About the Copernicus Ocean State Report
The Ocean State Report is an annual publication of the Copernicus Marine Service, implemented by Mercator Ocean International, which provides a global overview on ocean climate and ocean health for scientists, policymakers, the blue business community and the general public. The goal of the Ocean State Report is to provide reliable and scientifically-assured information, drawing on data from the 1970s to the present. The OSR 8 has been established under international scientific collaboration, with contributions from over 120 participants.
The 8th issue of the EU Copernicus Ocean State Report (OSR 8) is now available online, published alongside an interactive Summary detailing key aspects of the report for policymakers, members of the blue economy and the general public. This year’s report reveals — among many findings — an ocean facing record-breaking extreme events, including deep and intense marine heatwaves, unexpected phytoplankton blooms, as well as increased ocean warming.
The Ocean State Report 8: a reference for the ocean
The OSR 8 is a flagship report, which provides a comprehensive overview of the current state, ongoing trends and natural variations of the ocean. It is published each year by the Copernicus Marine Service and implemented by Mercator Ocean International. Beyond highlighting major results, the Summary showcases a range of Ocean Monitoring Indicators which monitor trends and variations in the changing ocean. These are updated and scientifically discussed in a new Chapter 1 “The State of the Ocean” in the OSR 8, which provides an overview of the current state of the global ocean. It details extreme events in Europe and around the world, explains key ocean processes and how they interact with the global climate, and highlights several innovations and technologies helping us to monitor the ocean and live in harmony with it.
The Summary is split into three main sections:
- The State of The Ocean;
- Ocean-Climate Interactions;
- and Ocean & Society: Innovations.
Throughout the Summary, coloured icons set the context of the findings for the Blue Ocean (physical state), Green Ocean (biological and biogeochemical state), and White Ocean (sea ice).
State-of-the-art scientific findings
The OSR 8 is the culmination of a significant international scientific endeavour, involving over 120 experts from institutions across Europe and around the world. The findings pass through an independent process of peer review in collaboration with the scientific journal State of the Planet, and are supported by satellite observations, in situ measurements and state-of-the art computer modelling.
The state of the ocean
The OSR 8 explores the state of the ocean over recent decades, with a specific focus on 2022 and 2023. Among others findings, it reports an ocean characterised by increased warming, melting sea ice, widespread and intensifying marine heatwaves, and an extreme phytoplankton bloom.
The coastal waters around the Balearic Islands reached 29.2ºC in August 2022. This record-breaking temperature was the highest reached in this region for forty years. Other records were broken in the Iberian-Biscay-Ireland region in 2022, where marine heatwaves — temporary, prolonged, and anomalously warm water events — lasted 145 days on average, with temperatures reaching 6°C higher than normal.
As detailed in the OSR 8, heightened temperatures are being seen around the world.
- In 2023, 22% of the global ocean surface experienced at least one severe to extreme marine heatwave event.
- In 2022, nearly two-thirds of the Baltic Sea suffered marine heatwaves, while in the summer and autumn temperatures were the third warmest since 1997.
In the Mediterranean sea, marine heatwaves in 2022 stretched down through the water column, reaching depths of up to 1,500m below the surface. While marine heatwaves were found to be more frequent at the surface, higher temperatures which lasted for longer appeared below 150m.
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Copernicus Marine Service, 30 September 2024. Full article.
