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  • UWI professor helps shape landmark UN assessment on global ocean health

    UWI professor helps shape landmark UN assessment on global ocean health

    On June 8, 2026, World Oceans Day, the United Nations launched its landmark Third World Ocean Assessment (WOA III), the most comprehensive global evaluation of the planet’s interconnected marine systems ever compiled. Leading the high-stakes initiative is climate and sustainability specialist Professor Donovan Campbell from The University of the West Indies (The UWI), one of just 25 global experts hand-picked to guide the assessment’s scientific direction, strategic oversight, and overall development.

    Compiled over years of collaborative work, WOA III draws on contributions from more than 580 scientists and researchers across 86 nations, making it the only ongoing global analysis that frames the world’s oceans as a single integrated system, rather than a collection of disconnected regions. Unlike previous evaluations, the report ties the environmental health of oceans directly to the economic and social well-being of communities that depend on marine resources, filling a critical gap in global ocean research. Its core purpose is to deliver rigorous, peer-reviewed scientific evidence to national governments, international policymakers, and global bodies to inform more effective decision-making on marine and coastal challenges.

    “It was a tremendous honour to help steer a process of such global importance,” Campbell shared in remarks following the report’s launch. “What sets WOA III apart is that it treats the ocean as a single connected system, weighing its environmental health alongside the economies and societies that depend on it. That is the only way to see clearly what is at stake and what must be done.”

    The assessment outlines a series of accelerating threats facing global oceans, including steadily rising ocean temperatures, widespread degradation of critical marine ecosystems, disruptive shifts in global fish populations, accelerating sea-level rise, and growing unsustainable pressure on coastal communities worldwide. To counter these challenges, the report emphasizes four core priorities: adopting science-driven policy frameworks, expanding targeted ecosystem conservation, implementing sustainable marine resource management practices, and strengthening cross-border international cooperation to protect shared ocean spaces.

    For Jamaica and the broader Caribbean region, the report’s findings carry particularly urgent weight. The Caribbean’s economy is deeply tied to healthy oceans: key sectors including tourism, commercial and artisanal fisheries, maritime shipping, coastal development, and fast-growing blue economy industries all depend on stable, functioning marine ecosystems. At the same time, Small Island Developing States (SIDS) like those across the Caribbean face disproportionate vulnerability to climate-driven ocean harm, from mass coral bleaching and degradation to accelerated coastal erosion, more intense tropical cyclones, and creeping sea-level rise that threatens coastal communities and infrastructure.

    “The Caribbean has a profound stake in the future of the ocean,” Campbell emphasized. “For Jamaica and other Small Island Developing States, ocean sustainability is an economic, social, and developmental imperative. The assessment reinforces the need for evidence-based policy, stronger ocean governance, sustainable ocean planning, and sustained investment in resilience, conservation, and sustainable ocean industries.”

    Global policymakers and development stakeholders already view WOA III as a foundational reference document that will guide action on ocean protection through the next decade, as nations work toward meeting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly Goal 14 focused on life below water.

    Campbell, who serves as a Professor of Geography at The UWI Mona Campus and Director of the university’s Western Jamaica Campus, has built a decades-long career focused on climate action, sustainability, and social equity in the Caribbean. The UWI press release noted that Campbell’s leading role in WOA III highlights the institution’s longstanding commitment to contributing to global scientific and policy efforts addressing climate change, ocean sustainability, and equitable global sustainable development.

  • Odds rising for very strong El Nino — EU monitor

    Odds rising for very strong El Nino — EU monitor

    PARIS, France — A leading European climate monitoring body has issued an updated forecast showing growing consensus among global climate experts that a powerful El Niño event is on track to develop in the second half of 2024. Europe’s Copernicus Climate Change Service announced Wednesday that latest model projections have consistently trended upward over the past month, raising the likelihood of an extreme warming event.

    Carlo Buontempo, director of Copernicus, told Agence France-Presse that between May 1 and June 1, every leading climate model used in the monthly forecast revised its predictions to reflect greater warming potential. “The odds are strongly in favour of a moderate to strong, or probably strong to record-breaking, event at this stage,” Buontempo said.

    El Niño is a naturally occurring climate pattern marked by anomalous warming of surface ocean waters across the central and eastern equatorial Pacific. Beyond the Pacific basin, the phenomenon drives far-reaching shifts in global atmospheric circulation, altering wind patterns, barometric pressure systems and precipitation distributions across every continent.

    In its updated outlook, Copernicus reported that three out of every four contributing forecasters project that Pacific sea surface temperatures in key El Niño monitoring regions could climb to 2.5 degrees Celsius or more above long-term seasonal averages by November. Notably, only three El Niño events in recorded modern history have crossed the 2-degree warming threshold: the events of 1877/78, 1982/83, 1997/98 and 2015/16, none have surpassed 2.5C, meaning a 2024 event of that magnitude would rank among the most intense recorded since systematic observations began in the late 19th century.

  • Total Solar Eclipse to Darken Skies Over Parts of Europe on August 12

    Total Solar Eclipse to Darken Skies Over Parts of Europe on August 12

    After more than two years since the last total solar eclipse crossed North America, sky enthusiasts across the Northern Hemisphere are gearing up for a rare celestial display on August 12, when the moon will align perfectly between the sun and Earth to block out all direct sunlight for observers along a narrow, transcontinental path.

    Defined by NASA as a phenomenon where the moon’s full shadow falls across Earth, completely obscuring the sun from view in select regions, a total solar eclipse splits audiences into two experience groups this year. Those positioned along the 5,157-mile (8,300-kilometer) path of totality will get to witness the breathtaking moment of totality, when midday skies darken abruptly and the sun’s faint outer corona becomes visible to the naked eye. This path kicks off near the Arctic coastline around 1 p.m. ET, sweeps past the North Pole, and then moves through parts of Greenland, Iceland, northeastern Portugal, and northern Spain before ending near sunset.

    Observers outside this narrow corridor will still get to see a partial eclipse, where only a portion of the sun is blocked by the moon. The partial event will be visible across large swathes of Europe, Africa, and North America.

    For mainland Spain, this August eclipse marks an unprecedented milestone: it is the first total solar eclipse visible from the Spanish mainland since 1905, per data from the European Space Agency (ESA). It is also the opening act of three total solar eclipses that will pass over Spain between 2026 and 2028. The last total solar eclipse visible from mainland Europe dates all the way back to 2005, making this year’s event a once-in-a-generation opportunity for many European sky-gazers.

    “A total solar eclipse is one of those rare moments when millions of people can look up together and feel both wonder and curiosity,” Carole Mundell, ESA’s director of science, said in an official statement. “It is a shared moment that connects us to the Universe and reminds us that the desire to explore and understand is one of humanity’s greatest strengths.”

    The length of totality varies greatly across the path this year. Greenland observers can expect just over two minutes of complete darkness, while viewers in northern Spain will only see roughly 20 seconds of totality, assuming clear weather. Unfavorable cloudy conditions remain the most common barrier to successful eclipse viewing, and the event will reach Spanish Galicia and the Balearic Islands as sunset approaches, which will amplify the already dramatic shift from daylight to darkness.

    For astronomy fans unable to travel to the path of totality, ESA will host a free public livestream of the event from Spain’s Astrophysical Observatory of Javalambre in Teruel, bringing the celestial spectacle directly to viewers around the globe.

    Looking ahead, the next total solar eclipse will cross southern Spain, North Africa, Saudi Arabia, and Yemen on August 2, 2027. For the contiguous United States, the next chance to see a total solar eclipse will not come until August 22, 2044, when totality will sweep across North Dakota and Montana. A coast-to-coast total solar eclipse crossing 11 of the Lower 48 states, from California to Florida, is scheduled for August 12, 2045.

    Along with the public excitement, this year’s eclipse also presents major scientific opportunities. Spanish researchers plan to repeat the famous 1919 solar eclipse experiment that first confirmed Albert Einstein’s groundbreaking theory of general relativity by measuring how the sun’s gravity bends light from distant stars. High-altitude balloons will be launched to capture images of the eclipse and the moon’s shadow across Earth’s surface to replicate the historic experiment. Citizen scientists are also invited to participate by building their own simple measurement tools to track atmospheric changes that occur during the sudden darkening of the sky.

    Beyond fundamental research, ESA sees the eclipse as a powerful outreach tool. “We use moments like this to bring space science and technology closer to society, to inspire future generations and bring people across Europe together through the excitement of discovery,” Mundell noted.

    NASA reminds all viewers to follow critical safety guidelines to avoid permanent eye damage. Looking directly at the sun is only safe during the brief period of full totality; as soon as the first sliver of sunlight reappears, observers must use certified eclipse glasses or handheld solar filters to view the event. Regular sunglasses are not sufficient, as they are thousands of times lighter than the international safety standard required for solar viewing. Observers should also never use unfiltered optical devices such as cameras, telescopes, or binoculars even while wearing eclipse glasses, as concentrated solar rays can burn through protective filters and cause severe eye injury. Damaged, scratched, or torn eclipse gear should be discarded immediately to avoid risk.

  • Afstudeeronderzoek levert HACCP-plan op voor veilige verwerking van bevroren sopropo

    Afstudeeronderzoek levert HACCP-plan op voor veilige verwerking van bevroren sopropo

    On June 5, a graduate of Anton de Kom University of Suriname marked a key milestone for the country’s agricultural processing sector, completing her bachelor’s degree with a research project that delivers tangible, science-backed improvements to local food safety. Sieromenie Parta, a student in the Agricultural Production bachelor program focused on agroprocessing at the university’s Faculty of Technological Sciences, successfully defended her final thesis this Thursday, which centered on building a custom Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) framework for Surinamese food processor Chimady N.V.’s frozen cut sopropo, also known as bitter melon (Momordica charantia L.) production line.

    The project was developed in direct response to a clear industry gap: while food safety depends entirely on proactive risk management across every stage of production, Chimady N.V. lacked a systematic, research-based approach to identifying and mitigating hazards specific to its frozen bitter melon operations. Without this structured framework, the company faced ongoing risks of inconsistent product quality, compromised safety, and limited ability to meet regional and international market standards.

    To address this need, Parta mapped and analyzed the entirety of Chimady N.V.’s frozen cut sopropo production process, taking a holistic approach that assessed every factor capable of impacting final product safety. After completing a full hazard analysis across all production stages, she identified all Critical Control Points (CCPs) – points in the process where hazards can be prevented, eliminated, or reduced to safe levels. For each identified CCP, Parta developed detailed, actionable protocols including critical safety limits, routine monitoring procedures, corrective actions for out-of-specification production, verification processes, and required documentation standards. All these components were integrated into a full HACCP plan tailored specifically to Chimady N.V.’s unique operating conditions and product line.

    In her analysis of the plan’s impact, Parta noted that the new framework provides a structured system for managing food safety risks across every step of production. By catching and addressing potential hazards early in the process, the HACCP plan makes it far easier for Chimady N.V. to consistently deliver a safe, high-quality final product. Beyond core safety improvements, the plan also supports more consistent application of control measures, more accurate production record-keeping, and greater overall reliability of the company’s entire production workflow.

    The research delivers both academic and practical value for Chimady N.V., laying a foundational framework to further strengthen food safety practices, quality assurance, and sustainable growth of the company’s production activities. Importantly, the relevance of Parta’s work extends far beyond a single Surinamese processor. As global demand for safe, high-quality processed food continues to rise, robust food safety systems have become a critical factor in determining the global competitiveness of Suriname’s agricultural processing sector. Widespread adoption of HACCP principles like the one developed in this study can boost overall national food safety, increase consumer confidence in Surinamese food products, and open greater access to regional and international export markets.

    Parta’s research also aligns closely with the core goals of Climate Smart Agriculture, an approach focused on building sustainable food production systems that are more resilient to the impacts of climate change, including extreme rainfall, drought, and rising average temperatures. By systematically identifying and controlling food safety hazards, the HACCP system helps reduce food waste, while ensuring the quality and safety of end products are maintained even as changing climate conditions introduce new production challenges.

    A strong, sustainable agricultural processing sector delivers broad economic benefits for Suriname, driving overall economic growth, increasing export volumes, creating new local jobs, and adding greater value to domestically grown agricultural commodities. Against this backdrop, Parta’s project also makes an important contribution to the ongoing professionalization of the entire Surinamese agricultural processing sector.

    The research was conducted and evaluated under the supervision of an expert panel of academic and industry professionals, including MSc Rewish Somai (faculty and practical assessor), MSc Mayuri Jaggan (sub-assessor), Dr. Lydia Ori (professor and chair of the assessment committee), and MSc Nareen Gajadin (external assessor).

  • Romelia’s goal is to cure Alzheimer’s

    Romelia’s goal is to cure Alzheimer’s

    In a sunlit plant tissue culture facility in St. Philip, Barbados, an unexpected all-women support network has ignited a young scientist’s bold mission to advance Alzheimer’s disease treatment. What began as a post-graduation internship for 24-year-old Romelia Dabreo has evolved into a purpose-driven career rooted in mentorship, empowerment, and a growing passion for plant-based scientific research.

    Dabreo, a recent biochemistry and microbiology graduate from the University of the West Indies, did not set out to work in plant science. Like many young students, she initially held aspirations of becoming a veterinarian, and walked into the St. Philip facility in June 2024 with just one goal: gaining practical lab experience after earning her degree. At the time, she had little knowledge of tissue culture techniques and no particular interest in crop research. What she found inside the lab walls, however, changed the trajectory of her career and her life’s ambition.

    Led by facility head Dr. Sophia Marshall, the lab’s tight-knit team of women—including senior laboratory assistants Althea Grace and Deslyn Newton, and laboratory worker Sandra Alleyne-Belgrave—embraced Dabreo, openly sharing their expertise and creating a welcoming environment that let her curiosity bloom. “They make me feel comfortable and at home,” Dabreo said of her colleagues. That supportive culture transformed a temporary internship into a full-time role as senior agricultural assistant just two months after her arrival, a welcome outcome that caught Dabreo by surprise at a time when many young graduates struggle to secure stable employment.

    “It was very exhilarating,” she recalled. “I didn’t really expect to get a position here. I just came into work focused on getting experience to build a science career down the line.”

    As she immersed herself in the work of plant tissue culture, Dabreo’s interest grew far beyond the lab. Back at home, she has joined her naturally curious and creative mother in small-scale agricultural experiments, testing growing methods for staple crops. Her mother has even found success growing sweet potatoes and cassava in grass cuttings instead of traditional soil, a project Dabreo says has deepened her connection to plant science outside of her formal work.

    Today, Dabreo is leveraging the tissue culture and phytochemical extraction skills she has mastered to pursue a groundbreaking goal: developing a potential Alzheimer’s treatment using compounds extracted from local staple crops including sweet potatoes and yams. She hopes her work will one day slow the progression of the neurodegenerative disease or even contribute to a long-sought cure.

    Beyond her own research, Dabreo is working to shift negative perceptions of agriculture among young people. Too often, she says, the younger generation writes off agriculture as nothing more than backbreaking field work under the hot sun, failing to recognize the wide range of innovative career paths the sector offers—from apiculture to high-tech tissue culture, and even opportunities to integrate cutting-edge tools like artificial intelligence.

    For Barbados, Dabreo notes, a career in agriculture also offers young people the chance to contribute to national progress beyond personal gain. “It’s contributing to something much greater than yourself,” she explained. “You’re helping Barbados become more food secure, as well as getting our local innovations out onto the international stage.”

    Her journey stands as a testament to the power of female mentorship in STEM, proving that supportive work environments can turn unexpected opportunities into life-changing scientific ambition.

  • Drive on to put scientific research at heart of national policy

    Drive on to put scientific research at heart of national policy

    On Wednesday, the government of Barbados unveiled a landmark new strategy designed to anchor national and regional scientific research at the heart of public policymaking. The ambitious project seeks to break down long-standing academic silos, bridge gaps between scientific inquiry, public policy design and community-led action, and position evidence-based research as a foundational driver of national development. The initiative was formally launched during the opening ceremony of the second annual Research Frontier Symposium, a two-day convening hosted jointly by the Barbados Fisheries Division and the Coastal Zone Management Unit (CZMU). Held as a centerpiece event for the island’s national Environment Month programming, the symposium functions as a collaborative cross-sector platform to highlight cutting-edge advances in both sustainable blue and green economy development across the Caribbean region.

    The gathering brings together a diverse coalition of stakeholders, including multiple agencies under Barbados’ Ministry of Environment and National Beautification, Green Economy and Resilience — among them the CZMU, the National Conservation Commission, the Marine Spatial Plan unit, and the Barbados Fisheries Division — alongside academic partners from the region and leading international collaborators. Dr. Leo Brewster, director of the CZMU, noted that the high level of participation from both local stakeholders and international virtual attendees signals a clear and growing momentum for expanded scientific investment across Barbados.

    “Based on the response we have seen this year, it is evident that not only is the Ministry of Environment fostering a wave of new activity and innovation, but through our partnerships with external associate entities like the University of the West Indies, research is steadily growing in importance for Barbados’ long-term success,” Dr. Brewster explained. He emphasized that establishing the symposium as a permanent annual fixture will help reshape public perceptions of the work carried out by government agencies, moving beyond the common view that these bodies only focus on policy drafting and inter-agency administration. “This is a trend we need to cement as an annual event,” Dr. Brewster said. “It is critical for us to show that active research is happening right within our own government departments, not just policy preparation and work on internal or cross-ministerial issues.”

    Chief Fisheries Officer Dr. Shelly Cox outlined two additional core goals for the symposium: making scientific career paths more attractive to young Barbadians and dismantling traditional institutional barriers that have historically isolated research from policy action. “Too often, research is seen as something only done by senior, established academics,” Dr. Cox noted. “Over the course of these two days, attendees will get to see outstanding work from talented early-career researchers, which is exactly the kind of visibility we wanted to cultivate to make research feel accessible and appealing to the next generation. We also aim to break down academic silos and translate raw scientific data into actionable national policy.”

    Dr. Cox also highlighted that regional research from Barbados already holds its own in the global scientific community, with Barbadian researchers regularly publishing their work in top-tier international peer-reviewed journals. Discussions and presentations at the symposium are tailored to the unique scale of Barbados’ marine jurisdiction: the island’s exclusive economic zone spans more than 400 times the area of its landmass, making marine research a national priority. Topics on the agenda cover a wide range of environmental and economic priorities, including marine spatial planning, deep-sea floor mapping, pelagic species migration patterns, science-based sustainable catch limits for popular commercial species like dolphin fish, as well as green economy topics such as terrestrial biodiversity conservation at Long Pond, municipal waste characterization, circular economy development strategies, and the application of artificial intelligence to advance environmental research.

    The symposium is scheduled to conclude on World Environment Day, which coincides this year with the International Day for the Fight Against Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing. Organizers have structured the closing of the event to raise public awareness of the harms caused by unsustainable fishing practices and build support for coordinated regional action to address the threat. Delegates in attendance include senior representatives from the United Nations Development Programme, the Food and Agriculture Organization, private sector leaders, and local fishing industry associations. Moving forward, event organizers hope the cross-sector gathering will strengthen existing collaborative partnerships, unlock new financial and institutional resources, and create a clear pathway to expand and support future scientific research initiatives across Barbados.

  • Data-sharing gaps hinder Caribbean climate science – CIMH

    Data-sharing gaps hinder Caribbean climate science – CIMH

    As climate change intensifies threats to small island nations across the Caribbean, a leading regional scientific leader has sounded an urgent alarm: fragmented data sharing across national and institutional borders is severely limiting climate research, undermining evidence-based policy, and putting the entire region at a critical turning point that could derail climate adaptation efforts. Dr. David Farrell, principal of the Barbados-based Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology (CIMH), outlined these deep-rooted challenges in an exclusive interview with Barbados TODAY, stressing that immediate government policy intervention is required to unlock trapped critical climate and cross-sectoral datasets.

    Farrell explained that even CIMH, the region’s primary meteorological and hydrological training and research body, faces persistent barriers accessing key data within Barbados itself, a gap that directly restricts the institute’s ability to deliver actionable insights for decision-makers. He framed the current impasse as a defining moment for the region: if data holders continue to refuse collaboration with scientific researchers, Caribbean nations will fall far behind in global efforts to leverage technology for climate resilience.

    “Data sharing is non-negotiable for progress right now – I cannot overstate how central it is to every challenge we face,” Farrell said. He highlighted that interconnected “nexus problems” – overlapping issues that cut across multiple economic and social sectors – are growing increasingly complex, and solving them depends on cross-sector information flow. For example, public health outcomes directly shape agricultural productivity, meaning food system planners require access to public health data to make informed decisions. Similarly, long-term economic planning relies on detailed, up-to-date labor force data that is often locked away in siloed government or private databases.

    Farrell acknowledged concerns about sensitive data, noting that existing frameworks already address these risks: sensitive datasets can be clearly marked, and legally binding access agreements can be put in place to govern use. What serves no purpose, he argued, is hoarding data on private servers where it cannot contribute to better decision-making. “Data that is not shared has zero value,” he emphasized. “It cannot improve livelihoods, attract investment, or solve the problems we are all facing.”

    The push for open data is particularly urgent as the region looks to adopt cutting-edge technologies like artificial intelligence and machine learning to address climate and development challenges, Farrell noted. Both AI and machine learning are deeply data-dependent, and claims of investing in these technologies ring hollow without a commitment to open data sharing. “You can’t say you’re building AI systems if you’re not willing to provide the data that powers them,” he said. “Data is the fuel for these tools – without it, they cannot produce the actionable insights we need.”

    Farrell pointed out that data sharing challenges exist at both national and regional levels, but there has been incremental progress. As more regional institutions recognize the scientific and economic value of open data, collaboration has become easier. The biggest gap remains at the interface between national governments and regional bodies, he said, where data holders often hesitate to share information without formal policies in place to protect their interests. Suspicion around the purpose of data requests also slows progress.

    To illustrate the benefits of a robust open data policy, Farrell pointed to the United States, where most government-generated data is freely available to the public. This open data ecosystem is a core reason the U.S. leads in many fields of research and technological innovation, he argued, because it allows researchers to test models, validate concepts, and build new products and services that drive economic growth.

    Against this backdrop, Farrell is calling on Caribbean governments to lead the shift by enacting formal data sharing policies that encourage open access and streamlined cross-border data movement. In today’s fast-paced digital age, delayed data sharing renders information irrelevant by the time it is released, he warned. If the region moves too slowly to open up its datasets, outside entities will fill the gap with alternative data sources, and local stakeholders will lose out on the economic and scientific benefits of controlling their own information.

    “If we want to keep pace with global technological advances and use them to improve climate resilience and quality of life across the Caribbean, we have to revisit our outdated data models and policies,” Farrell insisted. “We are already at a crossroads. The choice to implement thoughtful open data policies will set the region up for progress; failing to act will leave us locked out of the benefits of modern science and technology.”

  • Officials urge all to Prepare for El Niño, Above average temperatures forecast nearly everywhere for June to August

    Officials urge all to Prepare for El Niño, Above average temperatures forecast nearly everywhere for June to August

    The World Meteorological Organization has formally issued an authoritative alert that El Niño conditions are currently developing in the tropical Pacific, driven by record-warm ocean temperatures, and the climate pattern is projected to reshape global temperature and precipitation patterns while raising the risk of catastrophic extreme weather across multiple regions in the coming months.

    In its latest consensus-driven El Niño/La Niña Update, produced in partnership with the International Research Institute for Climate and Society (IRI), WMO estimates an 80% probability that a fully developed El Niño event will be in place between June and August 2026, with odds climbing to near or above 90% that the event will persist through at least November of that year. While there remains limited uncertainty around the exact timing and peak intensity of the event, the majority of leading global climate prediction models indicate the El Niño will reach at least moderate strength, with a notable possibility of it strengthening into a powerful event.

    WMO’s regular ENSO updates are widely recognized as the gold standard of climate guidance for national governments, humanitarian response organizations, and climate-sensitive economic sectors including agriculture, public health, energy production, and freshwater management. The assessments draw on a collaborative consensus of output from models run by WMO’s Global Producing Centres, paired with input from expert climate scientists and hydrologists from National Meteorological and Hydrological Services and leading climate research centers across every inhabited continent.

    United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres emphasized the urgency of the alert in a recent video address, noting that the science leaves no room for doubt: El Niño is imminent, with a 90% certainty of development in the coming months, and the world must treat this as the critical climate warning it represents. “El Niño conditions will pour fuel on the fire of a warming world. Impacts will hit even harder, travel even farther, and cross borders with devastating speed,” Guterres said. He called for commensurate climate action to meet the scale of the crisis, including ending global dependence on fossil fuels, speeding the transition to renewable energy sources, prioritizing protection for the world’s most vulnerable communities, and expanding access to early warning systems for all nations.

    On-the-ground observations collected through WMO’s global monitoring network show that between late April and mid-May, sea-surface temperatures in the central-eastern Equatorial Pacific – the core reference region for ENSO monitoring – were already approaching the official threshold for El Niño conditions. These rising surface temperature anomalies are being fueled by unusually warm water below the ocean surface, where temperatures are more than 6°C above the long-term average, creating a large reservoir of excess heat that will continue to drive surface warming in the coming months. Complementing these ocean observations, the Southern Oscillation Index, which tracks the atmospheric component of the ENSO cycle, also aligns with the pattern of developing El Niño conditions.

    WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo stressed that the global community must begin preparations immediately for a potentially strong El Niño event, which will worsen existing risks of both severe drought and extreme heavy rainfall, while also increasing the likelihood of dangerous heatwaves on land and in marine ecosystems. Saulo recalled that the most recent 2023-2024 El Niño event ranked among the five strongest ever recorded, and was a key contributing factor to the record-breaking global temperatures observed in 2024. “The WMO community will be carefully monitoring conditions in the coming months to inform decision-making by governments, humanitarian agencies and climate-sensitive sectors. Advance seasonal forecasts and early warnings are vital to save lives and cushion the impact on our economies and our communities,” Saulo added.

    To support more targeted regional planning, WMO has also released a complementary Global Seasonal Climate Update that incorporates data on other key climate drivers alongside El Niño, enabling more geographically refined seasonal outlooks.

    El Niño and its opposite phase La Niña make up the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), one of the most impactful naturally occurring climate patterns on the planet. El Niño is defined by persistent above-average ocean surface temperatures across the central and eastern Equatorial Pacific, and typically occurs every two to seven years, with individual events lasting roughly nine to 12 months. Most El Niño events begin developing between March and June, reach peak intensity between November and February, and their impact on global average temperatures is usually most pronounced in the second year after onset.

    The impacts of any El Niño event vary based on its strength, duration, time of onset, and how it interacts with other ongoing climate patterns such as the Indian Ocean Dipole. Not all global regions experience ENSO-related impacts, and impacts can even vary within a single affected region. While climate change has not been proven to increase the frequency or intensity of El Niño events itself, it does amplify the severity of El Niño-related impacts: a warmer baseline ocean and atmosphere holds more energy and moisture, creating conditions that worsen extreme weather events including heatwaves and heavy downpours. WMO does not use the non-standardized term “super El Niño” for official operational classifications.

    While every El Niño has unique characteristics, the pattern is typically associated with predictable regional precipitation shifts: increased rainfall across parts of southern South America, the southern United States, portions of the Horn of Africa, and central Asia, and drier-than-average conditions across Central America, northern South America, the Caribbean, Australia, Indonesia, and parts of southern Asia. During the Northern Hemisphere summer, El Niño’s warm ocean waters boost hurricane activity in the central and eastern Pacific while suppressing hurricane formation in the Atlantic Basin, which has led the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to forecast a below-normal Atlantic hurricane season for the year.

    Regional climate outlook forums coordinated by WMO have already released early outlooks for high-risk regions. The Greater Horn of Africa Climate Outlook Forum projects a high probability of below-average rainfall across most of the northern Greater Horn of Africa during the critical June to September growing season. The South Asian Climate Outlook Forum forecasts below-average monsoon rainfall across South Asia, while the Central America Climate Outlook Forum expects warmer and drier conditions for the Central American region.

    WMO’s complementary Global Seasonal Climate Update accounts for ENSO and other major climate drivers, including the North Atlantic Oscillation, Southern Annular Mode, and the Indian Ocean Dipole, which is closely correlated with Pacific El Niño conditions and is expected to enter a positive phase that will peak at the same time as the intensifying El Niño. For the June to August period, forecasts show above-average temperatures are overwhelmingly likely across nearly every part of the globe, raising risks of dangerous heat stress, compound climate hazards, and accelerated drought development in regions that receive below-average rainfall. Precipitation patterns align with typical El Niño dynamics, increasing the probability of both extreme flooding from excess rainfall and severe drought from prolonged dry conditions across different regions.

  • Nevis Makes History with First Caribbean Space Life Sciences Experiment Launched into Space

    Nevis Makes History with First Caribbean Space Life Sciences Experiment Launched into Space

    On May 31, 2026, a small Caribbean nation made unprecedented global scientific history: the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis successfully launched the first space life sciences experiment ever originating from the Caribbean region, lifting off aboard the SSC SubOrbital Express SIX-5/M17 mission from Sweden’s Esrange Space Center in Kiruna. This landmark achievement, announced officially by the Nevis Island Administration on June 2, 2026, cements Nevis’ place in the growing global community of space research contributors and shatters assumptions about the capacity of small island developing states to lead cutting-edge scientific innovation.

    This groundbreaking project did not emerge overnight. It is the product of years of intentional investment in STEM capacity building and strategic international collaboration, bringing together three partners: Nevis’ Ministry of Education, the University of Zurich, and the Center for Space and Aviation of Switzerland and Liechtenstein. What sets this initiative apart from many other global space projects is its core focus on lifting local expertise: four Nevisian science teachers were selected to work side-by-side with leading international space researchers through every stage of the project, from experimental design to implementation, gaining direct, hands-on experience in advanced space research methodologies that they will bring back to their classrooms and communities.

    The experiment itself carries meaningful scientific weight. Its core goal is to address longstanding gaps in global space biology research by investigating how gravitational fluctuations alter the behavior and function of human immune cells. Researchers will analyze how both microgravity, the near-weightless condition of space flight, and hypergravity, the increased gravitational force experienced during launch and re-entry, impact gene expression and cellular activity. Any insights generated from the project are expected to advance global research into human health risks for astronauts on long-duration deep space missions, an area of growing priority as space agencies around the world plan for crewed missions to the Moon and Mars.

    Beyond its contributions to space science, the project has already delivered transformative, lasting benefits to Nevis’ local education sector. Through the collaboration, thousands of local students and educators have gained unprecedented exposure to real-world, cutting-edge scientific research. New, fully equipped laboratory facilities and expanded research capabilities have also been established across the Federation, strengthening the foundation of STEM education by connecting classroom learning directly to global exploration efforts.

    St. Kitts and Nevis government officials emphasized that the successful launch demonstrates the outsized impact small nations can achieve when they prioritize strategic international collaboration and investment in youth scientific development. The milestone also positions the Federation as an emerging, competitive participant in the fast-growing global space economy, opening new doors for future scientific partnerships, workforce development in advanced technology fields, and innovation-driven economic growth.

    As researchers begin the process of analyzing data collected from the experiment, Nevisian students and educators will have exclusive access to the findings, creating a pipeline of engagement that is already inspiring the next generation of Caribbean scientists, engineers, and innovators. For a region long underrepresented in global space research, this achievement stands as a powerful testament to what can be accomplished through vision, cross-border partnership, and a commitment to expanding opportunities for young people through science and education.

  • NASA ends mission after loss of Mars probe

    NASA ends mission after loss of Mars probe

    After six months of unexplained silence from its pioneering Martian orbiter, NASA announced this Wednesday that it is formally bringing the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) mission to a close. Over its 11 years of unplanned extended operations, the probe rewrote scientific understanding of the Red Planet, leaving a legacy that will shape planetary research for decades to come.

    Launched with an initial projected lifespan of just one to two years, MAVEN slipped into orbit around Mars in September 2014, tasked with answering a longstanding cosmic question: how and why Mars lost most of its thick early atmosphere, transforming from a warm, wet world capable of hosting liquid water on its surface into the cold, arid desert we see today. It continued to beam back invaluable data and support surface operations far longer than mission planners ever dared to hope, until contact was abruptly lost with the spacecraft in December 2024.

    Though NASA confirms MAVEN is believed to still remain in a stable orbit around Mars, repeated attempts to reestablish contact over the past six months have gone unanswered. The agency has officially acknowledged the loss of the craft, though it will launch a full formal review to pinpoint the root cause of the communications failure, according to statements released Wednesday.

    For scientists who spent years working on the mission, MAVEN’s contributions extend far beyond its original mandate. Shannon Curry, an astrophysics professor and key MAVEN mission researcher, called it “the best Mars mission ever” in comments to reporters Wednesday. The probe’s measurements gave planetary scientists an unprecedented look at atmospheric escape—the process through which gases in a planet’s atmosphere leak out into interplanetary space. Currey noted that “We now have a better understanding of atmospheric escape at Mars than at any other planet, including Earth.” This body of data has turned Mars into an unparalleled natural laboratory for studying atmospheric evolution on rocky planets throughout the solar system and beyond, she added.

    Tiffany Morgan, head of NASA’s exploration programs, echoed that praise, emphasizing that MAVEN “profoundly advanced our understanding of Mars’s atmosphere, climate history, and habitability.” Beyond its core scientific work, MAVEN filled a critical secondary role: it served as a reliable communications relay, relaying data and commands between Earth and NASA’s fleet of rovers and landers operating on the Martian surface. With MAVEN now offline, that responsibility will be transitioned to other operational orbiters currently circling the Red Planet to maintain uninterrupted contact with surface missions.