Climate change transforms Mediterranean, threatening native species

The Mediterranean Sea, long a cradle of civilization, is undergoing irreversible changes due to climate change, scientists warn. Warming waters, largely driven by the burning of fossil fuels, are creating an environment conducive to hundreds of invasive fish species that are decimating native populations and altering marine ecosystems.

“

The Mediterranean of our grandfathers, our ancestors, Greece and ancient Greece, is lost forever. So many of these changes are irreversible.

Ernesto Azuro, a marine biologist with Italy's National Research Council, described the situation as dire. "The Mediterranean of our grandfathers, our ancestors, Greece and ancient Greece, is lost forever. So many of these changes are irreversible," he told AP. The Mediterranean is considered a "hotspot" for climate change, with sea temperatures projected to rise between two and six degrees Celsius by 2100. Heatwaves in the sea are expected to become more frequent and intense.

“

the worst invader

This warming trend favors aggressive invasive species, such as the pufferfish, which Azuro called "the worst invader." These species, often entering through the Suez Canal, are rapidly spreading. The UN's Food and Agriculture Organization notes that while invasive species have been present for decades, their proliferation accelerated in the early 2000s alongside rising sea temperatures. The lionfish, for example, first recorded in the eastern Mediterranean in 2012, has since spread westward, displacing native species like red mullet and causing significant concern among fishermen.

“

The Mediterranean will be even poorer, with even fewer species, simply because climate change is making this part of the Mediterranean, especially its eastern part, completely unsuitable for native species.

"The Mediterranean will be even poorer, with even fewer species, simply because climate change is making this part of the Mediterranean, especially its eastern part, completely unsuitable for native species," Azuro stated. Cyprus, due to its proximity to the Suez Canal, has been among the first to feel the impact. Experts like Piero Genovesi Papik, a zoologist, stress the need for global cooperation. "We know what we need to do. We should reduce the use of fossil fuels," he said, calling it "an urgent issue for humanity." While solutions are known, they require a "global and shared vision."

“

We know what we need to do. We should reduce the use of fossil fuels.