Global Scans · 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] Environmental groups and some vessel operators have criticized the Executive Order, warning it could cause irreversible harm to marine ecosystems and undermine international efforts to regulate DSM responsibly. Passle
• [New] In addition to inland consumption, LNG use in the marine transport sector, which includes both LNG carriers and commercial vessels powered by LNG, is expected to increase by 15 bcm / yr to 2030. IEA
• [New] While the ocean plays a critical role in regulating our climate and supporting biodiversity and the livelihoods of billions of people on the planet, the blue economy is still lacking in investment to reach its full potential. COP30 Virtual Ocean Pavilion 2025 (3-21 November)
• [New] Deep-sea mining regulatory frameworks under development by the International Seabed Authority could unlock polymetallic nodule deposits containing 21 billion tonnes of manganese, 5.7 billion tonnes of iron, and substantial quantities of nickel and cobalt. Discovery Alert
• [New] The Devastation Bill directly threatens the Brazilian coastal zone - a region already extremely vulnerable to erosion, rising sea levels, and pressure on traditional fishing territories. Instituto Socioambiental - ISA
• [New] The world's oceans are expected to play a key part in drawing carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere to help slow dangerous climate warming. ScienceDaily
• [New] Oceans may help capture carbon in the future, but experts warn the world must proceed cautiously and prioritize cutting emissions now. ScienceDaily
• [New] Marine parks such as Gorgona contribute to the 30 x30 global agreement to conserve 30% of land, water and ocean by 2030, as outlined in the Convention on Biological Diversity. The Guardian
• [New] If glaciers of greater size experience comparable events, the impact on global sea level rise could be significant. SciTechDaily
• [New] Antarctica's Hektoria Glacier collapsed at record speed, revealing how quickly ice loss could drive sea level rise. SciTechDaily
• [New] Blue Marine Foundation, called Norway's proposal shocking, warning that it could turn marine protected areas into a ransom, a bargain chip to get more krill. Yahoo News
• [New] Transformative economic opportunities exist: systemic nature-related shifts in food systems, land and ocean use, the built environment, and energy sectors could unlock USD 10 trillion in annual business opportunities and create 395 million jobs by 2030. SDG Action
• [New] Under a high-emission scenario, global sea levels could rise 0.77 meter by 2100, but local factors mean Bangladesh may experience even greater impacts. Dhaka Tribune
• [New] Bangladesh's vulnerability is worsened by vertical land motion, the rising or sinking of land relative to the sea. Dhaka Tribune
• [New] If heat-trapping pollution from burning coal, oil and gas continues unchecked, thousands of hazardous sites across the United States risk being flooded from sea level rise by the turn of the century, posing serious health risks to nearby communities. Insurance Journal
• [New] Australia had sought to co-host the UN's top climate conference alongside South Pacific neighbours gravely threatened by rising oceans, parching droughts and acidifying seas. Yahoo News UK
• [New] By tracking companies' risks, Moody's highlights that the oil and gas industry is the most exposed to the impacts of declining ocean health, closely followed by fishing and shipping. FTI Strategic Communications
• [New] Warming in the Southern Ocean could continue to intensify heatwaves for centuries even after net zero is reached. ScienceDaily
• [New] Rising sea levels threaten to flood more than 5,500 toxic sites across the US by 2100. The Guardian
• [New] Rising sea levels have already largely swamped two of Tuvalu's nine coral atolls - and scientists fear the entire archipelago could be unliveable by the end of the century. Yahoo News UK
• [New] New Jersey is likely to see between 2.2 and 3.8 feet of sea-level rise by 2100 if the current level of global carbon emissions continue, but seas could rise by as much as 4.5 feet if ice-sheet melt accelerates. Inside Climate News

Last updated: 30 November 2025