On 22 September 2021, the Copernicus Marine Service and Mercator Ocean International (MOi) released the 5 edition of the Ocean State Report (OSR 5) Summary. Freely accessible online, this annual publication provides a comprehensive and state-of-the-art report on the current state, natural variations, and ongoing changes in the European regional seas and global ocean, particularly in 2019. Available in a concise, illustrated, and easily accessible format, the Summary is intended to act as a reference for the scientific community, policy-makers, and the general public to better understand the importance and impacts of a changing ocean. Drawing from MOi’s leading expertise in oceanography and Copernicus Marine’s Ocean Monitoring Indicators, the publication of the Ocean State Report (available on 23 Sept) and Summary is headed by Dr. Karina von Schuckmann, an oceanographer specialised in ocean climate monitoring at MOi. The Summary is divided into four chapters, presenting the data of a changing ocean from several angles. The first three chapters present the state and key observations of a changing ocean, examine the evolving impacts of these changes in the face of climate change, and discuss the importance of sustainable ocean governance for managing impacts and threats. The Summary concludes with chapter four which highlights new tools developed using Copernicus Marine Service products and illustrates how accurate and timely information is key to monitoring, understanding, and adapting to a changing ocean.      

• To download the OSR 5 Summary, and previous years’ editions, click here.
• To read about the release of the OSR 5 report on the Copernicus Marine Service website, click here.

About the Ocean State Report

The Ocean State Report is an annual publication of the Copernicus Marine Service and MOi providing a comprehensive, state-of-the-art report on the current state, natural variations, and ongoing changes in the global ocean and European regional seas. The goal of the Ocean State Report is to provide reliable and scientifically-assured information, drawing on data from the 1970s to present. The report is written by over 150 scientific experts from more than 30 European institutions. There is particular emphasis on European seas, as the Ocean State Report is meant to act not only as a reference for a global audience, but more directly for the activities of the European Union. The full Ocean State Report, available below, is a supplement of the Journal of Operational Oceanography (JOO), an official publication of the Institute of Marine Engineering, Science & Technology (IMarEST), published by Taylor & Francis Group. The full Ocean State Report will be available on 23 September 2021.