Responding to the climate crisis is undeniably urgent. Rising temperatures are disrupting ecosystems around the world, with 2023 witnessing some of the most extreme weather events to date, including the hottest day and month ever recorded and drastically reduced Antarctic ice. The planet has accumulated as much heat in the past 15 years as it did in the previous 45 years; the ocean has absorbed the majority of this excess heat. The global average sea surface temperature hit an all-time record high in July and these unprecedented ocean temperatures show that the ocean is heating up more rapidly than experts previously realized—posing a greater risk for sea-level rise, extreme weather and the loss of marine ecosystems. Scientists have consistently warned that the continued burning of fossil fuels is heating the planet, including the ocean.
Amid this backdrop, Ocean Conservancy delegation is heading to the COP28 UN Climate Change Conference in Dubai to partake in negotiations working to address these critical issues. This year’s conference is particularly significant because it will mark the completion of the first “Global Stocktake”—a comprehensive evaluation of the progress made globally in combating climate change since the adoption of the Paris Agreement in 2015. The UN’s synthesis report from September 2023 indicates that, despite some advancements, the world is still woefully offtrack in reducing emissions sufficiently to maintain safe temperature levels. And as it currently stands, ocean and ocean-based climate solutions are largely absent from the Global Stocktake.
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Now is a critical time for our ocean, which has long protected us from the worst impacts of climate change by absorbing much of the excess heat produced by the continued burning of fossil fuels. Ocean Conservancy will be championing the inclusion of ocean-based climate solutions in national climate strategies, with an emphasis on clean ocean energy as a crucial ocean-based climate mitigation solution by advocating for a responsible, rapid and just transition to clean ocean energy. This includes advancing the deployment of offshore wind with a net-positive impact on biodiversity, promoting the phase-out of offshore fossil fuels and urging countries to align reducing plastic pollution and combating climate change.
COP28 represents a crucial juncture for global leaders, policymakers and industry. The conference presents an opportunity for decisionmakers to commit to bold actions, such as phasing out fossil fuels, funding climate resilience in vulnerable countries and accelerating clean energy production. Additionally, they must demonstrate accountability for previous climate commitments. Their response to the findings of the Global Stocktake will be instrumental in determining whether the world effectively confronts the climate crisis or continues to suffer the consequences of inaction.
As an ocean conservation organization preparing to attend COP28, the context framing this year’s Presidency is significant. The United Arab Emirates, known for its substantial oil and gas industry, is hosting COP28 and has positioned itself as a proactive nation on climate action. It was the first in the Gulf region to set a 2050 net zero goal and announced absolute emission cuts at COP27. However, the UAE’s strategy includes a notable expansion of oil and gas production, at odds with the goals of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
Given this scenario, the presence of conservation organizations like ours at COP28 is vital to ensure that ocean health is prioritized during climate discussions, especially in a setting where the host country is balancing its role as a major oil producer with its commitments to climate action. Being at the table allows us to influence international policy negotiations, ensuring that ocean conservation and ocean-based climate solutions become a priority in national climate action plans. Our goal is to ensure the ocean is better included in the Global Stocktake process, that there is increased ambition to phase out fossil fuels and reduce the use of petrochemicals such as plastics, and a commitment to finance clean ocean energy deployment in developing countries.
We are ocean diplomats on a mission to ensure the ocean and coastal communities have a voice at climate negotiations. Our team will collaborate with partners to address pressing ocean issues and propose equitable climate solutions in the lead-up to, during and after COP28. You can find us at these events on the ground. Follow our newsroom and blog for more updates as the weeks continue.
The post Championing Ocean Climate Action at COP28 appeared first on Ocean Conservancy.
Welcome to the M219 ocean blog!
Here, we will share updates and stories about the scientific work taking place during this research expedition. We also hope to offer a glimpse into daily life and work at sea.
For many members of the scientific party, this is their first time aboard METEOR. It will also be their last, as METEOR is embarking on its final voyage before retiring from service as a German research vessel after more than 40 years at sea. Over the course of its distinguished career, METEOR has travelled more than 1.7 million nautical miles, which is equivalent to more than 8 times the distance between the Earth and the Moon. Throughout those decades the vessel has supported countless scientific discoveries and generations of marine scientists. We are very grateful and honored to be part of the final chapter of this remarkable ship’s history and to accompany her on the last few thousand miles of her legendary journey.
The scientific program of this cruise focuses on long-term observations of ocean currents off the coast of Brazil and at the equator, as well as interdisciplinary measurements near the Cape Verde Islands. At all these sites, GEOMAR has maintained observational programs for the past 10 to 20 years. Over the next four weeks, we will introduce these regions and the measurements carried out there in more detail. But first, let’s look at what happened in Brazil before the cruise began.
On Thursday, May 28, many of the scientists and students left the hotel early in the morning to attend a seminar at the Universidade Federal de Pernambuco (UFPE), celebrating the long-standing scientific collaboration between Brazil and Germany.
The seminar was opened by Prof. Dr. Marius Müller, a former student at GEOMAR and now a professor for biological oceanography at UFPE. These meetings have become a valued tradition, having been organized for more than 20 years by now. This year marked the 9th edition of the seminar since its inception over 20 years ago.
A total of 8 scientists and students from Brazil, Germany, and the U.S. presented their research on various aspects of the tropical Atlantic Ocean. We would like to thank Marius Müller, Doris Veleda and all the Brazilian scientists and students who helped organize the seminar and provided such a warm welcome. We greatly enjoyed the exchange of ideas and look forward to celebrating the 10th seminar in the years to come.
After the seminar we returned to the hotel, but there was little time to rest. Later that same day, the captain of METEOR and the German Consul General in Recife hosted a reception aboard METEOR in the Port of Recife.
The event brought together members of the scientific party, representatives of local institutions, and guests from the Brazilian and German scientific communities. It provided an excellent opportunity to celebrate the long-standing partnership between the two countries.
On Friday, May 29, the scientific party finally boarded METEOR. There was little time to settle into our cabins and workspaces, as preparations for departure were already in full swing. We left the Port of Recife as soon as possible and at around 1pm METEOR set sail and began the final voyage of her remarkable career.
About 12 hours after leaving port, we arrived at our first station. Thanks to the dedicated efforts of technical and scientific teams, all instruments had been installed and prepared in time for the start of operations. This station marked the beginning of our observational program off the coast of Brazil, which includes the deployment and recovery of tall moorings as well as CTD measurements. An intensive first week lies ahead, with a demanding schedule of measurements and mooring operations. After months of planning and preparation, everyone is excited to finally begin the scientific work and make the most of the final weeks aboard METEOR.
There are more than 2,000 species of gobies (Gobiidae) known to science today, making them the largest family of fish in the ocean. But these small creatures are far more complex and essential to marine ecosystems than first meets the eye. Found all around the world in brackish, fresh and salt water in tropical and subtropical regions, they are an astonishingly diverse group of fish with several curious characteristics that set them apart.
Most gobies are quite small and don’t usually measure more than six inches long. Measuring just about eight millimeters long, the dwarf pygmy goby (Trimmatom nanus) is not only the tiniest goby known to science but also one of the smallest of all fish species in the world.
Primarily bottom-dwellers, gobies are known to be excellent foragers and have evolved expert burrowing behaviors over time. As they sift around looking for food like copepods, seaworms and tiny crustaceans, their movement helps to aerate sediment and keep algae in check. Some are even known to be “cleaner fish,” snacking on parasites they remove off larger creatures. It’s like a spa day for the animal being cleaned and a choose-your-own-adventure buffet for the gobies. Studies also show that cleaner goby activity is largely tied to the microbial health of coral reefs, showcasing that even the tiniest of species are essential to functioning marine ecosystems.
Gobies have some unique aspects to their anatomy, too. First, their fused pelvic fins are designed to help them form a strong suction cup to perch on coral reefs, rocks and other ocean terrain amidst turbulent currents. Some freshwater species are even known to use this suction to climb waterfalls. It may come as no surprise then that gobies are cousins to mudskippers, animals known to “walk” through mud. There are more species-specific features that set certain gobies apart. From the use of bioluminescence to symbiotic relationships with shrimp, the adaptations within the goby family are truly wide-ranging. Some species have even been found to use marine terrain memorization to navigate back to the tide pools where they were born. Isn’t nature mind-blowing sometimes?
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Gobies have equally complex and varied behaviors. Male gobies are infamous for being territorial protectors of their nests. Many larger males are known as “guarders;” these hopeful fish make careful nests to attract a mate, and once fertilization occurs, guarders will remain diligently near the nests to keep eggs safe. However, there’s another type of male goby that complicates this dynamic. These other males are known as “sneaker gobies” and are called that for one reason: They’re sneaky! If guarder gobies aren’t careful, sneakers can creep into the nest, fertilize some of the eggs and quickly escape. As if on an underwater episode of Maury, guarder males who aren’t careful could end up unknowingly babysitting little gobies that aren’t their actual offspring.
Gobies serve as indicators of ecological health and are essential to keeping delicate food webs in check. Unfortunately, many changes in our ocean threaten their ability to survive and thrive today. Coral bleaching and degradation endanger the health of one of their key habitats, and a combination of warming waters and coastal development can make it difficult for both juvenile and adult gobies to survive and thrive.
Healthy gobies mean a healthy ocean. Their essential role in marine ecosystems demonstrates that even the tiniest creatures play a major role in helping hold together the beautiful yet fragile habitats that make up our beloved ocean. Visit Ocean Conservancy’s Action Center and join the movement to protect our blue planet today and for years to come—from the tiniest goby to the largest whales, our ocean is counting on us.
The post All About Gobies appeared first on Ocean Conservancy.
Recently, you may have heard about something called “El Niño.” But what exactly is El Niño and its sibling “La Niña”? Why do these terms seem to emerge from the depths of the scientific community and drop into popular vocabulary every few years? And how are they connected to extreme weather and our ocean?
What Are El Niño and La Niña?
El Niño and La Niña are part of a natural climate pattern in the tropical Pacific called the El Niño-Southern Oscillation, or ENSO. These two phases are different sides of the same coin, creating equally extreme shifts in temperature and air pressure.
El Niño occurs when surface water in the equatorial Pacific becomes warmer than average and easterly winds weaken. La Niña is the opposite: cooler-than-normal sea surface temperatures and stronger easterly winds. ENSO cycles can last up to seven years. El Niño and La Niña significantly impact weather patterns in all corners of the globe, often leading to more extreme weather, storm frequency and intensity.
A strong El Niño can cause flooding in some regions and drought, heat waves and wildfires in others. It often causes crop losses, coral bleaching and marine die-offs due to unusually warm ocean temperatures. El Niño tends to suppress Atlantic hurricane activity, though it increases the risk of heavy precipitation and harm to fisheries elsewhere. In the Northern Hemisphere, El Niño typically builds between March and June, peaks in December, and weakens by February.
La Niña, by contrast, often fuels an active Atlantic hurricane season and increases tornado frequency across the southern United States. Like El Niño, it builds in spring and peaks around December.
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Predicting ENSO
In 1923, the physicist Sir Gilbert Walker discovered the “Southern Oscillation,” or large-scale changes in sea level pressure across the tropical Pacific. However, it wasn’t until the late 1960s that the metorologist Jacob Bjerknes found that the changes in the ocean and the atmosphere were connected, and the hybrid term “ENSO” was born. In 1974, researchers at Oregon State University attempted to predict ENSO for the first time.
Modeling has greatly advanced since the early days. Today, scientists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) issue regular predictions about ENSO, which are now more accurate than ever.
NOAA gives a one-in-four chance that an El Niño could reach “very strong” intensity later in 2026, qualifying it as a “super El Niño.” This threshold has been crossed only a handful of times in recorded history, each triggering droughts, floods and record temperatures across multiple continents. NOAA’s data and models deliver life-saving early warning forecasts, like that of the predicted super El Niño, which allow communities to better prepare for and respond to extreme weather events.
Take Action
Every American, regardless of where they live, depends on NOAA’s scientists and professionals, whose work spans from the ocean floor to the far reaches of space. Unfortunately, NOAA is under threat. The Trump administration has proposed billions of dollars in cuts to the agency, which could weaken weather forecasting, disrupt fisheries management and stall critical ocean research, putting American lives and global scientific leadership at risk.
Ocean Conservancy is committed to working with NOAA to keep the public informed on climate and ocean science. We all benefit from a healthier ocean, and investing in research is the most effective way to restore ocean health and reduce the impact of severe weather events caused by El Niño and La Niña. Our ocean is not partisan, and protecting it requires all hands on deck and all sides of the aisle. Now, it’s more important than ever to demand that members of Congress prioritize our ocean. Add your name now.
The post Do You Know the Difference Between El Niño and La Niña? appeared first on Ocean Conservancy.
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