According to a study, the Mediterranean Sea is warming faster and at the same time becoming saltier. According to this, as a result of climate change, the water temperature in the western Mediterranean is increasing by about two degrees per 100 years, in some places, for example on the Spanish Costa Brava, even by three degrees per century. In addition to warming, there is also an increase in salinity, or salinity, in the Mediterranean Sea.
The scientists of the Spanish marine research institute ICM-CSIC published their findings in the “Journal of Marine Science and Engineering”. The results are based on the evaluation of long-term data from the past 30 years and have been measured at all water depths. For example, the salinity of the Mediterranean Sea is higher than that of the Atlantic Ocean because more water evaporates than is added from rivers that flow into the inland sea.
Significant acceleration noticed
Exchanges with the Atlantic Ocean are very limited as the Strait of Gibraltar is very closely connected. In addition, it turned out that the sea level rises on average about 2.8 millimeters per year. Since the 1990s, there has been a strong acceleration in this development.
Biodiversity in danger
According to other studies, an increase in water temperature and salinity endangers biodiversity in the Mediterranean. In the warmer waters of the Mediterranean, there are now nearly 1,000 non-native species spreading further north and west each year, displacing native species, according to the environmental organization WWF.
Some endemic species such as the Adriatic sturgeon and the deep-sea cardinalfish are threatened with extinction. Huge jellyfish are a problem for fishermen and holidaymakers and the climate crisis increases the risk of extreme weather.
Source: Krone
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