Trans-oceanic tsunami triggered by an 8.8 magnitude earthquake in Kamchatka: environmental crisis and ecological challenges

On July 30, 2025, an 8.8 magnitude earthquake struck off the eastern coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia, triggering a trans-oceanic tsunami that affected many countries in the Pacific Rim, posing multiple threats to marine ecosystems and coastal environments. The earthquake was the strongest in the Kamchatka Seismic Zone since 1952, with tsunami waves 90 centimeters high detected near the epicenter, 3- to 4-meter waves along parts of the Russian coast, and the highest tsunami warnings issued in Japan, the west coast of the United States, and Chile.