Every Part of the Ocean Now Affected by Triple Planetary Crisis, Reveals Ninth Copernicus Ocean State Report

Brussels, 30 September 2025. The European Commission welcomes the publication of the ninth edition of the Copernicus Ocean State Report, published by the Copernicus Marine Service of the EU Space Programme. Every part of the ocean is now under threat, impacted by the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution, the report shows.

This annual report documents changes across the ocean that affect ecosystems, food production, economies, human communities, and the regulation of regional and global climates.

With ocean warming accelerating, the Earth is reaching dangerous levels of imbalance, approaching the limits of the climate’s safe operating space. Marine biodiversity hotspots are increasingly at risk, acidifying faster than the global average. Ocean warming and acidification critically threaten endangered species and corals, while plastic pollution affects all ocean basins.

“The findings of the Ocean State Report are an alarming reminder of the pressing challenges facing our oceans. At the same time, as European, I am reassured that Europe has a leading role in observing and forecasting different ocean state parameters though the unique Union-owned Copernicus Earth observation system and its services, in particular the marine service. The report provides a comprehensive overview of the global ocean’s state, trends, and natural variations, while showcasing innovative monitoring tools that enable sustainable coexistence with marine ecosystems. This fully supports the European Ocean Pact priorities, making the report a substantial contribution to the European ambitions in stewarding our oceans.” said Commissioner for Defence and Space Andrius Kubilius.

Key findings from this year’s report:

• The ocean is heating up to unprecedented levels: Spring 2024 marked a new record with global sea temperature reaching 21°C, causing large impacts on the Earth system.
• Heatwaves are hitting oceans harder: In 2023 and 2024, temperatures exceeded previous records by more than 0.25°C, affecting food production, ecosystems, and coastal economies.
• Rising seas threaten communities and heritages: Sea levels rose 228mm between 1901 and 2024, threatening around 200 million Europeans living along coasts and putting many coastal UNESCO World Heritage Sites at risk.
• Warmer waters allow invasive species to spread: The 2023 Mediterranean summer heatwave enabled invasive species like Atlantic Blue Crabs and Bearded Fireworms driving local fisheries to the brink of collapse.  
• Sea ice continues to decline: Arctic sea ice recorded four all-time lows between December 2024 and March 2025, with the lost sea ice in March 2025 covering an area four times the size of Poland.

“The conclusions of the Ocean State Report reveal a difficult but essential diagnosis of our ocean. It confirms the triple planetary crisis is not a future threat, but a present reality in our basins. This also means that we have taken the first necessary steps, as data is at the foundation of effective action. In line with the Ocean Pact’s Ocean Observation Initiative, we are leveraging the power of the European Digital Twin of the Ocean, built on marine knowledge assets like Copernicus Marine and EMODnet, to transform data into predictability, allowing us to move from observation to solution. Now, we can simulate the spread of invasive species, forecast the impact of heatwaves on fish stocks and test the effectiveness of MPAs before implementing them, crucial for a resilient and sustainable blue economy. The ocean is sending us a clear signal; we are now better equipped to answer it.” said Commissioner for Fisheries and Oceans Costas Kadis.