26 May 2026
Photo by hahaxo Scientists have named 1,121 previously unknown marine species in a single year, the most significant discovery milestone to date for the Nippon Foundation-Nekton Ocean Census, a global effort to map life beneath the waves involving more than 1,000 researchers across 85 countries. The figure represents a 54% increase on the previous year’s annual […]
14 Apr 2026
Photo by Nik Shuliahin The third and final preparatory commission for the High Seas Treaty concluded on 2 April at the United Nations headquarters in New York, wrapping up two weeks of intensive negotiations that the High Seas Alliance described as delivering meaningful progress, but also leaving several significant issues unresolved ahead of the treaty’s first Conference […]
07 Apr 2026
Photo by Francesco Ungaro More than a tenth of the global ocean is now officially designated as protected or conserved, marking a historic milestone in the race to safeguard marine biodiversity. The figure — confirmed at 10.01% through the latest update to the World Database on Protected and Conserved Areas — represents a significant leap from […]
17 Feb 2026
Photo by Silas Baisch The UK has moved a significant step closer to ratifying the landmark High Seas Treaty after the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Bill received royal assent on 12 February, becoming an Act of Parliament. However, the government confirmed that additional secondary legislation is still required before full ratification can be achieved. The […]
20 Jan 2026
Photo by Jakob Owens The High Seas Treaty officially entered into force on 17 January 2026, marking a historic milestone for global ocean protection. However, the UK remains excluded from decision-making as Parliament has yet to ratify the landmark agreement despite being one of the first countries to sign it in 2023. The treaty, […]
02 Dec 2025
Photo by Samuel Costa Melo COP30 in Belém, Brazil, elevated the ocean, bringing it closer to the heart of the global climate agenda, but the deep sea representing roughly 90% of the ocean stayed buried in the margins, with the world’s biggest natural carbon sink not receiving mention in the final decision texts. Brazil announced today at COP30 […]
23 Sep 2025
Photo by Jakob Owens A landmark UN treaty to safeguard marine biodiversity on the high seas has reached the critical threshold of 60 ratifications needed to enter into force, clearing the way for it to take effect in January 2026. Morocco and Sierra Leone became the 60th and 61st parties to ratify the Agreement on Friday, triggering […]
16 Sep 2025
Matthew TenBruggencate The UK Government has launched the parliamentary process to ratify the High Seas Treaty, a landmark international agreement designed to protect biodiversity in areas of the ocean beyond national jurisdiction. Announcing the move, the Foreign Office minister Seema Malhotra said: “Our oceans are under pressure, it’s undeniable. Unsustainable fishing, global warming, pollution—all threaten to deplete the […]
