Recently, Indonesia’s Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries launched the “Healthy Waste-Free Ocean” initiative and national mangrove conservation zone development to comprehensively advance integrated marine ecological management. The plan aims to implement coordinated land-sea governance measures for end-to-end control of marine debris, striving to reduce waste discharged into the ocean by 40% by 2026 and…

A recent study by the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California, San Diego reveals that old barrels left on the seabed near the Los Angeles coast from the 1930s to the 1970s continue to leak toxic substances into the ocean. In addition to containing DDT, these barrels may also hold corrosive alkaline…

On September 8, the Philippine Coast Guard announced that nine new valve leak points were discovered on the “Terranova” oil tanker (carrying 1.4 million liters of industrial fuel), which sank in Manila Bay in July 2024. The leaked fuel has formed a 3.7-kilometer-long oil slick, spreading with monsoon winds and ocean currents into ecologically sensitive…

In September local time, approximately 3 tons of ultra-low sulfur fuel leaked into the sea from the Liberian-flagged cargo ship MSC Elsa 3 during refueling operations at Puerto de Las Palmas, Gran Canaria. The oil slick rapidly spread across a 2-kilometer-long and 400-meter-wide area, prompting local authorities to close multiple beaches and issue a red…

Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula coastline has suffered an unprecedented invasion of Sargassum algae, with 4,236 tons of seaweed cleared from just seven ports in Quintana Roo state. This massive accumulation of floating brown algae not only releases toxic gases like hydrogen sulfide but also causes a 73% drop in seawater oxygen levels and a 5°C temperature…

In August 2025, the two-year global negotiations for a plastic treaty concluded in failure in Geneva. The core dispute centered on regulating the entire plastic lifecycle: the EU and small island nations advocated restricting virgin plastic production, while the US and oil-exporting nations insisted on a voluntary governance model. The breakdown means that 18% of…

Large patches of marine mucus—commonly known as “sea snot”—have recently reappeared along the coastline of Beykoz, Istanbul, Turkey. Experts warn this is a precursor to the collapse of the Marmara Sea ecosystem. The slime is caused by untreated sewage and industrial wastewater discharges, leading to reduced oxygen levels in seawater and crippling fisheries. Fishermen have…

On the morning of September 1 local time, the Singapore-registered fuel tanker Marine Dynamo collided with the very large bulk carrier Flag Gangos approximately 8 kilometers south of Tanah Merah, resulting in a leak of marine gas oil (MGO). The Maritime and Port Authority has initiated an emergency response, dispatching patrol vessels and drones to…

Methylmercury concentrations in Arctic cod from Greenland waters reached 0.8 μg/g, causing a 40% decline in the immune system function of beluga whales that feed on them, and a 12% increase in the rate of neurological developmental abnormalities in calves. Isotope analysis indicates that the primary source of contamination stems from historical industrial emissions transported…

On August 23, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reported that breaded shrimp produced by Indonesian company BMS Food were found to contain cesium-137 levels of 68 becquerels per kilogram, though this did not exceed the intervention standard of 1,200 becquerels per kilogram. As a result, the products were urgently removed from shelves in…