World Ocean Assessment highlights urgent need for science and global action
4 June 2026
Climate and EnvironmentIn the wood-panelled rooms of New York’s storied Explorers Club, where portraits of pioneering adventurers line the walls, diplomats, scientists and ocean advocates gathered on Tuesday evening with a shared sense of urgency – and anticipation.
They were joined by renowned ocean advocate Sylvia Earle and explorer Fabien Cousteau to mark the imminent release of the World Ocean Assessment, a sweeping report described at the event as “possibly the most important book about the ocean ever written”.Set to be launched on World Ocean Day, 8 June, the 1,600-page assessment is the result of more than five years of work by 550 experts from 86 countries, offering a detailed overview of the mounting pressures on the ocean and the action needed to safeguard it.Speaking at the event, Steven Hill, Assistant Secretary-General for Legal Affairs at the United Nations, said the assessment “reinforces a very clear message: science is indispensable”.He said the report provides a foundation for “understanding the profound changes that are underway, from climate-driven shifts to biodiversity loss, and for shaping effective action both at the local level, but also at the global level”.
