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] 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] 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
• [New] More than a dozen of the world's leading ocean science, philanthropic, and other stakeholder organizations will represent ocean issues at the world's largest climate negotiation. Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
• [New] Offshore wind capacity is expected to surge to nearly 58.3 GW by 2035 from 15.8 GW in 2024, supported by the Clean Power 2030 mission, successive Contracts for Difference (CfD) auction rounds, and large scale grid expansion projects across the North Sea. Energy Global
• [New] Marine cloud brightening in the south-east Atlantic alone could result in the dieback of the Amazon, releasing a huge amount of carbon, while deployment in the eastern Pacific only could result in an enormous La Nina, a climate phenomenon with global consequences. The Guardian
• [New] South Australia's fishing and marine sector will receive a further $16 million in support - including additional grants totalling up to $275,000 per eligible business - as part of the State and Federal Government's $102.5 million Algal Bloom Summer Plan. Mirage News
• [New] The basin states are engaged in negotiations for new operating guidelines for the Colorado River, set to be in place by 2027. The Water Desk
• [New] The mission, organised by NASA in partnership with ESA, EUMETSAT and NOAA, will continue the long-term global record of sea-surface height measurements. Observer
• [New] The potential for ocean flooding is greater than 90%. Yahoo News
• [New] Key climate incidences cited include the discovery that parts of the Amazon rainforest have ceased to function as a carbon sink and the oceans are absorbing less carbon dioxide than previously projected, accelerating atmospheric warming. Risk Prevention Mitigation and Management Forum
• [New] NOAA anticipates wetter-than-average conditions across the Ohio Valley and Great Lakes, and drier-than-average weather stretching from California through the Gulf Coast and Southeast. Mansfield Energy
• [New] Fish catches in coral reefs could increase by up to 20% by expanding sustainable-use marine protected areas - that is, areas where some fishing is allowed with restrictions. Conservation International
• [New] Within the next 30 to 40 years, the irregular swings of El Nino and La Nina could evolve into consistent, powerful cycles defined by stronger sea surface temperature (SST) variations. SciTechDaily
• [New] Antarctic krill are the superheroes of the Southern Ocean, sustaining incredible marine life, but climate change and unsustainable fishing are putting them at risk. Tasmanian Times
• [New] By 2026, advancements in underwater mining technology will allow the harvest of marine minerals at unprecedented scales - but not without considerable impact on delicate marine ecosystems. Farmonaut
• [New] Climate Alignment: Lithium from renewable-powered, low-impact ocean operations could underpin global carbon footprint reduction goals if environmental impacts are managed. Farmonaut
• [New] Throughout late 2029, naval combat in the South China Sea intensified, which led to the entrance of Vietnam, Japan and Laos into the war against China. Future
• [New] The world's oceans are facing a triple threat of planetary crises. Yahoo News
• [New] Most notably, the conflict in Ukraine and the rising threat posed by China in Taiwan and the South China Sea have compelled the U.S. to invest massive political capital and financial resources - a stark departure from any genuine disengagement strategy. FirstPost
• [New] On a global scale, a newly launched satellite known as NISAR will gather data night and day, through cloud and smoke, for researchers around the world studying the Earth's oceans, ice and vegetation alike. Pint of Science Australia
• [New] The Ocean Rescue Plan would create a huge network of protected areas (ocean sanctuaries) covering at least 30% of the oceans by 2030. Greenpeace International

Last updated: 09 November 2025