Thursday, June 11, 2026

The European Parliament And U.S. Interests – Analysis

June 11, 2026
By Kristin Archick
Congressional Research Service (CRS).

The European Parliament (EP) is the only directly elected institution of the 27-country European Union (EU). The EP’s current 720 members represent the EU’s roughly 450 million citizens. The EP has accumulated more power over time (most recently with the 2009 Lisbon Treaty) as part of EU efforts to improve democratic accountability in EU policymaking. Congress-EP ties are long-standing, and the EP’s potential to shape or otherwise influence aspects of U.S.-EU relations—such as trade, digital rules, and policies on Russia and China—may be of interest to Congress. The most recent EP elections were in June 2024.

Role and Responsibilities

The EP plays a role in the EU’s legislative and budget processes and has a degree of oversight responsibility. The EP works closely with the two other main EU institutions: the European Commission, which represents the interests of the EU as a whole and functions as the EU’s executive, and the Council of the European Union(informally the Council, or Council of Ministers), which represents the interests of the EU’s national governments. Although the European Commission has the right of legislative initiative, the EP shares legislative power with the Council of the EU in most policy areas, giving the EP the right to accept, amend, or reject the vast majority of EU laws (with some exceptions, such as taxation and most aspects of foreign policy). Both the EP and the Council of the EU must approve a European Commission proposal for it to become EU law in a process known as the ordinary legislative procedure or co-decision. The EP must approve the accession of new EU members and international agreements (including on trade) and may issue nonlegislative resolutions (used, for example, to provide opinions on foreign policy issues).

With the Council of the EU, the EP decides how to allocate the EU’s annual budget (fixed as a percentage of the EU’s combined gross national income). The EP has a supervisory role over the European Commission, limited oversight over the Council of the EU, and monitors EU policies, including through investigations and public hearings. EU member states are required to take EP election results into account in choosing the European Commission president, and the EP must approve each new slate of European Commissioners, including the president, every five years.

Structure and Organization

Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) serve five-year terms. Voting for the EP takes place on a national basis, with the number of MEPs elected in each EU country based roughly on population size.
Political Groups

Once elected, MEPs caucus according to political ideology (rather than nationality) into groups, which span the political spectrum and typically represent over 200 national political parties. In the 2019-2024 EP, there were seven political groups; in the current EP, there are eight, as well as a number of “nonattached” or independent MEPs (see Figure 1). Although the majority of MEPs hail from political parties that support the EU project, some are considered to be antiestablishment and euroskeptic—that is, critical of the EU or anti-EU to varying degrees. Most euroskeptic parties in the EP are on the right or far right and hold predominantly nationalist and anti-immigration views.

No single group in the EP has an absolute majority, making compromise and coalition-building key features of the EP. Historically, the two largest groups—the center-right European People’s Party (EPP) and the center-left Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament (S&D)—have tended to dominate the EP by cooperating in unofficial “grand coalitions.” At the same time, voting blocs may vary on specific pieces of legislation. The relative size of the political groups also helps determine EP leadership and committee posts.

EP Leadership, Committees, and Delegations

MEPs elect a president of the EP every two-and-a-half years (twice per parliamentary term). The president oversees the work of the EP and represents it externally. Roberta Metsola, a Maltese MEP from the EPP, was reelected to a second term as EP president in July 2024. The EP has 22 standing committees that are key actors in the adoption of EU legislation. Each committee considers legislative proposals that fall within its jurisdiction and recommends to the full EP whether to adopt, amend, or reject proposed legislation. The EP also may establish temporary committees on specific issues or committees of inquiry on breaches of EU law. Forty-eight EP delegations maintain parliament-to-parliament relations throughout the world (including with the U.S. Congress).
Location and Administration

The EP’s official seat is in Strasbourg, France (a location near Germany symbolic of postwar peace), where plenaries typically are held once per month. Committee meetings and some part-plenary sessions occur in Brussels, Belgium. A Secretariat of over 7,000 nonpartisan civil servants and contract staff, based in both Brussels and Luxembourg, provides administrative and technical support. MEPs and political groups also have their own staff assistants (around 3,000 personnel total). The EP has faced criticism that its multiple locations entail a wasteful duplication of resources and sizeable commuting costs, as well as calls for greater transparency about MEPs’ office and travel expenses. The EP tightened ethics rules in 2023 following the so-called Qatargate corruption scandal involving alleged bribes paid to several MEPs and staffers. In 2025, allegations of corruption and bribery within the EP involving China’s Huawei technology company renewed questions about EP lobbying and transparency rules.

Source: Created by CRS, drawn from European Parliament data. For current EP seats, see https://www.europarl.europa.eu/meps/en/search/table, updated regularly. For 2019-2024EP seats, see https://results.elections.europa.eu/en/european-results/2019-2024/outgoing-parliament/.

The 2024 EP Elections

In the June 2024 elections, the overall size of the EP increased to 720 MEPs due to EU demographic changes. Pro-EU center-right EPP and center-left S&D retained their positions as the two largest groups. Voter concerns about migration, the economy, and EU climate policies helped drive increased support for euroskeptic parties and a loss of seats for the centrist, economically liberal, pro-EU Renew Europe (RE) group and the Greens/European Free Alliance (Greens/EFA), composed of pro-environment parties and leftist regional parties (e.g., Catalonian, Corsican). Despite the gains by euroskeptics, the EPP, S&D, RE, and Greens/EFA hold a combined 450 seats (63%). Average turnout across the EU was 51% (same as the 2019 election).

Euroskeptic parties in the EP hold a range of views, including on EU reforms and attitudes toward Russia. The largest euroskeptic group in the new EP is Patriots for Europe (PfE), an alliance of far-right parties. The Europe of Sovereign Nations (ESN) is farther right and more stridently euroskeptic. The European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) is considered a more moderately euroskeptic group. The Left group includes former communist parties and some far-left EU critics.

In the new EP’s first year, one analysis indicated that the EPP, S&D, and RE voted alike in 88% of decisive EP plenary votes. The EPP also has cooperated with ECR (regarded by the EPP as pro-Europe, pro-Ukraine, and pro-rule of law) and with PfE and ESN on selected issues (including a resolution on Venezuela, changes to an EU deforestation rule and corporate sustainability reporting rules, and measures to facilitate migrant returns). The EPP’s willingness to partner at times with ECR, PfE, and ESN reportedly has generated tensions with S&D, RE, and the Greens/EFA.

The United States, Congress, and the EP

With the Lisbon Treaty, the EP gained a more prominent role in some aspects of U.S.-EU relations, particularly with the right to approve or reject international agreements. In 2010, the EP initially rejected a U.S.-EU accord on countering terrorist financing due to concerns about U.S. data privacy safeguards; the EP subsequently approved this accord and other U.S.-EU information-sharing and data protection agreements. EP approval of some regulations is necessary to fully implement EU commitments on tariffs under the 2025 U.S.-EU framework agreement on trade, tariffs, and other issues; the EP considered and negotiated some changes to the regulations amid broader U.S.-EU tensions and U.S. legal and policy developments.

More generally, the EP’s role in EU lawmaking may affect certain U.S. interests. The EP was central to shaping and approving the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation, which applies to many U.S. companies doing business in Europe. In the 118th Congress, some House and Senate Members voiced concern that EU digital rules approved by the EP could target U.S. technology firms; such concerns persist in the 119th Congress, and Trump Administration officials and some Members also have criticized EU digital rules as censoring free speech. Meanwhile, some EP positions on China have aligned with U.S. concerns, for example, about China’s military provocations against Taiwan. Many MEPs support Ukraine and EU sanctions on Russia (although decisions on sanctions rest with the member states). Some MEPs also have welcomed EU efforts to help boost member states’ defense spending and Europe’s defense industry.

Interparliamentary exchanges between Congress and the EP date back to the 1970s. The Transatlantic Legislators’ Dialogue (TLD) has been the formal mechanism for engagement between the U.S. House of Representatives and the EP since 1999. TLD meetings are intended to take place twice a year to discuss various political and economic issues. Some MEPs and analysts have long argued for further enhancing cooperation with Congress, suggesting that closer ties could help strengthen U.S.-EU relations and reduce frictions. At the same time, structural and procedural differences between Congress and the EP could pose challenges to greater legislative cooperation.

About the author: Kristin Archick, Section Research Manager

Source: This article was published by Congressional Research Service (CRS).

About CRS
The Congressional Research Service (CRS) works exclusively for the United States Congress, providing policy and legal analysis to committees and Members of both the House and Senate, regardless of party affiliation. As a legislative branch agency within the Library of Congress, CRS has been a valued and respected resource on Capitol Hill for nearly a century.

View all posts by CRS →

Wednesday, June 10, 2026

Defying Russia: Poland and Germany plan massive offshore wind farms in the Baltic Sea

By Diana Resnik

Published on 10/06/2026 - EURONEWS

Despite hybrid attacks from Russia, Poland is betting on offshore wind power from the Baltic Sea. At a forum in Berlin, one message was clear: the region could become Europe’s next major energy hub. Will Europe seize this opportunity?

Germany's offshore wind energy expansion is progressing only slowly. Yet after phasing out nuclear power, the country has effectively put all its eggs in one basket. For too long, Germany remained dependent on imports of fossil fuels. However, Russia has now been ruled out as an energy supplier due to its full-scale war against Ukraine, while the conflict involving Iran and the disruption of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz have placed Germany's energy-dependent economy in an increasingly precarious position.

Jan Tombiński: 'A Good Crisis Should Not Be Wasted'

“A good crisis should not be wasted,” says Jan Tombiński, Poland’s ambassador to Germany. He cites a Chinese proverb that carries a powerful message: every crisis also presents an opportunity.

That opportunity was the focus of discussion on Tuesday at the 4th German-Polish Energy Transition Forum in Berlin. Diplomats and business leaders from Germany and Poland gathered at the Polish Embassy to explore joint solutions to emerging challenges.

According to Tombiński, Poland has now become an even more important economic partner for Germany than the United States. The economies of both countries are deeply interconnected. Closer German-Polish cooperation in offshore energy offers significant opportunities to strengthen Europe's overall energy sovereignty.

The Baltic Sea is the key area for this cooperation. Yet Germany has so far been hesitant to expand offshore installations there, potentially missing a major opportunity to increase energy independence through cross-border collaboration.

Warsaw has also recognized that it became overly dependent on energy imports. “We put ourselves in this position, and we must get ourselves out of it,” says Jacek Kostrzewa, President and CEO of the National Energy Conservation Agency (KAPE).

Poland’s economy is thriving. While many major European economies are stagnating, Poland has consistently grown faster than the EU average for years. Real GDP growth of approximately 3.3 to 3.5 percent is expected in 2026.

How Poland’s Strategy Works

Konrad Wojnarowski, State Secretary at Poland’s Ministry of Energy, explains the country's approach. Russia is no longer considered a reliable partner, while war continues to destabilize the Middle East. As a result, Poland is pursuing a strategy based on “diversification of energy sources.”

Onshore and offshore renewable energy must continue to expand, while energy storage infrastructure must be developed. At the same time, Poland intends to continue investing in nuclear power. “Strengthening security and ensuring supply” is the guiding principle.

The costs of inadequate preparation, Wojnarowski warns, would be enormous. “A nationwide blackout would cost Poland €9.5 billion per day.” Therefore, Poland’s objective is “as little dependence on Russia as possible.”

Poland has significantly accelerated the expansion of wind energy. The country's installed onshore wind capacity surpassed the 2,000-megawatt mark years ago and has now exceeded 11 gigawatts (11,000 megawatts), enough to supply approximately seven to ten million households annually.

Poland’s first offshore wind farm is already under active construction and is expected to become fully operational in the second half of 2026.

Which Direction Will Europe Take?

But where is Europe heading?

“Cross-border cooperation is extremely important,” says Piotr Wiśniewski, Deputy Chairman of the Board of the Polish Chamber of Renewable and Distributed Energy (PIGEOR) and Chairman of the Supervisory Board of EnercoNet.

“We need the right infrastructure. In twenty years, it will work very well,” Wiśniewski says.

Germany’s offshore wind activity in the Baltic Sea remains significantly smaller than in the North Sea. The Baltic 1 and Baltic 2 offshore wind farms off the coast of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania feed electricity into the German grid but remain part of a relatively limited regional expansion effort.

By contrast, Poland is pursuing a much more dynamic development strategy in the Baltic Sea region and is rapidly expanding its capacity. In addition to Baltic Power, projects such as Baltic 3 and Baltic 9+ are currently under development. German companies are increasingly involved as suppliers and project developers.

Dr. Elmar Stracke, Strategy and Policy Advisor at the German Association of Energy and Water Industries (BDEW), confirms that Germany’s offshore wind sector faces challenges.

“Things are moving better in Poland than they are here,” Stracke says. Germany needs more efficient spatial planning and greater efficiency in achieving its offshore expansion targets.

According to Stracke, the future lies neither in Germany nor in Poland alone, but offshore—in the Baltic Sea and the North Sea.

“The sea is the space that matters, not the individual coastline,” he says.

However, this vision requires major investments in energy infrastructure. “The infrastructure of the energy system must be resilient enough not to throw us off course.”

Hybrid Threats in the Baltic Sea: Taking Responsibility

The Baltic Sea presents not only opportunities but also significant challenges.

The region has become a central stage for hybrid threats. Russia has increasingly relied on signal interference, sabotage, and provocations aimed at critical Western infrastructure and at increasing political pressure on European supporters of Ukraine.

Undersea telecommunications cables, data links, and gas pipelines face constant threats. At the same time, growing interference signals over the Baltic Sea are disrupting the navigation systems of both ships and aircraft

Wojnarowski’s response is straightforward: Europe must assume greater responsibility from both a military and an energy-security perspective.

Poland is the largest recipient of the European SAFE (Security Action for Europe) defence financing program. The initiative is helping modernize the country’s armed forces while strengthening its domestic defence industry, which also contributes to securing the Baltic Sea region.

Will Germany Unlock the Baltic Sea’s Potential?

Dr. Dirk Biermann, Chief Operating Officer of transmission system operator 50Hertz, emphasizes that the company feels a responsibility to make greater use of the Baltic Sea’s potential.

50Hertz operates the high-voltage electricity transmission grid in north-eastern Germany and is already making significant efforts to develop the region’s still largely untapped opportunities.

According to estimates by the European Commission from 2019, the technical offshore wind potential for all EU countries bordering the Baltic Sea exceeds 90 gigawatts.

The initiative also coincides with the upcoming 35th anniversary of the German-Polish Treaty of Good Neighbourship, providing a symbolic boost for future cooperation.

Several projects are already in development to advance this vision. Among them is the Bornholm Energy Island concept, designed as a central offshore energy hub in the Baltic Sea region.

The Bornholm Energy Island Diana Resnik, Euronews

Additional plans include cross-border subsea cable connections linking offshore wind farms with power grids in Germany, Denmark, Poland, and the Baltic states, enabling the exchange of renewable electricity between countries.

A joint subsea interconnector between Lithuania, Latvia, and Germany—the Baltic-German PowerLink—is also under consideration. The project aims to strengthen cross-border electricity trade across the Baltic Sea region and facilitate the integration of up to 2 gigawatts of offshore wind capacity.

The Baltic-German PowerLink Diana Resnik, Euronews

Overall, the trend is clearly moving toward diversification and resilience—toward a more interconnected and integrated energy market in the Baltic Sea region.

‘Coal power has lost its status’: Solar power outstrips coal in US despite Trump's attacks

By Angela Symons with AP

Published on 10/06/2026 - EURONEWS

States won by Trump in the 2024 election accounted for 74 per cent of all solar capacity installed in the first quarter of 2026.

Even as President Donald Trump boosts coal over clean energy, solar power is hitting new milestones in the US and remains the leading source of new power.

Data released on 10 June by global energy think tank Ember, along with a report by the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) and analytics firm Wood Mackenzie, show the continued growth of solar and decline of coal in the US despite federal policy. In May, for the first time, solar supplied more of the nation’s electricity than coal, or 12.8 per cent, Ember said. Coal supplied 12.2 per cent, its fourth-lowest monthly share ever.

“For years solar power has risen in the US electricity mix," says Nicolas Fulghum, senior energy and data analyst at Ember. "At the same time, coal power has lost its status, first as the largest source in the US mix, and then gradually over the years has fallen even further.”

Solar also became the third-largest source of electricity in the US in May, behind natural gas and nuclear, Fulghum says. Coal generation hit an all-time monthly low in April and rebounded only modestly in May, allowing increasing solar generation to overtake coal, he adds.

US electricity demand is increasing

Electricity is produced by converting sources of energy – fossil fuels, renewable resources and nuclear – into electrical power. Burning coal, oil and natural gas for electricity emits carbon dioxide, trapping heat in the atmosphere and warming the planet. By contrast, solar, wind, geothermal, hydropower and nuclear are carbon-free.

After about two decades of essentially flat electricity consumption in the US, electricity demand is increasing to power artificial intelligence, grow domestic manufacturing and electrify transportation and heating. Fulghum says he expects to see more months where solar exceeds coal generation, before overtaking it on an annual basis in a few years.

These milestones signify that solar “has staying power” at a time where there's less support for renewable energy at the federal level, he adds.

Wind and solar combined have overtaken coal in the past, and wind power alone has outpaced coal during spring months when wind speeds pick up. Ember gets its hourly and monthly data from the US Energy Information Administration.

Globally, electricity generation from renewables is growing rapidly. Renewables will become the largest global energy source, used for almost 45 per cent of electricity generation by 2030, according to the International Energy Agency.

Trump helps the struggling US coal industry while curtailing solar and wind

Last week, Trump announced a plan to boost the struggling US coal industry by spending nearly $700 million (€606m) to support coal-fired power plants and coal exports. Trump said at a White House event that “coal’s a great business”, and that "in terms of power, there’s really nothing like it”.

Martin Pochtaruk, CEO and founder of Canadian-based solar panel manufacturer Heliene, says Trump can say that coal is coming back, but investors will invest their money in whatever brings the best return. And for power generation that is solar, making it the fastest-growing fuel, he adds.

A White House spokeswoman defended the administration's overall energy policies, saying they were geared toward strengthening the country's security.

“The President has reversed the Left’s devastating policies, saved the American coal industry, prevented the retirement of more than 17 gigawatts of power, and saved lives during heightened demand periods," Taylor Rogers said in a statement.

A train with coal pauses on the tracks in Grafton, W.Va., March 18, 2026. AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, File

Solar remains the leading source of new power

While Trump is trying to reverse the coal industry's decline, solar has been the top source for new power for five years, SEIA says. SEIA and Wood Mackenzie say solar and battery storage were practically the only energy resources being built in the first quarter, making up 91 per cent of all new generating capacity.

The Trump administration has cancelled solar and wind projects, implemented policies that slowed clean energy permitting and development and terminated $7 billion (€6.06bn) in funding intended for affordable solar energy projects across the US.

“As power demand skyrockets, political and regulatory attacks are slowing down the exact resources we rely on,” Darren Van’t Hof, interim president and CEO of SEIA, says. “Impeding the only sector that is actively building new power is a reckless gamble that will only drive electricity bills higher.”

Several groups sued the Environmental Protection Agency over cancelling the Solar for All program. A district court dismissed the case last week citing lack of jurisdiction. The plaintiffs have another filing pending in the Court of Federal Claims.

In a ruling on Saturday (6 June), a federal judge struck down guidance from the Internal Revenue Service restricting tax credits for wind and solar projects.

Trump has blamed renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power for skyrocketing energy costs. But energy analysts say recent price hikes are based on growing demand, ageing infrastructure and increasingly extreme weather events that are exacerbated by climate change. Most recently, the war in Iran that Trump launched has also led to a spike in energy cost

Top states for solar voted for Trump

States won by Trump in the 2024 election accounted for 74 per cent of all solar capacity installed in the first quarter of 2026, with Texas, Florida, Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Arizona and Mississippi ranking among the top 10 states for new solar additions, SEIA says. The US now exceeds a total of six million installations nationwide across all solar sectors, which includes large-scale solar arrays, commercial, community solar and residential or rooftop solar.

Johanna Neumann, at the Environment America Research and Policy Center, says it's “good news for our health and our planet that solar continues to grow”, and also, not surprising.

“Today we can harness solar more affordably than any other energy source. It’s scalable. And it’s also our most abundant renewable energy source,” says Neumann, senior director of the centre's campaign for 100 per cent renewable energy. “So I think it’s hard to keep the lid on a good idea, especially if the economics are tilting in your favour as well, which they are in the case of solar.”

Environment America's renewable energy dashboard shows that 32 US states generated at least 10 per cent of their retail electricity sales from solar, wind and geothermal energy last year, compared to 18 states in 2016. Clean energy in the South is booming, particularly in Florida, Arkansas and Mississippi, Neumann says.

“I think there is a misconception in the United States that clean energy is something for the coasts and liberal cities,” she says. “The true story of renewable energy is a 50-state story.”

World will cross 1.5°C warming limit by 2030 if emissions continue at current rate - report

By Angela Symons

Published on 11/06/2026 EURONEWS

The rate of human-induced warming remains at an all-time high, according to the latest Indicators of Global Climate Change report.

The world is edging dangerously close to the Paris Agreement’s 1.5°C warming threshold, with human-induced warming reaching 1.37°C in 2025, a major new report warns.

If emissions continue at current levels, the 1.5°C limit will be crossed around 2030, according to the analysis by more than 70 scientists from 56 institutions across 17 countries.

The fourth edition of the Indicators of Global Climate Change (IGCC), published today (11 June) in the journal Earth System Science Data, tracks the key measurements that tell us how fast the climate is changing and why. It paints a clear picture: the Earth is warming at an accelerating rate, driven almost entirely by human activity.

“Our study shows greenhouse gas emissions are at an all-time high, mainly from the burning of fossil fuels,” says Dr. William Lamb, Senior Researcher at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), Germany.

“The good news is that solutions are already available. By investing in renewables and electrification, governments can cut emissions while building cleaner, more reliable and more secure energy systems.”

World’s carbon budget will be exhausted in three years

The carbon budget – the total amount of CO2 that can still be emitted while keeping warming less than 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels – now stands at just 130 billion tonnes from the start of 2026. At current emissions levels, that will be exhausted in around three years.

The 1.5-degree limit is the cornerstone of the 2015 Paris Agreement, an international treaty designed to prevent the most catastrophic impacts of the climate crisis.

Global greenhouse gas emissions hit a record 56.8 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent in 2024, driven mainly by the burning of fossil fuels. Concentrations of the three major greenhouse gases – carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide – have all risen since 2019, with CO2 now at 425.6 parts per million.

The report also found that the Earth’s energy imbalance – the gap between the heat entering the planet and the heat escaping it – has more than doubled in recent decades and is now at a record high. This means the planet is storing heat faster than at any point in modern measurements.

“The Earth’s energy imbalance is growing fast, driving changes in every component of the climate system, including ocean and continental warming, permafrost thawing, ice loss, and sea level rise,” says Dr Karina Von Schuckmann from French research institute Mercator Ocean International.

Sea are rising and getting warmer

Global sea levels reached a new record in 2025 – 23cm of rise since 1901 – and the rate is accelerating. The oceans are absorbing much of the excess heat, with average sea surface temperatures hitting their second highest level on record last year.

A newly added indicator in this year’s report captures the scale of marine heatwaves: the number of days affected has more than tripled globally between 1991 and 2025. In 2025 alone, the world experienced 65 marine heatwave days, damaging ecosystems, threatening fish stocks and disrupting the ocean-atmosphere systems that regulate the Earth’s climate.

On land, the picture is just as bleak. Average maximum land temperatures over the last decade were nearly half a degree higher than the decade before – a shift that is pushing extreme heat to new levels around the globe.

“Nearly all of the warming over the last decade is driven by human activities,” says Dr Samantha Burgess of the Copernicus Climate Change Service. “The impacts on livelihoods and ecosystems are already being felt worldwide, and will accelerate as temperatures continue to increase.”

The scientists behind the report are also sounding the alarm about a less visible risk: the global datasets used to track these changes are themselves under threat. Funding cuts – including the Trump administration’s decision to scrap the US State Department’s global air quality monitoring programme last year – are creating dangerous gaps in the evidence base that climate science and policy depend on.

“Without this, future assessments will be much more difficult at a time when urgent climate action is needed,” warns Dr Chris Smith of the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis.

World’s largest, deepest, oldest whale graveyard discovered in Indian Ocean

Chinese scientists have discovered a massive whale graveyard of around 500 skeletons, some dating back to more than 5 million years, at the bottom of the Indian Ocean west of Australia, according to research published in the journal Nature on Wednesday. The whale fall provides shelter and sustenance to a vibrant ecosystem of marine species, many believed to be new to science.

Issued on: 10/06/2026
By: FRANCE 24

Scientists said discovering a necropolis of this scale was completely unexpected. © AFP via Handout, Global TREnD, IDSSE

The world's largest whale graveyard has been discovered at the bottom of the Indian Ocean by Chinese scientists, who found that the vast expanse of both new and ancient carcasses supports huge communities of deep-sea life.

It is also the deepest and oldest known whale graveyard on Earth, according to research published in the journal Nature on Wednesday, with some fossils dating back 5.3 million years.

From inside a small submersible, the Chinese researchers saw an array of strange animals – many believed to be new to science – living off the whale carcasses.

A new, though extinct, species of whale was also identified among the nearly 500 skeletons found up to 7,000 metres deep along a 1,200 kilometre corridor of bones in the Indian Ocean west of Australia.

Lead study author Xiaotong Peng of the Chinese Academy of Sciences told AFP that the researchers were "astonished" when the scale of their discovery became clear.

A huge array of animals including sea anemones, sponges and sea stars were found living off of the whale carcasses. © AFP via Handout, Global TREnD, IDSSE

It was known that when whales die and drop to the seafloor, their sunken bodies – called "whale falls" – provide a source of food to bottom-dwelling creatures.

"But discovering a necropolis of this scale was completely unexpected: the size of distribution, the depth and the age range were far beyond anything we had imagined," Xiaotong Peng said.

The researchers had several theories for why so many whales died in this particular corridor, including that it is a popular foraging area and has a V-shaped trench that funnels carcasses to the ocean's floor.
'Truly incredible experience'

For the discovery, the Fendouzhe submersible carried out 32 dives in 2023 – though what it found was only revealed in Nature on Wednesday.

The sub took up to three people on the dives, collecting the fossil samples using robotic arms.

Study co-author Peng Zhou said witnessing the whale graveyard "was a truly incredible experience".

Fossil samples being collected by the robotic arm of the submersible. © AFP via Handout, Global TREnD, IDSSE

"The vibrant ecosystems we saw offered a completely different perspective on this otherwise dark and cold ocean floor."

Among the animals they discovered living off the carcasses were jellyfish, worms, snails, crustaceans, brittle stars and molluscs called bivalves.

Extrapolating from the number of bones they found, most of which were from beaked whales, the scientists estimated there could be more than 10 million carcasses across the area called the Diamantina Zone.

The soft tissue and lipids inside that many carcasses "translates to roughly 6.7 million tonnes of sequestered carbon", Xiaotong Peng said.

This provides an immense source of sustenance for animals, similar to how hydrothermal vents create their own ecosystems on the ocean floor.

Some of the animals seen by the scientists also live in hydrothermal vents and cold seeps, suggesting whale carcasses could help connect these deep-sea communities to each other.

While this is by far the largest whale graveyard yet found, fossils found during trawling suggest there could be others off South Africa, the Iberian peninsula and the Crozet islands, according to the study.

'More blockbusters to come'?

University of Hawaii oceanographer Craig Smith, who discovered the first whale fall in 1987 but was not involved in the new research, told AFP it was "extremely exciting".

The scientists catalogued nearly 500 skeletons up to 7,000 metres deep along a 1,200 kilometre corridor of bones. © AFP via Handout, Global TREnD, IDSSE

"The vast number of fossil whale falls documented, including a new species of beaked whale, is truly amazing and is of major importance to understanding whale evolution and whale distributions over geologic time," he said.

Whale fall researcher Amy Baco-Taylor at Florida State University told AFP the "remarkable discovery" would "likely provide many new insights".

"It does seem very strange" that so many whales died in this area, Baco-Taylor admitted, adding that "we don't know enough about whale consciousness".

US palaeontologist Stephen Godfrey compared the "truly unique discovery" to past major underwater finds, such as when scientists first identified hydrothermal vents teeming with life on the ocean floor in 1977.

He called for future submersible voyages to find more whale graveyards across the world.

This discovery "reminded me of a trailer for the first in a series of epic movies", Godfrey commented in a linked Nature paper.

"I hope that there will be many more of these blockbusters to come."

(FRANCE 24 with AFP)

LA REVUE GAUCHE - Left Comment