxthon | Privacy Private Browser
• The additions to South Australia's park network align with the state and federal governments' 30 by 30 commitment, which aims to protect 30% of Australia's landmass and marine areas by 2030 in an effort to halt further biodiversity loss. Department for Environment and Water
• Another significant threat to sea turtle populations around the world is plastic pollution. The Lance
• Warmer seas as a result of climate change could see lionfish swarm the entire Mediterranean by the century's end. financialpost
• If summer sea ice disappears entirely, scientists predict accelerated catastrophe-leaps in temperature, more frequent and stronger storms, global sea-level rise - which will threaten the planet's general livability. The Atlantic

Last updated: 05 January 2026