Polar Oceans Transformed as Warming Melts Ice Habitats: Research
The report says Arctic sea ice has shrunk by nearly half a million square kilometres per decade since 1979, exposing coastlines to erosion.
- The tenth Copernicus Ocean State Report, published Wednesday, found oceans absorbed 23 zettajoules of heat last year, a record for the ninth consecutive year as warming rates doubled over the past 20 years.
- Global oceans absorb roughly 90% of excess heat from fossil fuels, driving marine heat waves, stronger storms, and increased acidification—a process sometimes called "climate change's equally evil twin."
- European seas are under "intense pressure" from record-breaking marine heat waves, while Arctic sea ice decline has left around 60 percent of coastal infrastructure vulnerable to erosion and rising sea levels.
- Ice-Dependent species, including Emperor penguins, face habitat loss; the IUCN upgraded penguins to "endangered" in April after record-low Antarctic sea ice coincided with breeding failures.
- Pierre Bahurel, Director General of Mercator Ocean International, emphasized building permanent capacity for sustained monitoring, stating "it is our responsibility to anticipate this transformation" and ensure government preparedness.
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Study indicates that all Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) of Small Island Developing States (SIDS) are affected by ocean warming since 1960
In 2025, the ocean absorbed a record of 23 zettajoules of energy, the equivalent of 40 times the world's energy consumption. Polar regions experience profound changes, with significant ice loss in the Arctic and unprecedented reproductive failures among the emperor penguins in Antarctica.
Polar oceans transformed as warming melts ice habitats: research
The Copernicus Ocean State Report depicts profound changes across the world's seas, from record-breaking heatwaves in the Mediterranean and Black seas to shifts in marine ecosystems and increasingly acidic waters. "The message is very clear. The ocean is changing rapidly," said Pierre Bahurel, director general of Mercator Ocean International, which runs the European Union's Copernicus Marine Service. Some of the more dramatic effects from global…
Accelerated warming of the polar oceans weakens the Arctic coasts and threatens the disappearance of emperor penguin colonies Climate change rapidly transforms the oceans
The tenth Copernicus report confirms that the sea continues to warm and warns of regional differences
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