Warming Mediterranean Waters Drive Invasive Species Westward
Scientists say about 1,000 invasive species are now established in the Mediterranean, where rising temperatures are driving native fish and shellfish declines.
- Warming Mediterranean waters are driving invasive species westward through the Suez Canal, displacing indigenous fish populations and altering coastal ecosystems across the Mediterranean Sea.
- Scientists have designated the Mediterranean a climate change 'hot spot,' with rising temperatures driven by fossil fuel use expected to warm waters by 2 to 6 degrees Celsius by 2100.
- About 1,000 invasive species have been identified in the Mediterranean, with 800 firmly established; in the eastern Mediterranean, shallows lost 93% of their mollusk population after sea temperatures exceeded 30 degrees Celsius.
- Marine biologist Ernesto Azzuro noted invasive predators like lionfish have 'clear economic benefits' in some regions, though puffer fish are toxic and potentially lethal if consumed, while local fishers struggle as native stocks diminish.
- While reversing the spread is 'too late,' zoologist Piero Genovesi Papik suggests enforcing international treaties to treat ballast water and applying specialized hull paint, measures that could reduce new alien species by 99%.
27 Articles
27 Articles
Rising sea surface temperatures in the Mediterranean are rapidly changing the ecosystem. Marine biologist Ernesto Azzurro stated that approximately 1,000 invasive marine species have been identified in the region, with about 800 of them now permanently established. According to experts, this situation threatens native species.
DNA research following the discovery of a single claw in the Klompenwaard along the Rhine revealed that the crayfish is indeed present there. A live specimen has not yet been found.
Mediterranean Sea warming draws hundreds of invasive species, threatening native fish and coastal livelihoods
ROME: The Mediterranean of our ancestors is no more.Scientists say climate change, caused mainly by burning oil, coal and gas, is making the Mediterranean Sea hotter, bringing hundreds of new and invasive fish species that decimate indigenous populations.As biodiversity diminishes, coastal communities will struggle to make ends meet in the ways they’ve known for generations."The Mediterranean of our grandfathers, of our elders, and of the Greeks…
The Toronto Star
The Mediterranean’s warming waters are drawing hundreds of invasive species
ROME (AP) — The Mediterranean of our ancestors is no more.
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