New Zealand's seas are warming faster than the global average

The waters around New Zealand are warming 34% faster than the global average. Between 1982 and 2023, surface temperatures in the four ocean regions of this Pacific archipelago increased by 0.16 to 0.26°C per decade, compared to an average of 0.1°C per decade globally over the same period. These are the key findings of the Our Marine Environment 2025 report.

This fourth and final report , published on October 8 by the New Zealand Ministry of the Environment, brings together peer-reviewed research, government reports, matauranga Maori (traditional knowledge of the Maori people of New Zealand) and official statistics from Stats NZ.

“This report indicates that global warming and human activities are putting increasing pressure on oceans and coasts, to the detriment of local communities, the fishing industry and ecosystems,” insists The New Zealand Herald .

In addition to the rapid rate of ocean warming, the report describes the local effects of climate change, including more intense and frequent marine heatwaves, risks linked to the proliferation of invasive marine species, the impact on fisheries, sea acidification, and the degradation of coasts, dunes, wetlands, and vegetation.

"While ocean warming may benefit some fish species, such as snapper and jack, it risks facilitating the proliferation of diseases in fish and crustaceans," notes the New Zealand daily. Asked by The Guardian , Alison Collins, chief scientific adviser to New Zealand's environment minister, insists:

“Climate change is not just a distant and abstract phenomenon… It has very real effects on our oceans and coasts.”

The country's geographical location, located in the heart of the ocean, makes it particularly vulnerable to atmospheric circulation and changes in ocean currents. It is therefore bearing the brunt of the effects of global warming.

A particular concern is the lack of detailed understanding of the interactions between atmospheric warming, oceans, extreme weather events, and ecosystems. “It’s a bit like pulling on a thread of a fabric and watching it unravel before our eyes,” says Alison Collins. “The lack of understanding of these interactions is probably our biggest blind spot.”