According to the 10th edition of the Copernicus ocean state report, the world’s oceans absorbed 23 zettajoules of thermal energy in the past year, a quantity nearly 40 times greater than total human energy consumption during the same period. The influx of heat has contributed to significant changes in marine environments, with sea levels rising at an accelerating rate.
Sea levels have increased by approximately 3.8 millimeters annually since 1999, with the rate accelerating to 4.2 millimeters per year between 2012 and 2025. The global ocean has become 17% more acidic over the past 40 years. Oceans have absorbed roughly one-third of the carbon dioxide released by human activities and approximately 90% of the excess heat trapped by greenhouse gas emissions in Earth’s system. Pierre Bahurel, director general of Mercator Ocean International, characterized the changes as interconnected indicators of substantial long-term transformation affecting warming, sea level rise, and ecosystem degradation.
Europe, experiencing warming at twice the global average rate, has witnessed record marine heatwaves in the Mediterranean and Black Seas, with elevated temperatures extending deep beneath the surface and persisting for periods exceeding one month. The Mediterranean has warmed by 0.32 degrees Celsius per decade, with accelerated sea level rise documented in its western regions. Between January 2023 and September 2025, 84% of the world’s coral reefs experienced bleaching-level heat stress. Additionally, nearly 5% of the ocean experienced persistent shifts in phytoplankton growth patterns over the past 30 years, affecting food webs and carbon cycles.
The report documented severe impacts on marine wildlife, including total breeding failures in four Antarctic emperor penguin colonies in 2022 during record-low sea ice conditions. A separate Copernicus analysis revealed that extreme heat combined with air pollution exposed over one-third of humanity to dangerous ground-level ozone levels in the first eight months of 2026, with only 5% of the global population experiencing air quality meeting World Health Organization guidelines during this period.
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