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] While mining has been halted until 2029, that still only provides a narrow window to catalog species and establish marine protected areas before permanent extraction begins. The Arctic Institute - Center for Circumpolar Security
• [New] El Nino - a climate cycle that causes unusually warm ocean surface temperatures in the equatorial Pacific, altering global weather patterns - has begun and is expected to grow to historical strength. vancouversun
• [New] The onset of a potentially powerful El Nino weather pattern could boost global heat in the oceans and atmosphere even further in 2026 and into next year. GorakhaPatra
• [New] With a slow fall of ocean temperatures in early 2027, El Nino will be the primary climate driver for almost an entire year. / USA DTN Progressive Farmer
• [New] BASF SE and Evonik Industries AG are expected to sustain marine bioactive ingredient research and commercialization investments. Persistence Market Research
• [New] Japan is expected to represent approximately 32% of Asia Pacific marine peptide revenue in 2026. Persistence Market Research
• [New] Red Sea coral reefs that have shown remarkable resilience to global warming could soon receive Unesco world heritage status. Positive News
• [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

Last updated: 06 July 2026