Oceans As Sanctuary

Protecting Biodiversity and Climate

Our oceans are more than just vast bodies of water; they are sanctuaries teeming with life, offering refuge to countless marine species and playing a crucial role in regulating the Earth's climate.

Marine life combats climate change in several ways:

Carbon Sequestration: Marine organisms, particularly phytoplankton, absorb carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere during photosynthesis. This process helps reduce the amount of CO2, a major greenhouse gas, in the atmosphere. The carbon is then transferred to other marine organisms through the food chain and can eventually be stored in the ocean floor as marine sediment.
Blue Carbon Ecosystems: Coastal and marine ecosystems like mangroves, seagrasses, and salt marshes are known as blue carbon ecosystems. They are highly efficient at capturing and storing carbon. Mangroves, for example, can sequester up to ten times more carbon than mature tropical forests.
Regulation of Climate and Weather: Marine life contributes to the regulation of climate and weather patterns. For instance, coral reefs help protect coastlines from storm impacts and erosion, and the ocean itself plays a significant role in distributing heat around the planet through currents.
Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services: Healthy marine ecosystems support a wide range of biodiversity, which is essential for ecosystem resilience. Diverse ecosystems are better able to adapt to changes and stresses, including those brought on by climate change.

How marine organisms absorb carbon dioxide:

CREDIT: NASA

CURRENT NEWS

Sep 16 2026

The New York Times

Rising Seas Are Gobbling Up Beaches Around the World. A.I. Might Restore Them.

By Quinn Glabicki 09/16/26

As the world’s oceans grow ever warmer and the seas rise ever higher, coastlines are retreating at a record pace. And with the rising tides, thousands of coastal communities are at risk. The United Nations…

Sep 14 2026

New Scientist

Scientists call for ‘emergency’ measures to save sea life from El Niño

By Alec Luhn 09/14/26

Prominent scientists have called for “emergency” interventions to protect marine life, as the strongest-ever El Niño heats the ocean to unprecedented levels, including removing endangered species from the water and experimenting with geoengineering.

Sep 12 2026

Euro News

‘Recovery becomes self-propelling’: Five positive tipping points that can save the world

By Liam Gilliver 09/12/26

The world risks irreversible damage as our reliance on planet-heating fossil fuels pushes ecosystems towards catastrophic climate tipping points.

Aug 21 2026

Surfrider

Tell The Trump Admin Hands Off The CA Coast!

08/21/26

Please help protect California's Coastal Program! Use the form below to submit your official public comment to NOAA in support of California and its coast.

Aug 18 2026

The New York Times

Environmentalists Sue to Halt First Sale of Seabed-Mining Rights

By Quinn Glabicki 08/18/26

A coalition of environmentalists and community advocates sued the federal government Tuesday in an effort to halt the first-ever commercial sale of deep sea mining leases in American waters.

Aug 12 2026

Boereport

US to offer 81 million acres in Gulf of Mexico oil and gas lease sale

By Nichola Groom and Others 08/12/26

The Trump administration on Wednesday will offer more than 81 million acres (32.8 million hectares) in the Gulf of Mexico to oil and gas drillers as part of an effort to boost domestic energy production…

Aug 07 2026

Los Angeles Times

Trump is attacking California’s ability to protect its coastline. The consequences may be dire

By Rosanna Xia 08/07/26

For months, the Trump administration has sought to open the California coast to a radically industrialized future: large-scale desalination plants, floating nuclear reactors, more rocket launches and expanded offshore oil drilling along the state’s most…

Aug 04 2026

E&E News

Interior moves to ease Obama-era Arctic drilling requirements

By Carlos Anchondo 08/04/26

The Trump administration announced plans Monday to roll back an Obama-era rule on oil and gas drilling in the Arctic Ocean — part of its efforts to tap into Alaska’s energy resources.

Jul 30 2026

Center For Biological Diversity

Keep Ocean Mining Out of Virginia

07/30/26

The Trump administration recently announced plans to open federal waters off Virginia to industrial seabed mining — which would be the first time this disruptive mining for minerals has ever been allowed in public waters…

Jul 26 2026

Inside Climate News

Can Tech Keep Whales Safe From Deadly Vessel Strikes?

By Kiley Price 07/26/26

San Francisco Bay is one of the busiest marine superhighways in the United States. Massive container ships cruise alongside crude oil tankers under the Golden Gate Bridge as high-speed ferries zip near the infamous Alcatraz…

Jul 07 2026

The New York Times

As Ice Melts in the Arctic, Some Deep-Sea Creatures Are Thriving

By K. R. Callaway 07/07/26

Scientists aboard the Polarstern research vessel were sailing along in 2021 when they came upon an unusual iceberg floating through the Fram Strait, an Arctic passage between Greenland and the Norwegian archipelago Svalbard.

Jun 30 2026

The Conversation

Research about global fishing shows value of detailed environmental data, which the Trump administration seeks to limit

By Mark Axelrod 06/30/26

To help people who are affected by pollution and other environmental harms, it’s common sense to first get a detailed picture of who they are and where they are. My research shows what can be…

MORE NEWS

The Conversation

Scientists find antidepressant in the brains of sharks off the coast of Rio de Janeiro

By Mariana Batha Alonso 06/25/26

Share article Print article Sertraline is one of the most widely prescribed antidepressants in the world. Global sertraline sales are expected to keep growing, projected to expand from an estimated US$1.94 billion in 2025 to…

Bloomberg

Trump Administration Backtracks on Removing Ocean Sensors

By Leslie Kaufman 06/19/26

The Trump administration is dropping near-term plans to dismantle a $386 million federal ocean-observing system after encountering resistance from scientists and Congress.

Climate Home News

Mombasa ocean summit drives progress on marine protection, but threats persist

By Nita Bhalla 06/19/26

At the Our Ocean Conference in Kenya's coastal city of Mombasa this week, some 3,000 delegates - including government officials, scientists, business representatives and activists - gathered to discuss ocean protection and push for marine…

Los Angeles Times

This hidden gem in ocean science unlocked the secrets of El Niño

By Rosanna Xia 06/11/26

This might come as a surprise, unless you’re plugged into ocean science lore: The oldest and longest-running marine ecosystem monitoring program in the world is based right off the coast of Southern California.

New Scientist

Mysterious ‘cold blob’ in the Atlantic suggests the AMOC is weakening

By Alec Luhn 06/04/26

Over the past 150 years, Earth’s entire surface has been warming, except for one patch of the north Atlantic. Located south-east of Greenland, this area has cooled by as much as 1°C and is known…

Project Drawdown

What floats and what sinks when it comes to ocean-based climate solutions?

By Christina Richardson 06/03/26

The oceans store an incredible share, nearly one quarter, of the carbon emitted by humans. Climate solutions that enhance this ability or cut emissions are now receiving growing attention, given their potential to scale to…

Gizmodo

Trump Is Scrapping 900 Deep-Sea Sensors Used to Track El Niño

By Matthew Phelan 06/03/26

The National Science Foundation will begin dismantling a sprawling network of over 900 deep-sea sensors stationed in Pacific waters off the coasts of Oregon, Washington state, and Alaska, as well as Atlantic sites off North…

Bloomberg

Trump Scraps Ocean Sensors Providing Crucial Data on Climate, Flooding

By Leslie Kaufman and Eric Roston 06/03/26

The Trump administration’s decision to dismantle most of a $386 million federal ocean-observing network will leave scientists without an irreplaceable source of data used to understand how climate change is affecting crucial currents and marine…

Common Dreams

‘Absolutely Crazy’: Horror as Trump Moves to Dismantle Crucial Ocean Monitoring System

By Julia Conley 06/02/26

In what a number of scientists suggested was the Trump administration’s latest effort to stop tracking the changing climate in hopes of convincing the public that the climate emergency isn’t happening, the National Science Foundation…

Good News Network

2026 Sees the Most Right Whale Calves Born in One Season Since 2009

By Andy Corbley 06/02/26

This year’s calving season along the southeast coastline of America has documented the most North Atlantic right whale calves since 2009.

The New York Times

Trump Administration to Dismantle Ocean Monitoring System

By Eric Niiler 06/01/26

The Trump administration is dismantling a $368 million deep-ocean observation system that was put in place a decade ago to monitor coastal environments, marine ecosystems and powerful currents that affect the global climate.

Los Angeles Times

The latest on our gray whales

By Susanne Rust 05/28/26

Gray whales are washing up on North America’s Pacific coast in alarming numbers, again. The culprit: Starvation and a lack of food. It feels like it’s becoming a theme this year, as we watched thousands…

The New York Times

A Powerful El Niño Is Forming. If History Is a Guide, It Could Hit Hard.

By Chico Harlan 05/21/26

Well before it was understood, the El Niño phenomenon was leaving its marks on humanity.

The New York Times

A warming world prepares for a strong El Niño

By David Gelles 05/21/26

From time to time, ocean winds shift and the central and eastern Pacific Ocean experiences a heat wave.

TCD

Antarctica’s ‘doomsday glacier’ may lose its critical ice shelf, scientists warn

By Hope Nguyen 05/20/26

Antarctica's Thwaites Glacier, often referred to as the "doomsday glacier," is showing new signs that its floating ice shelf is breaking apart, according to scientists who say the change could accelerate sea-level rise for decades.

CNN

What previous Super El Niños can tell us about the next one

By Andrew Freedman 05/19/26

The coming “Super” El Niño is poised to affect the lives of hundreds of millions of people worldwide as it strengthens through the year into the winter season. It may also alter ecosystems for decades…

Los Angeles Times

As ocean temperatures spike, more dead sea birds are washing up on California shores

By Susanne Rust and Lila Seidman 05/18/26

For the last several months, wildlife experts have been alarmed by a large influx of dead and emaciated seabirds washing up on California beaches.

CNN

El Niño is coming faster than expected and chances are rising that it will be historically strong

By Chris Dolce 05/15/26

This is according to a just-released update from NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center that says there is a 2 in 3 chance that El Niño’s peak strength will be strong or very strong.

Oceanographic

Papua New Guinea announces largest MPA in its history

By Rob Hutchins 05/15/26

Papua New Guinea has detailed its plans to protect approximately 200,000 km² of Pacific Ocean waters – an area roughly the size of the United Kingdom – from fishing and all other destructive human activity.

Los Angeles Times

This coming El Niño could be a monster. Will it bring epic rain to California this winter?

By Rong-Gong Lin 11 05/14/26

The likelihood of a potentially powerful El Niño taking shape in the Pacific Ocean is rising, heightening concerns that Southern California could be in for an extreme rainy season.

Yale Climate Connections

Something startling is happening in the Gulf of Mexico

By Jeff Masters 05/13/26

In 2012, the temperature of the Gulf of Mexico began rising along a shocking upward trajectory.

Sky News

Alaskan megatsunami bigger than Empire State Building triggered by climate change

05/07/26

A tsunami at a popular tourist spot in Alaska was the second highest ever recorded and it was "unbelievably lucky" no one was hurt, researchers have said. The wave at the Tracy Arm Fjord in…

Inewsource

‘Enjoy your new sunset.’ A California campaign against offshore oil drilling targets Trump

By Philip Salata 04/26/26

Two oil rigs sharply silhouetted by a golden sun plunging into the Pacific Ocean – that’s the image on a new billboard in Clairemont marking the launch of a new campaign to oppose offshore drilling…

Live Science

El Niño could be here by May, new forecast reveals —‬ here’s what it means for summer weather

By Sophie Berdugo 04/24/26

El Niño is forecast to return as early as May, which could bring above-normal temperatures to almost everywhere on Earth, according to a new report. El Niño events occur every two to seven years as…

The Guardian

A catastrophic climate event is upon us. Here is why you’ve heard so little about it

By George Monbiot 04/23/26

The poor and middle pay taxes, the rich pay accountants, the very rich pay lawyers – and the ultra-rich pay politicians. It’s not an original remark, but it bears repeating until everyone has heard it.…

E&E NEWS

What ‘God Squad’ exemption? ESA confusion reigns in Gulf drilling.

By Ian M. Stevenson 04/22/26

NOAA Fisheries insisted last week that imperiled species in the Gulf of Mexico would still be protected by federal regulations despite the Trump administration’s sweeping Endangered Species Act exemption for offshore oil and gas production.…

The Washington Post

What a 5,000-mile-long marine heat wave means for summer in the U.S.

By Ben Noll 04/22/26

A massive ocean hot spot is stretching across a 5,000-mile swath of the Pacific — from Micronesia to the coastal waters of California. Across this zone, waters are as much as 6 to 8 degrees…

Live Science

‘Nations need to prepare now’: Key Atlantic ocean current is much closer to collapse than scientists thought

By Sophie Berdugo 04/21/26

Atlantic Ocean currents that are vital for keeping Earth's climate in check will halve in strength by 2100 and may be closer to collapse than first thought, a new study finds. The Atlantic Meridional Overturning…

Politico Pro

Lawmakers greet remarriage of offshore energy agencies with concern, shrugs

By Ian M. Stevenson 04/15/26

Lawmakers this week offered a mix of reservations and support — and more than a few shrugs — to the Interior Department's plan to unify two agencies that manage offshore energy.

The Hill

Trump administration holds up NOAA grant funding

By Rachel Frazin 04/13/26

The Trump administration is holding up some National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) grant funding. Earlier this month, the University of Colorado released a statement saying that a federal pause on grant funding has put…

National Geographic

What a ‘super’ El Niño means for the planet

By Ruby Mellen 04/10/26

Forecasters are increasingly predicting the possibility that a powerful “super El Niño” will take effect this year. The phenomenon, which could be the strongest El Niño in at least a decade, may spur punishing drought…

AXIOS

Deep-sea minerals miner agrees to $1 billion merger

By Dan Primack 04/08/26

American Ocean Minerals, a deep-sea mining company, agreed to a reverse merger with Odyssey Marine Exploration. Why it matters: The U.S. needs to find new sources of critical minerals for batteries and other industrial and…

The Washington Post

U.S. panel votes to exempt Gulf of Mexico drilling from Endangered Species Act

By Jake Spring 03/31/26

A committee led by the interior secretary known as the “God Squad” voted Tuesday to exempt oil and gas companies from complying with the Endangered Species Act when drilling in the Gulf of Mexico, a…

The New York Times

The ‘God Squad’ Waives Environmental Rules for Offshore Drilling

By Maxine Joselow 03/31/26

A powerful panel of Trump administration officials voted unanimously on Tuesday to exempt oil and gas drilling in the Gulf of Mexico from measures to protect endangered whales and other imperiled species.

Bloomberg

Why the Endangered Species ‘God Squad’ Is Meeting After 35 Years

By Zahra Hirji 03/30/26

In an executive order on his first day back in office, President Donald Trump directed an obscure panel of senior federal agency leaders called the Endangered Species Committee to start meeting regularly. The committee has…

Inside Climate News

Trump’s ‘God Squad’ Will Weigh Gulf Oil Drilling Against the Survival of Endangered Whales and Turtles

By Kiley Price 03/27/26

The Trump administration is turning to the nuclear option on endangered-species protections in the name of national security. A rarely tapped panel nicknamed the “God Squad” will meet Tuesday to discuss whether overriding Endangered Species…

Los Angeles Times

Industrial chemicals have reached the middle of the oceans, new study shows

By Susanne Rust 03/16/26

New research shows the chemicals we use to kill pests, heal our bodies and package our foods are spread throughout the ocean, intermingling with the microorganisms that feed marine life. They’ve reached even the most…

Earthjustice

Why BP’s Kaskida Project Is a Recipe for (Yet Another) Disaster

By Matthew Green 03/16/26

Just 16 years ago, BP’s Deepwater Horizon offshore oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico burst into flames, triggering the most destructive oil spill in U.S. history.

Surfrider Foundation

Offshore Drilling and the Myth of Lower Gas Prices

By Pete Stauffer 03/16/26

On February 28, the United States and Israel attacked Iran, setting off an international war that has only escalated in the weeks since. Aside from the horrific humanitarian damage inflicted, including numerous casualties to innocent…

Surfrider Foundation

Sable Restarts Pipeline Behind the Plains All-American Oil Spill — California Pushes Back

By Jennifer Savage 03/16/26

The battle to protect the Santa Barbara coastline has entered an alarming new chapter.

CBS News

U.S. Energy secretary directs Texas oil company to restore operations off California

03/14/26

U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright directed a Texas-based oil and gas company Friday to restore operations in waters off Southern California that were damaged by a 2015 oil spill, invoking the Defense Production Act.

The New York Times

Trump Administration Approves Ultra-Deepwater Oil Drilling Plan

By Lisa Friedman and Rebecca F. Elliot 03/14/26

The Trump administration on Friday approved a $5 billion oil drilling project in ultradeep waters of the Gulf of Mexico over protests from Democrats and environmental activists who said the venture posed significant risks to…

Vox

The case for scrubbing the seas to save the climate

By Umair Irfan 03/08/26

We have painted ourselves into a corner on climate change-our planet is going to exceed 1.5 degrees Celcius of warming.

Earthjustice

Stop Congress from selling out the Boundary Waters to a Chilean-owned mine

03/07/26

The Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in northern Minnesota is a vast network of over 1,000 lakes and unspoiled forests stretching across more than one million acres. Generations of visitors have canoed, camped, and hiked…

Revkin Substack

On the Bright Side: Blue Whales Spotted in New England Waters

By Andy Revkin 03/07/26

I wrote about blue whales, the biggest animal ever to inhabit Earth, off and on at The New York Times (see an example at the bottom of the post). This video recently posted by Luke…

Earthjustice

Stop plans to mine the ocean floor

03/06/26

As if drilling for oil on our public lands and clear-cutting our old-growth forests for timber weren’t enough for their corporate donors, the Trump administration is now eyeing uncharted territory for more extraction: the deep…

Heatmap

Careful With That Wild-Caught Tuna

By Jeva Lange 03/04/26

It started with the cats.In the seaside town of Minamata,on the west coast of the most southerly of Japan's main Islands,Kyushu,the cats seemed to have gone mad-convulsing,twirling,drooling,and even jumping into the ocean in what looked…

Offshorewind.biz

Ocean Winds Enters Lease Agreement with Crown Estate for 1.5 GW Celtic Sea Floating Wind Project

By Adrijana Buljan 03/03/26

Offshore Wind Leasing Round 5, the UK’s first dedicated floating wind seabed leasing round, was launched in February 2024, offering three areas. In June 2025, the Crown Estate announced Equinor and Gwynt Glas, a joint…

biologicaldiversity.org

Oceans Off Alaska Need Your Help

02/27/26

The Trump administration is aggressively pushing to open more than 100 million ocean acres off the coast of Alaska to seabed mining.

Bloomberg

Oil Supertankers Become the Hottest Commodity With 600% Gain

By Alex Longley 02/26/26

Oil tanker earnings are soaring to levels not seen since the start of the decade, sparking jitters for refiners and affecting trade flows.

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Protecting Biodiversity and Climate

Marine life combats climate change in several ways:

How marine organisms absorb carbon dioxide:

CURRENT NEWS

MORE NEWS