10th Copernicus Ocean State Report published

The 10th Copernicus Ocean State Report draws on a decade of ocean observations to reveal an ocean warming at an alarming pace, with far-reaching consequences for marine life, coastlines and communities globally.

Produced by Mercator Ocean International, the European Commission’s entrusted entity for implementing the Copernicus Marine Service, with contributions from 125 scientists from Europe and worldwide, this report shows how a decade of sustained monitoring turns long-term observations into evidence for adaptation and action.

Key findings include:

• Record-breaking marine heatwaves, in both intensity and duration, in the Black and Mediterranean. Some heatwave events lasted for over 30 days, with temperatures exceeding 4.6°C above the average.

• Overlapping pressures on small island States from climate change impacts including sea-level rise, rapid ocean warming and rising tropical cyclone risk.

• Unprecedented freshening of the Barents Sea: The ongoing and rapid “Atlantification” (increase in salinity) of the Barents Sea temporarily paused between 2016 and 2022. Salinity levels fell across the whole sea, due to an influx of fresher water from the North Atlantic and increased sea ice drifting in from the Arctic.

• Persistent global phytoplankton shifts: Over the last three decades, around 5% of the global ocean has seen a persistent shift in the seasonal changes of microscopic organisms known as phytoplankton, pointing to ongoing reorganisation of marine ecosystems around the world.

To download the report, please click here.