The Mediterranean is heating up by two degrees due to climate change

PalmaClimate change has caused a warming of about 2°C in the Mediterranean, 1.4°C in the region centered on the Bay of Biscay and the Iberian Peninsula, and 1.3°C in the Celtic region, according to a new study published this Wednesday by World Weather Attribution (WWA). The research, carried out by scientists from Switzerland, Sweden, the United States (USA), Ireland, and the United Kingdom, is based on the analysis of four coastal regions, from the Celtic areas to the Mediterranean. The authors observed all upward trends that exceeded the average rate of global warming.

"Massive" expansion of marine heatwaves

In fact, they have realized that this rate doubles the global one in the case of the Mediterranean. Combining these observations with climate model simulations, they have managed to attribute the majority of these warming trends to climate change. In the study, collected by Europa Press, the experts also emphasize that global warming has caused the "massive" expansion of marine heatwaves. As they have detailed, 90% of the Bay of Biscay region and the Iberian coast, as well as 80% of the western Mediterranean, will be affected by these waves in 2026, while in a climate without climate change the expected figure would be around 40%.

"In the Eastern Mediterranean, the current 70% would be reduced to 9%. In the Celtic region, the proportion would drop from 80% to 30%", the organization pointed out. Furthermore, WWA has stressed that extreme oceanic heat can cause mass death of habitat-forming species – such as corals, sponges, and macroalgae – generating repercussions that cascade throughout the ecosystem. Likewise, it can also alter the food supply of apex predators, including seabirds and marine mammals, leading to a drastic decline in populations.

Looking ahead, researchers have warned that the projected warming will exceed the adaptation limits of many marine species. In the scientists' opinion, this accelerated warming "can cause the collapse of important fisheries, including those for cod, haddock, mackerel, scallops, and lobster".

Furthermore, WWA has warned that marine heatwaves directly exacerbate thermal stress on land by raising nighttime temperatures and atmospheric humidity in coastal locations, while warm waters fuel extreme atmospheric moisture capable of triggering destructive storms later on.

Professor Friederike Otto, Chair of Climate Science at the Centre for Environmental Policy at Imperial College London, has stressed that seas are warming at a rate exceeding global warming averages, leading to direct consequences for both terrestrial and marine life. From her perspective, humans are pushing many oceanic ecosystems towards extinction by delaying the transition away from fossil fuels.

"We cannot limit ourselves to trying to adapt our way out of this situation. Ecosystems are important in themselves, but many people and industries also depend on the sea not warming as quickly as it is. There may be insurmountable limits to adaptation in our oceans and seas. The longer we take to abandon fossil fuels, the higher the price will be. A price that the rich will not pay," she warned.