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] By unlocking the potential of commercial nuclear energy and easing restrictions on North Sea oil and gas, Britain can secure affordable, reliable energy from its own resources. Electricity Info
• [New] Models tend to simulate a too warm Southern Ocean in the preindustrial state and therefore have too little warming potential. EurekAlert!
• [New] Under future climate change scenarios, models with greater historical sea ice tend to lose more sea ice by 2100, contributing to stronger radiative feedback. EurekAlert!
• [New] Ocean heat uptake and the resulting thermal sea level rise by the year 2100 are projected to be 3-14% higher than the average from CMIP6, a leading collection of climate models. EurekAlert!
• [New] Redwing measures ocean salinity, depth and temperature, helping scientists predict severe weather events and study trends in the planet's climate cycles. The Vineyard Gazette - Martha's Vineyard News
• [New] The 2022 United Nations Biodiversity Conference adopted the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, which sets the ambitious target of conserving at least 30% of the world's land and seas by 2030, with a focus on areas that offer important ecosystem services. Project Syndicate
• [New] Efforts to meet the ambitious target of conserving at least 30% of the world's oceans by 2030 have fallen short. Project Syndicate
• [New] Without coordinated governance and biodiversity safeguards, the push for renewable energy could undermine international commitments under the UN Ocean Decade, the Convention on Biological Diversity and Sustainable Development Goal 14 (Life Below Water). Mirage News
• [New] In the deep seas, Beijing is still a rising power, working to develop advanced capabilities that could expand its influence. Merics
• [New] To protect 30% of the high seas by 2030, governments would need to protect more than 12 million km2 every year for the next five years. Greenpeace International
• [New] Rising seas will fundamentally alter communities, industries, legal institutions, and natural environments around the world. NSU
• [New] Near normal soil moisture levels and river flows are expected in the remaining regions of New Zealand. Earth Sciences New Zealand | NIWA
• [New] While rising seas are a global issue, China faces a double threat as its largest and most economically important cities are particularly prone to sinking. Euronews
• [New] The Indian Ocean Dipole remained strongly negative in September, with a value of -0.72 C. According to guidance from the Australian Bureau of Meteorology, the IOD is expected to return to the neutral range by the end of the calendar year. Earth Sciences New Zealand | NIWA
• [New] Both indicators are rising, putting freshwater firmly in the Zone of Increasing Risk, with major river basins such as the Indo-Gangetic Plain and North China exceeding safe levels and more pronounced extremes undermining water availability and resilience. Arcadia Foundation
• [New] The significance of brine mining, ocean brine mining, and lithium brine producers is set to intensify as we enter 2026 and beyond. Farmonaut
• [New] Today's sea levels are climbing faster than at any point in the past 4,000 years, putting China's coastal cities among the most threatened areas. SciTechDaily
• [New] A team of scientists led by Rutgers researchers has uncovered evidence that modern sea level rise is happening faster than at any time in the past 4,000 years, with China's coastal cities especially at risk. EurekAlert!
• [New] The world is nearing other irreversible tipping points that could trigger devastating consequences for people and ecosystems, including the melting of polar ice sheets, disruption of major ocean currents, and the collapse of the Amazon rainforest - where COP 30 will take place. ScienceDaily
• [New] As global temperatures move beyond 1.5 °C, the world risks cascading crises such as ice sheet melt, Amazon rainforest dieback, and ocean current collapse. ScienceDaily
• [New] By 2050, an extra 1.5 million people could be living in high-risk coastal areas exposed to sea level rise. Hunter New Energy

Last updated: 26 October 2025