An Enormous Climate Blind Spot
Oceans cover 70% of the earth’s surface, absorb 90% of excess heat trapped by greenhouse gases, and help prevent dramatic temperature spikes on land. Yet they’re often overlooked in conversations about climate change.
The consequences are significant. Ignoring ocean damage nearly doubles the cost of climate change and has left a multi-trillion-dollar blind spot in climate finance, according to a new study released last week.
Global ocean heat content also increased for the ninth consecutive year in 2025. Every second of last year, the Earth’s oceans absorbed the equivalent in energy to 12 Hiroshima-sized atomic bombs.
Johnny, ICN’s newest staff reporter, pulls back the curtain on these and more of the most interesting developments in the oceans, including the untapped clean energy of the tidal energy industry, which has the potential to provide a carbon-free source of power with complete predictability.
ICN Sunday Morning is now available as a podcast! Listen and subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, and iHeart.
Fisheries Reporter
Johnny Sturgeon is a London-based reporter covering fisheries, aquaculture, and maritime crime. He works in partnership with the Outlaw Ocean Project, producing in-depth investigations for both nonprofit newsrooms. A former boatbuilder, he holds a B.A. in History & Politics from the University of Oxford, and an M.S. from Columbia Journalism School.