Five Breakthroughs for the Ocean in 2024 - That You May Have Missed

Over the past year, the fishing quota for herring in the central Baltic Sea has doubled, temperatures have risen, and oxygen levels in the sea have dropped further. Yet, despite these grim reports, several breakthroughs were achieved during the year. Here are five advances for the ocean in 2024 that you might have missed.

There’s no doubt that the state of the ocean is critical. This was confirmed in this year’s State of the Ocean Report, which detailed the challenges facing marine environments. However, the past year also saw the establishment of new marine national parks, Greece taking the lead in banning bottom trawling, and the discovery of several new species in the deep sea.

1. A New Swedish Marine National Park in Sight

In Sweden, it was announced that the Nämdö Outer Archipelago will become the first marine national park on the Baltic Sea coast next year, making it Sweden’s second marine national park after Kosterhavet on the west coast. This marks progress toward the goal of protecting 30 percent of the ocean by 2030.

Protected areas like this help many species thrive. Studies show that more than 70 percent of the world’s threatened species find refuge in marine national parks and reserves. Despite these benefits, the proportion of marine protected areas has only increased by 0.5 percent since 2022. At this slow pace, achieving the 30 percent protection goal could take roughly 80 years longer than planned.

2. Greece Bans Bottom Trawling in Marine Reserves

Greece has become the first European country to implement a total ban on bottom trawling in marine reserves. Additionally, the country established two new marine national parks in 2024. This means Greece now protects one-third of its territorial waters, giving species like the striped dolphin, sperm whale, and the critically endangered Mediterranean monk seal a better chance of survival.

But isn’t bottom trawling already banned in marine reserves? Surprisingly, no. A report by the Marine Conservation Society revealed that bottom trawling occurs in 90 percent of Europe’s Natura 2000 marine areas. Even in Sweden, bottom trawling is still allowed in the Kosterhavet national park.

3. Nine Island Nations Win a Landmark Climate Case

According to the EU’s climate service Copernicus, 2024 is expected to be the warmest year on record, disproportionately impacting countries with low emissions. However, this year also marked a step toward climate justice.

Nine small island nations in the Caribbean and Pacific won a historic climate case at the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS). This independent court, established to resolve disputes over the interpretation and application of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, issued a landmark advisory opinion.

The island nations, already threatened by rising sea temperatures and levels, asked the tribunal to clarify what constitutes marine pollution. The tribunal responded by recognizing greenhouse gases as marine pollutants because they are absorbed by the ocean.

This statement holds symbolic significance as it is the first time ITLOS addressed climate change. It may also shape future legal decisions and actions to protect the ocean.

4. Could the Ocean Hold the Key to New Antibiotics?

The deep sea is the world’s largest habitat, covering more than half of Earth’s surface. Yet, we know very little about life thousands of meters below the ocean’s surface. During an expedition to the Clarion-Clipperton Zone, researchers discovered new species at extreme depths.

These included a “pink sea pig,” a translucent sea cucumber, and a goblet-shaped glass sponge from a group of animals that can live up to 15,000 years.

These newly discovered creatures could provide insights into how life functions at great depths. Understanding deep-sea organisms is also crucial for decisions about deep-sea mining for rare metals and minerals and its potential impacts on marine ecosystems.

Moreover, researchers found sea cucumbers completely free of biofouling, suggesting they might produce substances with antibiotic properties. This discovery hints that deep-sea organisms could contribute to medical research.

5. Hope for Rapid Adaptation to Climate Change

Environmental changes caused by climate change and pollution have made survival difficult for many species. However, evolution has shown remarkable speed on a small islet in Kosterhavet. A new study published in the scientific journal Science Advances revealed that a species of periwinkle adapted its appearance and behavior within just 30 years to survive in a new environment.

Marine ecology professor Kerstin Johannesson from the University of Gothenburg replaced snails from the outer archipelago with another variant usually found closer to the coast.

After approximately 30 generations, the snails adapted so thoroughly to the new environment that they resembled their predecessors in every detail. They evolved from having large, sturdy shells—designed to evade crabs—to becoming smaller snails with thinner shells and bolder behavior to withstand powerful waves in their new habitat.

This rapid adaptation offers hope that some species may be able to adjust to new environmental conditions caused by climate change, potentially avoiding extinction.