Oceans - World news, culture and opinion

Global oceans experience record heat in June, driven by El Niño and climate change

The average surface temperature reached 20.98°C in June, surpassing the previous 2024 high, according to the European observatory Copernicus Marine. The first half of 2026 was the second-warmest on record.

Published on July 1, 2026, at 4:43 am (Paris) Le Monde with AFP

News

Maldives rescuer dies in search for Italian divers who drowned

Italy's foreign ministry confirmed on Thursday that all five of its nationals had died in the diving disaster. The Maldivian National Defense Force (MNDF) said that Staff Sergeant Mohamed Mahudhy was in 'critical condition' after being taken to a hospital, 'but later passed away while receiving treatment.'

Published on May 17, 2026, at 1:32 am (Paris), updated on May 17, 2026, at 1:32 am Le Monde with AFP

In Depth

With average temperatures above 21°C, oceans approach new heat records

Surface waters are now nearly 0.5°C warmer than the average estimated between 1993 and 2022, according to data from the European Copernicus program.

Published on April 3, 2026, at 11:16 am (Paris) Léa Sanchez

In Depth

Pesticides, pharmaceuticals and industrial chemicals found everywhere in seawater

The analysis of more than 2,300 samples collected worldwide highlights the persistence of chemical compounds from agriculture, pharmaceuticals and industry in the ocean, sometimes at very high levels.

Published on March 22, 2026, at 12:40 pm (Paris) Sylvie Burnouf

Interview

During the Vendée Globe, sailor Charlie Dalin 'didn't think much' about his cancer: 'I was happy at sea'

In a book, the skipper who won January's solo, nonstop, round-the-world race without outside assistance reveals that he competed while undergoing treatment for a gastrointestinal stromal tumor.

Published on October 9, 2025, at 4:51 am (Paris), updated on October 9, 2025, at 12:11 pm Patricia Jolly

News

France refuses asylum to anti-whaling activist Paul Watson

Ofpra, the French agency that handles asylum cases, said Watson's fears were 'unfounded' as both the United States and Canada are 'democracies governed by the rule of law.'

Published on September 24, 2025, at 9:03 am (Paris), updated on September 24, 2025, at 9:33 am Le Monde with AFP

In Depth

UN High Seas Treaty, ratified by 60 countries, to take effect in early 2026

The High Seas Treaty, which aims to 'preserve the marine environment,' has been the subject of two decades of negotiations. Its implementation presents numerous challenges.

Published on September 20, 2025, at 4:46 pm (Paris) Léa Sanchez

News

Maldives revokes shark fishing ban after decades

The luxury holiday destination and top diving spot in the Indian Ocean previously imposed a total ban on shark fishing in March 2010, following severe restrictions that had been in place since 1998.

Published on August 27, 2025, at 12:04 pm (Paris), updated on August 27, 2025, at 12:59 pm Le Monde with AFP

News

Interpol lifts red notice for anti-whaling campaigner Paul Watson

Interpol had issued the notice against Watson, known for tactics including confrontations with whaling ships at sea, at the request of Japan, but has now decided the measure was 'disproportionate,' lawyer William Julie said.

Published on July 22, 2025, at 7:29 pm (Paris) Le Monde with AFP

Investigation

Scientific expedition off the US coast seeks out freshwater beneath the sea

While the existence of freshwater beneath the sea in aquifers has been known since antiquity, geophysicists still understand very little about the mechanisms that govern it. An international mission dedicated to studying one of these offshore hydrological systems now has the tools to learn more, thanks to a specialized research vessel.

Published on July 6, 2025, at 2:59 am (Paris), updated on July 7, 2025, at 12:52 pm Vahé Ter Minassian

In Depth

UNOC: Away from Trump, world leaders make progress on key ocean issues

The 'Nice Ocean Action Plan' was unveiled Friday at the end of the third United Nations Ocean Conference. The high seas treaty is on track for ratification.

Published on June 15, 2025, at 1:06 pm (Paris) Léa Sanchez Matthieu Goar

In Depth

Environmental transition: The two faces of Emmanuel Macron

Flying the flag for environmental action, as he did at the United Nations Ocean Conference in Nice, the French president has grown frustrated as his legacy is picked apart by the right and far right, as well as some of his own supporters.

Published on June 11, 2025, at 7:30 pm (Paris) Matthieu Goar

Editorial

Macron's outburst on environmental issues

The anger the president displayed on television on Tuesday is proportional to the risk that his initial climate ambitions could be reduced to nothing.

Published on June 11, 2025, at 1:09 pm (Paris) Le Monde

In Depth

In Nice, countries call for an 'ambitious treaty' to end plastic pollution

In the 'Nice Call for an Ambitious Treaty on Plastic Pollution,' issued at the United Nations Ocean Conference, 95 countries demanded that a global target to reduce plastic production and consumption be adopted.

Published on June 11, 2025, at 1:59 am (Paris), updated on June 11, 2025, at 10:18 am Stéphane Mandard

In Depth

UN Ocean Conference: Macron shows enthusiasm as NGOs remain cautious

The French president welcomed some 60 heads of state and government in Nice on Monday. While several countries pledged to ratify the treaty on the high seas, non-governmental organizations criticized the limited progress in protecting the ocean floor.

Published on June 10, 2025, at 10:51 am (Paris) Léa Sanchez

In Depth

UNOC: The mining industry's growing appetite for the ocean floor drives debate at UN ocean conference

Extracting rare metals from the ocean floor risks harming largely unexplored ecosystems and presents a dilemma the international community must confront at the United Nations Ocean Conference, opening in Nice on June 9.

Published on June 10, 2025, at 12:50 am (Paris), updated on June 10, 2025, at 9:44 am Léa Sanchez

News

Macron says imposing a moratorium on seabed mining is 'an international necessity'

The number of countries opposed to seabed mining has now risen to 36.

Published on June 9, 2025, at 9:36 pm (Paris), updated on June 10, 2025, at 7:55 am Le Monde with AFP

In Depth

At Nice's UN Ocean Conference, the international community is rallying to save the seas

Global warming, acidification, overfishing, pollution – oceans are suffering. From June 9 to 13, around 60 heads of state will gather in an effort to halt the degradation of this vast ecosystem, which is essential to life on Earth.

Published on June 9, 2025, at 5:00 am (Paris), updated on June 9, 2025, at 11:16 am Léa Sanchez Matthieu Goar

News

World leaders urged to step up for overexploited oceans

The UN Ocean Conference will start on Monday in the French Riviera. Some 60 heads of state and government are attending, with a particularly strong turnout expected from Pacific Island nations, whose delegations will urge financial aid to combat rising seas, marine trash and the plunder of fish stocks.

Published on June 9, 2025, at 1:44 am (Paris), updated on June 9, 2025, at 9:58 am Le Monde with AFP

Editorial

A vital summit on protecting the ocean

The third United Nations Ocean Conference is taking place in Nice from June 9 to 13, with 60 heads of state and government, but without the United States. Although the objectives may seem modest, it aims to keep up the momentum for a cause that concerns all mankind.

Published on June 8, 2025, at 2:39 pm (Paris), updated on June 8, 2025, at 2:43 pm Le Monde

Round-up

Storing more carbon in the ocean: The wild gamble of marine geoengineering

As experts and businesses look for ways to rid the Earth's atmosphere of CO₂, they're trying to increase the ocean's capacity to absorb carbon. Oceanographers, meeting ahead of the United Nations Ocean Conference taking place in Nice from June 9 to 13, remain highly cautious.

Published on June 5, 2025, at 8:00 pm (Paris) Léa Sanchez Audrey Garric

News

Scientists set out to inspect 200,000 barrels of radioactive waste at the bottom of the Atlantic

Scientists from various disciplines are spending a month at sea to locate these barrels, which were submerged between 1950 and 1990, and to assess their impact on marine biodiversity.

Published on May 29, 2025, at 3:09 am (Paris), updated on July 4, 2025, at 10:39 am Perrine Mouterde

News

Macron vows to defend science as host of UN oceans summit

In a speech, Macron outlined eight priorities for the UN Oceans Conference that will be hosted by France in June.

Published on March 31, 2025, at 6:40 pm (Paris) Le Monde with AFP

Interview

Oil tanker collision in the North Sea: 'The contradictory information about the cargoes is surprising'

After the collision between an oil tanker and a cargo ship, Nicolas Tamic, deputy director and head of operations at Cedre, the French authority for combating marine pollution, analyzes the possible consequences, particularly for the environment.

Published on March 11, 2025, at 11:12 pm (Paris), updated on March 12, 2025, at 9:03 am Stéphane Mandard

News

Anti-whaling activist Paul Watson arrives in France after five-month detention

Watson was released on Tuesday after five months of detention in Greenland as Denmark considered whether to extradite him to Japan.

Published on December 20, 2024, at 3:45 pm (Paris) Le Monde with AFP

News

Rare great white shark spotted in the Mediterranean, off the French coast

The animal was filmed by a yachtsman off the French Riviera. Scientists described it as 'superb news' for this critically endangered species.

Published on November 19, 2024, at 2:15 pm (Paris) Le Monde

Feature

'It's raining fish!' Scientists aim to protect an underwater mountain in the Atlantic

A rest stop for highly migratory species, Gorringe Ridge is particularly rich in biodiversity. An expedition to survey the species present will support efforts to obtain protected status.

Published on November 4, 2024, at 3:57 am (Paris), updated on November 4, 2024, at 8:40 am Martine Valo

News

Paul Watson case: Greenland further extends anti-whaling activist's detention

A Greenland court issued the third extension of the environmental activist's detention period, pending a legal review of an extradition request by Japan, which has long had an arrest warrant open for Watson.

Published on October 2, 2024, at 7:32 pm (Paris) Le Monde with AFP

News

UN head warns of 'a rising tide of misery' as sea levels rise

Speaking at the 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, hitherto dominated by world leaders' statements on global conflicts, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres raised the key issue of climate change.

Published on September 25, 2024, at 5:20 pm (Paris) Le Monde with AFP

News

'An ocean without whales means the shipwreck of humanity'

Philosopher Corine Pelluchon calls for the release of Paul Watson, an activist imprisoned in Greenland and threatened with extradition to Japan for intending to prevent the world's largest whaler from harpooning marine mammals.

Published on September 25, 2024, at 12:38 am (Paris), updated on September 25, 2024, at 8:25 am Corine Pelluchon

Feature

In the Mediterranean, the underwater fairies taking care of the coral

'Repairing the Earth' (4/6). The Ocean Quest organization catalogs and replants corals. These marine organisms, home to a wealth of biodiversity, are threatened by global warming and ocean acidification. A race against time is underway, with the help of science.

Published on September 4, 2024, at 8:37 pm (Paris) Matthieu Goar Kasia Strek

News

UN chief launches 'global SOS' on rising sea levels in the Pacific

A new report released by the top UN climate monitoring body showed seas had risen by around 15 centimeters in some parts of the Pacific in the last 30 years. The global average was 9.4 centimeters, according to the report.

Published on August 27, 2024, at 7:46 am (Paris) Le Monde with AFP

Op-Ed

Whale protection: 'The United Nations must intercede with Japan to obtain Paul Watson's release'

A group of journalists, activists, and human rights specialists call for the 'unconditional and immediate' release of whale conservationist Paul Watson, who was arrested in Denmark at Japan's behest: 'To allow Watson's arrest is to flout respect for international law at the behest of a single state.'

Published on August 11, 2024, at 12:00 am (Paris), updated on August 11, 2024, at 7:49 am Collectif

News

Macron presses against extradition for anti-whaling activist Paul Watson

After the founder of the activist group Sea Shepherd was arrested in Greenland under a Japanese warrant, Greens MPs, celebrities, and petitions have urged Macron to call for his release.

Published on July 23, 2024, at 6:23 pm (Paris), updated on July 23, 2024, at 9:30 pm Le Monde with AFP

News

Why environmental activist Paul Watson was arrested in Greenland

Defenders of the founder of the Sea Shepherd NGO are taking action to prevent his extradition to Japan, where he potentially faces a harsh sentence. They question the timing of the arrest, as Watson was once again targeting a Japanese whaler.

Published on July 23, 2024, at 4:40 am (Paris), updated on July 23, 2024, at 8:15 am Ynès Khoudi

News

Ocean is warming at an 'unprecedented rate,' warns UNESCO

The Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission's report, published on June 3, shows that climate change is damaging marine ecosystems.

Published on June 5, 2024, at 12:42 pm (Paris) Martine Valo

News

Debate over fish aggregating devices in the Indian Ocean intensifies

As the next meeting of the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission gets underway, the NGO BLOOM Association published a comparative analysis between this industrial technique and traditional pole-and-line fishing in the Maldives.

Published on May 9, 2024, at 12:28 am (Paris), updated on May 9, 2024, at 8:05 am Martine Valo

News

Global sea level jumped due to El Niño and climate change, says NASA

Current projections suggest the next three decades could see the same increase as observed over the past 100 years.

Published on March 22, 2024, at 5:09 am (Paris), updated on March 22, 2024, at 7:29 am Le Monde with AP

News

Ocean temperatures reach impressive and worrying record levels

In August 2023 and January 2024, ocean surface waters reached an unprecedented average of 21.1°C. It’s a symptom of global warming that has significant implications for biodiversity and marine CO2 storage.

Published on February 1, 2024, at 3:11 pm (Paris) Matthieu Goar

News

French port's plan to import fish by plane from Oman causes controversy

The port of Lorient wants to bolster its business by investing in the development of a 250-hectare complex. Local environmentalists are questioning the project's impact.

Published on December 26, 2023, at 11:20 am (Paris), updated on December 26, 2023, at 5:26 pm Martine Valo

News

Hurricane Lidia dissipates, Tropical Storm Sean forms up

The Category 4 hurricane hit land near the Mexican resort of Puerto Vallarta, killing 2 and injuring 2, one day after Tropical Storm Max hit the southern Pacific coast.

Published on October 12, 2023, at 10:58 am (Paris), updated on October 12, 2023, at 11:04 am Le Monde with AP

News

Antarctic sea ice at lowest winter maximum on record, data shows

For many decades, the Antarctic sea ice pack had remained stable, even expanding slightly. Scientists still debate the cause of the shift but many blame global warming.

Published on September 26, 2023, at 9:36 am (Paris) Le Monde with AFP

Series

The tide guarded its secrets for centuries

'The Earth's pulses' (6/6). Since ancient times, scientists have been trying to explain the tide. The interplay between the Earth, sun and moon was not understood until Isaac Newton in the 17th century and then more fully by Pierre Simon de Laplace a century later.

Published on August 29, 2023, at 8:30 pm (Paris) Martine Valo

News

Recent reductions in pollution from ships may be contributing to ocean warming

The American magazine 'Science' has examined the impact of recent regulation by the International Maritime Organization, which came into force on January 1, 2020.

Published on August 15, 2023, at 7:01 pm (Paris) Stéphane Foucart

News

Canada's TMC plans to take the plunge into deep-sea mining

A relatively new firm, The Metals Company, hopes to go into business at the end of 2025, while ignoring growing reservations about the risks of collecting metal nodules from the ocean floor.

Published on August 8, 2023, at 5:00 pm (Paris), updated on August 9, 2023, at 8:28 am Guillaume Delacroix

In Depth

Exploitation of ocean floor threatens thousands of undiscovered species

Such is the lack of knowledge about the abyss that the very geography of the ocean floor is less well known than that of the Moon.

Published on August 6, 2023, at 2:48 pm (Paris) Martine Valo

News

Réunion Island dealt impossible task of dismantling wreck stuck on a lava flow

The authorities have decided not to remove a vessel that has been grounded since February 2022, deeming the operation too dangerous and without 'net benefit' in environmental terms.

Published on August 5, 2023, at 5:30 am (Paris) Jérôme Talpin

News

Moratorium battle launched over deep-sea mining

At their general assembly in Jamaica, the 168 member states of the International Seabed Authority agreed to discuss the mining risks for the metals that abound on the ocean floor in the summer of 2024.

Published on July 30, 2023, at 8:00 pm (Paris) Guillaume Delacroix

Op-Ed

Seabed mining: 'It is essential to halt operations until sufficient scientific data is available'

As the International Seabed Authority meets until July 28, President of the Oceano Azul Foundation Tiago Pitta e Cunha warns against the mining projects that certain countries wish to develop.

Published on July 19, 2023, at 11:47 am (Paris) Tiago Pitta e Cunha

News

NGOs report large oil spill in Gulf of Mexico

Satellite images show that the spill began on July 4, three days before an explosion that killed two workers at a gas production platform of state company Pemex. The leak has spread over some 400 square kilometers.

Published on July 18, 2023, at 10:59 pm (Paris), updated on July 19, 2023, at 8:11 am Le Monde with AFP

News

Why the North Atlantic Ocean is undergoing a heat wave

Global warming and specific meteorological phenomena have caused historically high temperatures this summer. Living organisms are likely to be severely affected.

Published on July 16, 2023, at 4:45 am (Paris), updated on July 16, 2023, at 8:45 am Guillaume Delacroix

In Depth

Seabed mining: Growing calls for a 'precautionary pause'

A new round of negotiations within the International Seabed Authority is scheduled from July 10 to 28 in Kingston, Jamaica. While the ranks of those opposed to exploitation are growing, some countries and companies are keen to move ahead quickly.

Published on July 10, 2023, at 3:00 am (Paris), updated on July 10, 2023, at 7:51 am Martine Valo

News

Operator of imploded Titanic submersible suspends operations

The Titan was reported missing last month, triggering an international search in the hope of rescuing passengers. The United States Coast Guard later said the vessel had suffered a fatal implosion.

Published on July 6, 2023, at 8:31 pm (Paris) Le Monde with AFP

In Depth

Toxic microalgae alert on the Basque coast

'Ostreopsis,' which is already present on the Mediterranean coast, was spotted in the south of the Bay of Biscay as early as spring. Its proliferation can cause migraines, fever, respiratory difficulties and intestinal problems.

Published on July 6, 2023, at 12:36 am (Paris), updated on July 6, 2023, at 8:05 am Martine Valo

News

Titanic submersible: Presumed human remains found in wreckage

The news broke hours after the announcement that debris from the Titan sub, collected from the seafloor more than 3,658 meters below the surface of the North Atlantic, had arrived in Canada.

Published on June 29, 2023, at 1:44 am (Paris), updated on June 29, 2023, at 7:57 am Le Monde with AP

News

Titanic submersible debris found, all passengers believed dead

The United States Coast Guard said on Thursday, June 22, that the five passengers of the Titan vessel died after it imploded.

Published on June 22, 2023, at 8:19 pm (Paris), updated on June 23, 2023, at 7:07 am Le Monde with AP and AFP

News

Search and rescue effort for missing Titanic submersible enters critical stage

Rescue teams have expanded their search with just hours left before the oxygen supply for the five people on board runs out.

Published on June 22, 2023, at 2:18 am (Paris), updated on June 22, 2023, at 12:42 pm Le Monde with AFP

News

Who can save Hvaldimir, the wandering beluga whale?

Suspected of spying for Russia when it was discovered in 2019, the 12-year-old whale continues to stray further south. Norwegian NGO OneWhale, which has been tracking him for the past four years, is concerned about his behavior.

Published on June 9, 2023, at 2:57 pm (Paris) Anne-Françoise Hivert

Op-Ed

Jane Fonda and French junior minister for seas: 'We must accelerate our fight for the ocean'

On the occasion of World Oceans Day on June 8, the American actress/climate activist and Hervé Berville call for the ratification of the Global Ocean Treaty and for a total ban on deep-sea mining.

Published on June 8, 2023, at 5:57 pm (Paris) Hervé Berville Jane Fonda

Interview

'We are creating a monstrous reservoir of plastic particles'

Nathalie Gontard of the French National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and the Environment (INRAE) stresses the impact of pollution generated by plastic objects throughout their life cycle and cautions against the "illusion" of recycling.

Published on June 1, 2023, at 7:51 pm (Paris) Stéphane Mandard