UN report flags accelerating ocean crisis

The United Nations released the third World Ocean Assessment (WOA‑3), a five‑year study involving more than 600 scientists from 86 countries. The report warns that ocean health is deteriorating rapidly, with accelerating warming, sea‑level rise, expanding plastic pollution, over‑fishing and loss of biodiversity. It notes that the rate of global sea‑level rise increased to 4.3 mm per year between 2013 and 2023, up from about 3.2 mm per year in earlier decades, and that roughly 16 % of the total ocean heat gain since 1955 occurred after 2018. Coral reefs face up to a 90 % loss if warming exceeds 1.5 °C, while plastic waste, estimated at 52.1 million tonnes annually, now threatens more than 4,000 marine species. The assessment highlights growing risks for coastal communities, especially in Brazil, where sea‑level rise and extreme weather could impact fisheries, tourism and vulnerable populations. The UN calls for stronger multilateral cooperation and science‑based policies to mitigate these threats.