Hard coral cover across the Great Barrier Reef has declined substantially from the high levels of recent years back to near long-term average levels, underscoring a new level of volatility, according to the Australian Institute of Marine Science’s (AIMS) annual survey report of the Great Barrier Reef.

Today in Nature Ecology & Evolution, a group of researchers reveals the cause of sea star wasting disease (SSWD). This discovery comes more than a decade after the start of the marine epidemic that has killed billions of sea stars—representing over 20 different species from Alaska to Mexico. SSWD is considered the largest marine epidemic ever documented in the wild.

In a Review, Tiffany Morrison and colleagues discuss the risks associated with rapidly emerging marine-climate intervention approaches. Because current governance systems are ill-suited to the scale and novelty of these new interventions, the authors argue, new regulatory frameworks are urgently needed to balance risk and reward, avoid harm, and ensure that ocean-based climate solutions are safe, equitable, and effective. Rapid climate-driven changes are occurring in marine ecosystems worldwide. As a result, a range of new marine-climate interventions have been proposed, ranging from anthropogenically enhancing ocean alkalinity, to removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, to using assisted gene flow to breed heat-resistant corals. However, while many of these strategies inspire optimism, they are largely untested and pose unprecedented governance challenges. Here, Morrison et al. argue that the pace of new interventions is eclipsing the capacity of current governance systems and without careful oversight, these strategies may instead lead to unintended or irreversible harm. According to the authors, governance of marine-climate interventions must go beyond technical plans and public approval and should consider environmental, ethical, and political impacts, especially when projects are carried out on a large scale. While some early-stage guidelines exist, they have yet to be fully integrated into broader governance frameworks. The authors note that this lack of coordination slows progress toward achieving global marine and climate goals. To move forward, Morrison et al. advocate for dynamic governance principles that support “responsible marine transformation.” “There is mounting evidence that responsible transformation principles, if applied, can improve social, equity, and biodiversity outcomes and generate more durable ocean solutions,” write Morrison et al.

Climate interventions are accelerating in our oceans – but without responsible governance, they could do more harm than good, according to new research.