Report on Ocean Warming and its Implications for Sustainable Development Goals

Executive Summary

The world’s oceans, which are fundamental to climate regulation, global nutrition, and economic stability, are under severe threat from anthropogenic climate change. This report details the unprecedented rise in global sea surface temperatures (SST), which continued at near-record levels in 2025 following record-shattering increases in 2023 and 2024. These changes directly undermine progress toward several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), most notably SDG 14 (Life Below Water), SDG 13 (Climate Action), SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), and SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth). This analysis, based on data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), highlights the critical functions of the ocean, the devastating impacts of warming, and the data tools available to monitor these changes.

The State of Global Oceans: A Climate Crisis

Key Findings on Ocean Temperature Rise

• Oceans have absorbed approximately 90% of the excess heat generated by human-caused greenhouse gas emissions.
• Global sea surface temperatures have remained at near-record levels in 2025, continuing a trend of extreme heat observed in 2023 and 2024.
• This surge in ocean temperatures is a direct consequence of climate change and would have been virtually impossible without it.
• The consequences of this warming include rising sea levels due to thermal expansion, increased ocean acidification, and the intensification of extreme weather events.

Consequences for Marine and Coastal Systems

The rapid warming of the ocean’s surface layer disrupts critical functions, leading to severe environmental and socioeconomic impacts. These include:

• Marine Heatwaves: Widespread and prolonged periods of extreme ocean heat, devastating marine ecosystems.
• Coral Bleaching: Severe bleaching events have been observed along the Florida coasts and across the Caribbean, threatening biodiversity hotspots.
• Intensified Tropical Cyclones: Warmer water provides more energy for hurricanes and tropical storms, increasing their strength and destructive potential.
• Sea Level Rise: A combination of thermal expansion and melting ice sheets accelerates sea level rise, increasing coastal flood risk for communities worldwide.

Impacts on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 14: Life Below Water

The current state of ocean health represents a direct assault on SDG 14. The core objectives of conserving and sustainably using the oceans, seas, and marine resources are jeopardized by:

• Acidification: Oceans have absorbed about one-quarter of human-caused CO2 emissions, increasing acidity and impacting the ability of marine organisms like corals and shellfish to build their skeletons and shells.
• Ecosystem Degradation: Warming waters and marine heatwaves devastate coral reefs and create low-oxygen “dead zones,” leading to a significant loss of marine biodiversity.
• Fisheries Collapse: Changes in ocean temperature disrupt marine ecosystems and the fisheries that depend on them, threatening a critical food source and economic sector.

SDG 13: Climate Action

The record-breaking ocean temperatures serve as an undeniable indicator of the urgent need for comprehensive climate action. The ocean’s condition underscores the failure to adequately address greenhouse gas emissions. Achieving SDG 13 requires immediate and substantial reductions in carbon pollution to mitigate the absorption of excess heat and CO2 by the oceans.

SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) and SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth)

The health of the oceans is intrinsically linked to global food security and economic prosperity.

1. Food Security: Harvests from oceans provide a critical source of nutrition for over 3.3 billion people. The degradation of marine ecosystems threatens this vital food supply, undermining SDG 2.
2. Economic Livelihoods: Fisheries and aquaculture support the livelihoods of approximately 60 million people globally. In the U.S. alone, the marine economy accounted for $476 billion of GDP and supported 2.4 million jobs in 2022. Climate-driven damage to marine environments puts these jobs and economic contributions at severe risk, hindering progress on SDG 8.

SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

Ocean warming contributes directly to sea level rise, which poses an existential threat to coastal communities. In the United States, where about 30% of the population lives in coastal counties, rising sea levels and more intense coastal storms increase the frequency and severity of flooding. This threatens homes, infrastructure, and the safety of millions, directly challenging the goal of making human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable.

Monitoring and Analysis Tools for Evidence-Based Action

Climate Central Resources

To support evidence-based reporting and policymaking in line with SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals), Climate Central provides a suite of publicly available tools:

• Dynamic Ocean Temperature Graphics: Daily updated charts showing global and regional sea surface temperatures, available in multiple languages and units.
• Climate Shift Index (CSI): Ocean: A tool that quantifies the influence of human-caused climate change on daily sea surface temperatures worldwide.
• Climate Shift Index (CSI): Tropical Cyclones: An analytical tool that assesses in real-time how climate change influences the ocean temperatures that fuel tropical cyclones and, consequently, storm intensity.

Methodology and Data Sources

The analysis is founded on publicly accessible and peer-reviewed data, ensuring transparency and scientific integrity. The primary data source is the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Optimum Interpolation Sea Surface Temperature (OISST) 2.1 dataset. Daily temperature anomalies are calculated relative to the 1991-2020 baseline period, providing a robust framework for tracking climate trends.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

The article primarily discusses the impacts of climate change on the world’s oceans, which connects to several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The analysis identifies the following relevant SDGs:

• SDG 14: Life Below Water: This is the most central SDG, as the article’s entire focus is on ocean warming, acidification, and the resulting threats to marine ecosystems, fisheries, and coral reefs.
• SDG 13: Climate Action: The article explicitly identifies “human-caused climate change,” “heat-trapping pollution,” and “carbon pollution” as the root causes of ocean warming and its consequences. It also discusses tools to track the influence of climate change.
• SDG 2: Zero Hunger: The article highlights the ocean’s role in global food security, stating that it provides “nutrition for billions” and that warming threatens fisheries, which are a “critical source of nutrition for over 3.3 billion people.”
• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth: The connection is made through the discussion of the “blue economy.” The article notes that the U.S. marine economy supported 2.4 million jobs and generated $476 billion in GDP, and that global fisheries and aquaculture support the livelihoods of 60 million people, all of which are threatened by ocean degradation.
• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities: The article addresses this goal by discussing the risks to coastal populations. It mentions that rising sea levels lead to more common coastal flooding and projects that “2.5 million Americans in 1.4 million homes live in areas at risk from a severe coastal flood in 2050.”

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

Based on the issues discussed, several specific SDG targets can be identified:

1. Target 14.1: By 2025, prevent and significantly reduce marine pollution of all kinds, in particular from land-based activities, including marine debris and nutrient pollution.
   • Explanation: The article identifies “heat-trapping pollution” and “carbon pollution” as the primary drivers of ocean warming and acidification, directly linking land-based human emissions to marine degradation.
2. Target 14.2: By 2020, sustainably manage and protect marine and coastal ecosystems to avoid significant adverse impacts, including by strengthening their resilience, and take action for their restoration in order to achieve healthy and productive oceans.
   • Explanation: The article details the adverse impacts on marine ecosystems, such as “widespread marine heat waves,” “severe coral bleaching,” and “low-oxygen dead zones that inhibit marine life.”
3. Target 14.3: Minimize and address the impacts of ocean acidification, including through enhanced scientific cooperation at all levels.
   • Explanation: The article explicitly states that oceans have absorbed “one-quarter of human-caused CO2 emissions,” which “makes oceans more acidic — impacting the growth and survival of many… marine species.”
4. Target 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries.
   • Explanation: The article discusses climate-related hazards such as “stronger Atlantic hurricanes,” rising sea levels, and increased “coastal flooding,” and points to resources like the “Coastal Adaptation Toolkit.”
5. Target 11.5: By 2030, significantly reduce the number of deaths and the number of people affected and substantially decrease the direct economic losses relative to global gross domestic product caused by disasters, including water-related disasters, with a focus on protecting the poor and people in vulnerable situations.
   • Explanation: The article quantifies the risk to vulnerable coastal populations, stating that “2.5 million Americans in 1.4 million homes live in areas at risk from a severe coastal flood.”

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

Yes, the article mentions and implies several quantitative and qualitative indicators that can be used to measure progress:

• Sea Surface Temperature (SST): The article is built around this core indicator, referencing “daily global mean sea surface temperatures,” “annual average temperature,” and data from NOAA’s OISST dataset. This directly measures ocean warming.
• Ocean Acidification: While not providing a direct pH value, the article indicates that progress can be measured by tracking the amount of “human-caused CO2 emissions” absorbed by the ocean, which is the driver of acidification.
• Sea Level Rise: The article mentions that as oceans heat up, “the volume of seawater expands — causing sea levels to rise.” The Coastal Risk Finder tool is presented as a way to visualize and measure the impacts of this indicator.
• Climate Shift Index (CSI): The article introduces the “Climate Shift Index: Ocean” and “Climate Shift Index: Tropical Cyclones” as specific tools to “quantify the influence of climate change on daily sea surface temperatures” and storm intensity.
• Economic Indicators: The article provides specific metrics for the U.S. marine economy, including its contribution to GDP (“$476 billion”), sales value (“$777 billion”), and jobs supported (“2.4 million jobs”), which can be tracked over time to assess economic resilience.
• Population and Livelihood Indicators: The article provides baseline numbers for tracking impacts on human well-being, such as the “3.3 billion people” dependent on oceans for nutrition and the “60 million” people whose livelihoods are supported by fisheries and aquaculture.
• Disaster Risk Indicators: The projection of “2.5 million Americans in 1.4 million homes” at risk from coastal flooding serves as a key indicator for assessing vulnerability and the effectiveness of adaptation measures.

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: climatecentral.org