The inextricable link between climate change and ocean health will be front and center at the 11th Our Ocean Conference (OOC) in Kenya from June 16–18.
Today, our emissions are pushing the ocean into uncharted territory. Warming waters, rising acidity, deoxygenation, and shifting circulation patterns are transforming marine systems at a rate unprecedented in modern history. The consequences are cascading: more frequent and intense marine heatwaves, melting polar ice, accelerating sea level rise, and disruptions to ecosystems and food webs that millions depend on.
Recent data underscores the scale of the challenge. All of the past 11 years (2015–2025) rank among the warmest on record. In 2024, global temperatures exceeded 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels for the first time. That same year, ocean temperatures reached record highs, with sea surface temperatures in non-polar regions averaging 20.87°C, well above historical norms. Even in the absence of El Niño conditions, 2025 continued this trend, marking one of the warmest years ever recorded for both air and ocean temperatures.
This sustained warming is reshaping the ocean itself. Climate change has driven a 50% increase in marine heatwaves between 2011-2021, and they are becoming longer, more intense, and more frequent. Coral reefs, already under immense stress, face existential risk: 2°C of warming could result in up to 99% of reefs lost.
Meanwhile, the cryosphere is in rapid decline. The 19 lowest Arctic sea-ice extents on record have all occurred in the past 19 years, while Antarctic sea ice recently reached near-record lows. Melting from the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets is now responsible for about 25% of global sea level rise, a rate that has doubled since the 1990s.
For coastal communities, the implications are profound. About 898 million people, over 10% of the global population, live in low-elevation coastal zones. There are significant equity dimensions to this risk. Those that are most vulnerable – coastal communities in small island and developing states – are amongst those that contribute the least to global emissions. These communities are on the frontlines of rising seas, intensifying storms, and shifting fisheries – impacts that directly undermine livelihoods, food security, and economic stability.
Ocean acidification and deoxygenation compound these challenges. The current rate of ocean acidification is ten times faster than any other period during the preceding 55 million years. At the same time, oxygen-minimum zones are expanding, reducing the habitable space for marine life. Today, over 1,550 marine species are at risk of extinction, with climate change impacting at least 41% of those already threatened.
And yet, the ocean is not just a victim of climate change. Marine ecosystems are powerful allies for climate solutions.
A 2023 report from the High-Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy estimates that ocean-based solutions could close up to 35% of the emissions gap needed to stay on a 1.5°C pathway. The combined impact of seven action areas, including protecting “blue carbon” ecosystems such as mangroves and seagrasses, decarbonizing shipping and scaling offshore renewable energy, could cut greenhouse gas emissions by 4 to 14 billion tonnes a year by 2050.
This is where OOC11 becomes critical.
The conference will spotlight the ocean as a central pillar of global climate action by highlighting the role of marine nature-based solutions, ocean-climate finance, and resilience-building for coastal communities. It will also underscore the urgency of aligning ocean protection with climate mitigation strategies, particularly for nations most exposed to climate risk.
Host nation Kenya offers a compelling example of leadership in this space. With over 90% of its electricity generated from renewable sources and a commitment to reduce emissions by 35% by 2035, Kenya is demonstrating how climate ambition, ocean action, and sustainable development can go hand in hand.
The message heading into OOC11 is clear: we cannot solve the climate crisis without the ocean, and we cannot protect the ocean without addressing climate change.
Embracing ocean solutions is essential for safeguarding ecosystems, supporting vulnerable communities, and securing a stable climate future.
June’s conference represents a key moment to turn science into action and to recognize that the health of our ocean is inseparable from the health of our planet.
Photo: Alvin Demule, pexels.com
