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] There remains another 1.3 million ounces of gold contained in inferred resources in Snow Lake that have the potential to maintain strong annual gold production levels beyond 2030 and further extend the mine life in Snow Lake beyond 2038. Hudbay Minerals Inc.
• [New] The European Union will likely maintain sanctions on Russia despite Russian demands for Western sanctions relief as preconditions for a temporary ceasefire with Ukraine in the Black Sea. Institute for the Study of War
• [New] Instances like attacks by Yemen's Houthi militia prompted maritime companies to divert vessels around the Cape of Good Hope to avoid the Red Sea. StartUs Insights
• [New] Ukraine's Zelensky says in a news conference that Kiev has agreed to stop using military force in the Black Sea, but shortly after, the Kremlin says it will agree provided financial sanctions are lifted on key Russian institutions - thereby making the deal void. CNN
• [New] The Kremlin said that the agreement on the safety of navigation in the Black Sea will come into force only after some of the restrictions against Russia are lifted. Ukrinform
• [New] An overland Silk Road Economic Belt will link western China to Western Europe through the Eurasian supercontinent while a 21st Century Maritime Silk Road will cross the Indian Ocean connecting the Western Pacific to the Mediterranean Sea. The Heritage Foundation
• [New] POTSDAM-Clarkson University researchers are planning to use AI to better predict hazards like shoreline erosion and flooding on Lake Ontario. North Country Now
• [New] Deep sea mining offers the potential to reduce reliance on Chinese mineral supply chains, which currently control approximately 80% of rare earth processing and produce 70% of global cobalt. Discovery Alert
• [New] Incidents in the Baltic Sea, Red Sea, and near Taiwan have drawn attention to the security risks posed by potential sabotage. Broadband Breakfast
• [New] Despite technical negotiations in Saudi Arabia focusing on limiting strikes to energy infrastructures and ensuring maritime safety in the Black Sea, the relentless drone attacks reveal enduring vulnerabilities in conflict de-escalation strategies. Underlines News
• [New] Home to about 700 million of Africa's people, the World Bank's Eastern and Southern Africa Region is a geographically, culturally and economically diverse region of 26 countries stretching from the Red Sea in the North to the Cape of Good Hope in the South. Ajira Zetu
• [New] Hydrology experts at Flinders University are calling for urgent investigations into the operation of bore-fields that access fresh groundwater on Pacific islands, including Kiribati, where rising sea levels are already putting local water supplies at risk. ScienceDaily
• [New] As ice sheets in Antarctica and Greenland melt, vast amounts of water enter the oceans, threatening coastal cities and island nations. Medindia
• [New] New research on historical sea-level rise will give scientists new knowledge into how global warming will affect the earth's rapidly melting ice sheets. The University of Sheffield
• [New] The SAF could leverage its ties with militias in northern South Sudan to counter RSF efforts to use South Sudan as a rear support base as the SAF tries to contain the RSF west of the Nile River. Institute for the Study of War
• [New] The risk of attacks or incidents at the Suez Canal and the Northern Red Sea for the time being is assessed MODERATE for non-Israeli vessels and HIGH for Israeli and US vessels. All About Shipping
• [New] Getting shipping companies to return to the Red Sea and the Suez Canal could take many months and is likely to require more than airstrikes against the Houthis. The New York Times
• [New] New crop is supported by uncertainty over production potential for the US and Black Sea regions and it is worth noting that wheat crops in Spain are enjoying more rainfall than wheat crops in the UK. Frontier Agriculture
• [New] Like many cities where flooding worsened by sea level rise has become routine, Charleston has embarked on a plan to try to stay ahead of the rising waters, concluding that it will need to prepare for 1.5 feet of additional sea level rise by 2040 and 2.5 feet by 2060. AOL
• [New] Over the next century, Jacksonville will experience more coastal flooding due to sea level rise and from stronger coastal storms, a 2023 report commissioned by the city stated. AOL
• [New] Another 9 inches of sea level rise is possible for much of Florida by 2050, which will result in a dramatic increase in flooding events. AOL
• [New] Lower Disaster Risks: East Kalimantan is safer than Jakarta, with less risk of earthquakes and sea level rise. Infra Info Hub
• [New] Oil prices settled higher as the U.S. launched airstrikes against Houthi rebels and vowed to maintain pressure as the US seeks to end Houthi-led disruptions in the Red Sea. American Chemistry Council

Last updated: 30 March 2025