Article Author:
The Associated Press
Ciaran Giles And Iran Ben Sion
Madrid (AP) — Vacationers may enjoy the summer warmth of the Mediterranean, but climate scientists believe that the ocean It will burn up in a series of intense heat waves that warn of dire consequences for living things.
From Barcelona to Tel Aviv, scientists say they are seeing an anomalous temperature rise of 3 degrees Celsius (5.4 degrees Fahrenheit) to 5 degrees Celsius (9 degrees Fahrenheit) above normal for this time of year. say. Water temperatures regularly exceed 30 C (86 F) on some days.
While extreme heat in Europe and other Mediterranean countries made the headlines this summer, rising sea temperatures have been largely invisible and unnoticeable. not kept.
Ocean heat waves are caused by ocean currents forming regions of warm water. Weather systems and atmospheric heat can also affect water temperature. And like heatwaves on land, ocean heatwaves are becoming longer, more frequent, and more intense because of human-induced climate change.
The situation is "very disturbing," says Joaquim Garrabou, a researcher at the Institute of Marine Science in Barcelona. "We are pushing the system too far. We have to deal with the climate problem as soon as possible." I am part of the team that released the heat wave report. The report says these phenomena have led to "mass mortality" of marine life.
About 50 species, including corals, sponges and seaweeds, were affected along thousands of kilometers of the Mediterranean coast, according to a study published in the journal Global Change Biology. .
The situation in the eastern Mediterranean is particularly dire.
The waters off Israel, Cyprus, Lebanon and Syria are "arguably the hottest hotspot in the Mediterranean," said Gil Rylov, a marine biologist at Israel's Institute of Marine and Limnology. rice field. co-author. Average summer sea temperatures are now consistently above 31 C (88 F).
These warming oceans are pushing many native species to the brink. "Because every summer we exceed the optimum temperature," he said.
What he and his colleagues are witnessing in terms of biodiversity loss is that it will occur further west in the Mediterranean over the next few years to Greece, Italy and Spain. It is expected.
Garrabou notes that the oceans serve the earth by absorbing 90% of the earth's excess heat and his 30% of the carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere by the production of coal, oil and gas. It is pointed out that This carbon uptake effect protects the planet from the effects of even more severe climates.
This was possible because the seas and oceans were in a healthy state, said Garaboo. I'm pushing," he said.
Reducing ocean warming will require significant reductions in global greenhouse gas emissions, but marine scientists have found that 30% of oceans in particular come from human activities such as fishing. We are looking for authorities to ensure that we are protected. It will give the seed a chance to recover and thrive.
About 8% of the Mediterranean area is now protected.
Garrabou and Rilov said policymakers are largely unaware of Mediterranean warming and its impacts.
"Our job as scientists is to bring this matter to their attention as they think," Rylov said.
A heat wave occurs when the weather is particularly hot for a specific number of days with little rain or wind. Land heatwaves drive ocean heatwaves, and the two influence each other, tending to create a vicious cycle of warming.
Land-based heatwaves have become commonplace in many countries around the Mediterranean, with dramatic side effects such as wildfires, drought, crop loss and unbearably high temperatures.
But marine heatwaves, if not dealt with sooner, could seriously affect the countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea and the more than 500 million people who live there, scientists say. say: As destructive storms could become more common on land, fish stocks would be depleted and tourism would be adversely affected.
World Despite occupying less than 1% of the world's ocean surface area, the Mediterranean Sea is one of the major reservoirs of marine biodiversity, containing between 4% and 18% of the world's known marine species
Some of the most impacted species are key to maintaining marine habitat function and diversity. Species such as Posidonia Oceanica seagrass meadows, which absorb vast amounts of carbon dioxide and protect marine life, and coral reefs, which are also habitats for wildlife, can be endangered.
Garrabou said that mortality effects on species were observed between surface and 45 meters (approximately 150 feet) depth, where the recorded marine heatwave was exceptional. The heat wave affected more than 90% of the surface of the Mediterranean Sea.
According to the latest scientific paper, sea surface temperature in the Mediterranean Sea has increased by 0.4 C (0.72 F) per decade from 1982 to 2018. It has risen by about 0.05 C (0.09 F) over the past decade and shows no signs of stopping.
Even very low temperatures can have devastating effects on ocean health, experts say. covers most of the Mediterranean Sea, the study suggests.
"The question is not about the survival of nature, because biodiversity finds a way to survive on Earth," says Garabou. Told. “The problem is that if we continue in this direction, perhaps our society, the human being, will have no place to live.”
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Iran Ben Sion reported from Jerusalem.
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