Source: CNA
Rising temperatures in the Mediterranean are negatively affecting marine life, according to scientists who studied seawater in the region and reported that water temperatures are 3 to 5 degrees above normal for the season, which will have many negative consequences.
According to the Turkish news agency "Anadolu", research by Joaquim Garrabou from the Institute of Marine Sciences in Barcelona and Gil Rilov from the Institute of Ocean and Lake Research in Israel has shown that the increase in the temperature of the waters in the Mediterranean threatens the life of all living beings and the Mediterranean water temperature, which exceeds by 3 to 5 degrees the usual levels for the season, regularly exceeds 30 degrees.
...the average sea water temperature in these areas is 31 degrees Celsius...this level endangers endemic species in the seas
At a time when the temperature in the Mediterranean is 3 to 5 degrees above normal levels, the coasts of Cyprus, Lebanon and Syria, with the highest temperatures, are in the first 3 places.
Mr. Garrabou said the rise in temperature, which should normally be moderated by warm ocean currents, has reached an alarming point due to man-made global warming. "We are pushing the system very hard. We need to take climate action as soon as possible," the researcher emphasizes.
Pointing out that the warmest parts of the Mediterranean are Cyprus, Lebanon and the Syrian coast, Mr. Rilov said that the average sea water temperature in these areas is 31 degrees Celsius. Stressing that this level endangers endemic species in the seas, Mr. Rilov noted that they predict that the disappearance of biodiversity will continue in the western Mediterranean in the coming years.
Anatolou adds that according to the journal Global Change Biology, which publishes research on climate change, global warming and their effects, about 50 species, including corals, sponges and marine plants, are threatened due to changes in the Mediterranean ecosystem.
In the Mediterranean countries, home to more than 500 million people, there are concerns about fishing and tourism, as well as unusual natural phenomena such as storms.
