They warn that the Mediterranean is warming up to four times faster than other areas of the planet

PalmaThe Mediterranean is warming at an ever-faster rate. This is explained by E. Vargas, a researcher at the Spanish Institute of Oceanography of the CSIC, who points out that in some places the temperature is increasing up to three or four times faster than in other areas of the planet.

One of the most notable data points this summer was recorded in Dragonera, in the southwest of Mallorca, where a buoy reached 33.02 degrees, a historic record. "These are unthinkable temperatures thirty years ago," assures Vargas, who highlights that the most worrying thing is that "every year we break a new record."

An increasingly warmer Mediterranean

The researcher explains that decades ago it seemed exaggerated to think that the Mediterranean would end up becoming a "tropical sea". Now he considers that global warming is already a reality and that extreme temperatures have consequences on marine ecosystems.

Marine heatwaves can cause mortality episodes of species such as gorgonians and posidonia. There are also animals that move towards colder waters, although in the Mediterranean they have fewer possibilities to escape north.

Human activity, the main cause

For Vargas, the current warming cannot be explained solely by natural climate cycles. The researcher points to greenhouse gas emissions caused by human activity as the main cause.

He also warns that ocean warming contributes to rising water levels and can favor the loss of beaches in some areas. Therefore, he advocates for reducing emissions and moving towards a model based on renewable energies.