Oceanology International 2026 Brings Ashore New COAST Focus
Oceanology International (Oi), the world’s leading forum for ocean science, engineering and technology, is returning for its 57th year, larger than ever and with a new conference track that mirrors the trajectory of the global ocean sector. A new exhibition focus called COAST has been added to address the critical challenges facing coastlines increasingly battered by storms, flooding, erosion and rising sea levels.Oi26, taking place March 10-12 at Excel London, is shaping up to be the largest in its almost six-decade history. An additional hall has been added to the trade-show floorplan, meaning
New Technologies Boost Wave Power Potential
This week, Swedish wave energy developer CorPower Ocean was put in charge of $35 million (€30 million) European projectaimed at improving the competitiveness and bankability of wave energy farms, with large-scale validation work planned in UK waters.CorPower noted research indicating that wave energy, under a high-growth scenario supported by a modernized UK supply chain, could deliver more than $40 billion (£30 billion) in gross value added to the economy and support tens of thousands of jobs.One of the aims of the project is to demonstrate the survivability, reliability, and performance
Protecting Nature is Not Only About Preserving Beauty
suite of shark and ray protections ever brought to the Convention. Adoption would bring nearly the entire global fin trade and the majority of shark meat trade under CITES control.Luke Warwick, Director of WCS Shark & Ray Conservation, said: “CoP20 is a test of global will. Species like oceanic whitetip sharks, manta rays, and whale sharks cannot withstand commercial trade. The science is unequivocal, and the tools and support to implement CITES already exist for governments once listings pass. CITES Parties must act before these animals disappear from our oceans entirely.”The proposed
Antarctic Mountains Could Boost Ocean Carbon Absorption
systems found in East Antarctica which could help mitigate the overall rise of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere over long timescales.As Antarctica's ice sheets thin due to climate change, newly exposed mountain peaks could significantly increase the supply of vital nutrients to the Southern Ocean which surrounds the continent, potentially enhancing its ability to absorb atmospheric carbon dioxide, according to the research published in Nature Communications.A team of scientists with expertise in oceanography, ice sheet modelling and geochemistry contributed to the study which looked at analysis
Marine Scientists Call for Rules on Marine Carbon Dioxide Sequestration
An international group of leading marine scientists has launched a brief on marine carbon dioxide removal – the sequestration of atmospheric carbon dioxide in the ocean.To ensure that such methods can be applied safely and transparently in future, the group says reliable monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV) systems will be essential and will need to track how much CO2 is removed, how long it is stored, and any potential environmental impacts.This is the central message of the European Marine Board’s Future Science Brief No. 13, ‘Monitoring, Reporting and Verification for
Climate Tipping Points are Being Crossed, Scientists Warn
rainforest system is now at risk of collapsing once the average global temperature warms beyond just 1.5 degrees Celsius based on deforestation rates, the report said, revising down the estimated threshold for the Amazon.Also of concern if temperatures keep rising is the threat of disruption to the major ocean current called the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation, or AMOC, which helps to ensure mild winters in northern Europe.“Change is happening fast now, tragically, in parts of the climate, the biosphere,” said environmental scientist Tim Lenton at the University of Exeter, who is
Climate Change Threatens Mediterranean Sea
A recent study led by GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel has investigated how strongly marine and coastal ecosystems in the Mediterranean Sea are at risk from climate change, even under comparatively moderate additional warming.Temperatures in the Mediterranean are currently rising to record levels, with temperatures up to 28°C or even higher. With an average water temperature of 26.9°C, July 2025 was the warmest since records began for the Mediterranean Sea, according to the Copernicus Earth Observation Service.Warming caused by climate change is considered – alongside
Good Ocean, Good Business
There is an estimated 3.5 million square miles of ocean space suitable for finfish mariculture and about five times that suitable for seaweed production. It’s a potential that is being realized around the world as new projects generate benefits for rural communities, cities and the environment.In Papua New Guinea, the UN Sustainable Development Group is focusing on creating meaningful, sustainable livelihoods for women and youth in Kimbe Bay, a biodiversity hotspot that is home to the second-largest number of coral reef species in the world.The community there has been heavily reliant on fishing
Google-Backed Coalition to Help Scale Up CO2 Removal
are better able to hire, raise finance and get the technologies off the ground, said Hannah Bebbington, head of deployment at Frontier."It allows companies to demonstrate commercial viability," she said.Frontier's support for these early stage firms, which aim to lock emissions away in the ocean or in rocks and industrial waste, marks its fifth series of commitments.Frontier, which was set up in 2022, aims to invest at least $1 billion in carbon removal credits between 2022 and 2030. It has already committed $600 million, some on the series of pre-purchases and the bulk on a series of off-take
February 2026
