This month’s science roundup highlights the urgent need to close ocean knowledge gaps, protect overlooked deep-sea ecosystems, and ensure equitable access to biodiversity data. As global attention turns to implementation of the outcomes from the UN Ocean Conference, the June edition showcases new research that underscores how much of the ocean remains unmeasured and under threat, and why better science, inclusivity, and global coordination are vital for long-term ocean health.
This issue explores:
- Ocean acidification breaching a critical planetary boundary
- Discovery of a new deep-sea coral species in the Indian Ocean
- Global data gaps that risk undermining effective ocean conservation
Highlights from this month’s ocean science:
A revised planetary boundary assessment finds that ocean acidification has already entered a zone of elevated ecological risk. More than 40% of the surface ocean and up to 60% of the upper 200m are now below safe saturation levels for key marine calcifiers. The impacts, already visible in corals, pteropods, and bivalves, threaten biodiversity, fisheries, and food security, especially in vulnerable polar and upwelling regions.
The discovery of Victorgorgia indica sp. nov., a new deep-sea coral species found on a Central Indian Ridge seamount, reveals previously undocumented biodiversity and evolutionary connections between Indian and Pacific Ocean ecosystems. The study highlights the role of seamounts as biodiversity hotspots, and the urgent need to protect them from deep-sea mining and bottom trawling.
A global analysis of 18.9 million marine biodiversity records reveals deep geographic and taxonomic blind spots, especially in the Southern Hemisphere, deep-sea regions, and Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction. The findings call for urgent, co-designed biodiversity sampling to inform implementation of the BBNJ Treaty, 30×30 conservation targets, and inclusive global ocean governance.
Read the full June edition of the Ocean Science Roundup for more research and insights.
Looking for more? See our summary of scientific reports from over the past month on a broad range of ocean topics.