European Commission's Copernicus Ocean State Report Confirms “Triple Planetary Crisis” is Everywhere in Oceans
SDG 14: Life Below Water | SDG 13: Climate Action
Institutions: Ministry of Earth Sciences | Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change
On 30 September 2025, the European Commission published the ninth Copernicus Ocean State Report (OSR9), warning that every ocean basin worldwide-from the Atlantic and Pacific to the Indian, Arctic, and Southern Ocean-is now affected by the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution. The report records unprecedented sea temperature highs, accelerating acidification, rising sea levels, and more frequent ocean heatwaves. It also highlights the spread of invasive species, faster biodiversity shifts in marine hotspots, and growing threats to coastal livelihoods and heritage sites. The EU notes that its Copernicus Marine Service and digital twin models are moving from observation to prediction, offering tools for adaptation.
For India, which depends heavily on marine ecosystems for fisheries, shipping, and coastal livelihoods, the findings underscore the urgency of blue economy resilience, marine pollution control, and integrating predictive ocean modelling into climate and coastal planning.
What is the triple planetary crisis? → The combined impact of climate change (warming, acidification, sea-level rise), biodiversity loss (declining marine species, invasive spread), and pollution (plastics, chemicals, nutrient runoff). These three crises are interconnected and mutually reinforcing, pushing oceans past ecological thresholds.
What is the Copernicus Ocean State Report? → A periodic flagship assessment by the EU based on data from Copernicus Marine Service (European Union’s operational ocean monitoring and forecasting service, run by the Copernicus Earth observation programme) detailing ocean health, trends, risks, and state-of-the-environment indicators.
Follow the full report here:
Copernicus Report (EU Commission)
https://sp.copernicus.org/articles/sp-osr9.pdf