The Mediterranean Sea has warmed to a record

12.09.2024

During the long summer heat waves that hit Europe the surface temperature of the Mediterranean Sea also fell to a record. The year-old record was broken on the fifteenth of August on the Egyptian coast. The sea here warmed to 31.96 degrees Celsius.

Photo:Pixabay

Satellite images from the European Union's Copernicus program confirm the recent maximum warming of the Mediterranean Sea. This is a preliminary finding and all data will still be reviewed.

Scientists note that last year and this year the temperature in the Mediterranean Sea reached higher values ​​than during the unprecedentedly strong and long heat wave in 2003. In that well, the sea surface temperature rose to 28.25 degrees Celsius and this value was not exceeded for twenty long years.

Scientists are aware that ever-increasing temperatures can also have a negative effect on marine life. The most threatened are corals, dozens of species of which have already been decimated by heat waves in the past. High temperatures also threaten some species of molluscs.

The increase in global temperature and the changing climate can already be seen everywhere in the world but in the Mediterranean area the changes are particularly noticeable. Many scientists refer to this area as a hotbed of climate change.

Scientists estimate at the same time. that the oceans have absorbed up to 90 percent of the excess heat produced by human activity since the dawn of the industrial age. The rest of the excess heat accumulates in the form of greenhouse gases resulting from the burning of fossil fuels.

In addition to the negative impact on some animals the ever-increasing temperatures in the seas and oceans will also affect the migration of invasive species. This could also threaten fish populations, which could disrupt food availability in certain parts of the world.