Tanzania: New Ocean Report Warns of Rising Seas, Ocean Heat and Acidification

What the report says

A new global ocean assessment is drawing fresh attention to climate pressures that are already affecting livelihoods in Zanzibar and along Tanzania’s coast. AllAfrica, citing an IPS report from Dar es Salaam, said the 10th Copernicus Ocean State Report was released on September 30 and describes a world ocean that is warming, rising and becoming more acidic.

The report, produced by Mercator Ocean International through the EU’s Copernicus Marine Service, says the ocean absorbed additional heat in 2025, sea levels have continued to rise over the long term, and acidity has increased over recent decades. The publisher’s report links those global trends to local impacts for Zanzibar’s seaweed farmers, especially women who depend on the crop for income and household needs.

One farmer, Fatuma Makame, is described as having shifted her seaweed farming farther offshore because warmer shallow water has made crops more vulnerable to poor growth and disease. The article says joining a cooperative that provided a boat and gear helped improve her harvests, but many farmers still face costs, safety limits and weaker prices that make adaptation difficult. The report also notes broader concerns for coral reefs, fisheries and coastal settlements, including erosion and flooding risks.

The piece adds that Tanzanian and international agencies are exploring training, better drying equipment, alternative livelihoods and climate-risk insurance for seaweed farmers, though these efforts are still limited or in development.