A New Turbulence

Politics is roiling the waters that should connect us

- STURLA HENRIKSEN

Filipino fishermen in Scarborough Shoal, in the South China Sea, in March 2024

THE URGENCY OF HALTING OCEAN DEGRADATION AND unlocking a sustainable blue economy has never been greater. Yet, as the third U.N. Ocean Conference convened from June 9–13 in Nice, France, this mission came against a backdrop of rising geopolitical tension: great-power rivalries, trade disputes, and a fraying rules-based world order are steadily eroding the trust and institutions essential for collaboration. The U.S. Administration has declared that it “rejects and denounces” the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals—among them “Goal 14: Life Below Water,” which forms the bedrock of ocean-conservation efforts. But the stakes stretch far beyond marine ecosystems. What unfolds in the ocean will shape the future of life on land.