Wednesday September 30, 2026
CNN—
The oceans are warming at an alarming pace, bringing far-reaching consequences for which the world is unprepared, according to a report by more than 100 international scientists.
The tenth Copernicus Ocean State Report, published Wednesday, draws on more than four decades of data from satellites, buoys and sensors to take the pulse of the world’s oceans — delivering its “starkest warning yet” about the profound changes they are enduring.
“The ocean is transforming before our eyes: warming, rising seas and ecosystem degradation are interconnected signs of significant and long-term change,” said Pierre Bahurel, Director General of Mercator Ocean International, the non-profit research institution that produced the report.
On top of long-term changes identified by the report, a monster El Niño is adding even more pressure. This natural climate pattern, characterized by warmer-than-average water temperatures along the equator in the Pacific Ocean, is on track to be the most intense on record.