June is National Ocean Month, and for once there is genuinely good news to report.
The High Seas Treaty, a landmark international agreement to protect ocean waters beyond national borders, reached 60 ratifications in 2025, triggering its legal entry into force. It sets the world on a path to protect 30% of the world's oceans by 2030.
Coral reefs, long considered among the most vulnerable ecosystems on Earth, are showing signs of resilience. A 2024 study found that restored reefs can grow at the same rate as healthy natural reefs within just four years of coral transplantation. In Little Cayman, coral cover increased measurably in just one survey cycle.
Meanwhile, Scotland's waters recorded more than 11,000 whale and dolphin sightings in 2024 alone.
The ocean has taken a beating. But it is, remarkably, still in the fight.
Rick Good spent ten years in the newspaper business, including with The News & Observer (Raleigh, NC) and The Greenville News (Greenville, SC). He co-wrote, with Melinda Coleman, Rutledge to Riley: Governors of South Carolina, 1776–Present (Published by The Greenville News), and is the author of Mind Games Trivia #1 (Amazon). He has recently spent 15 years creating original trivia content through Sounds Good Mobile Entertainment and continues that with his new company, SGME Software. He edits The Smart Reader’s money, real estate, and business coverage.