The coastal waters of Spain are currently more than 6 degrees warmer than usual
Mediterranean heatwaves will become more frequent
Óscar Esparza, doctor in Biology and coordinator of WWF Marine Protected Areas in Spain, explained that this temperature increase is “anomalous and exceptional, both in terms of intensity, extension and duration”. If the Mediterranean Sea is stewing at 30ºC, this is an incredible 6.2ºC above its usual temperature.
According to the meteorologists, the warming of Spain’s oceans is a process that dates back to the 1980s, when we first realised that greenhouse gases produced by humans were contributing to climate change.
The consequences
Just like periods of extreme heat on land, marine heatwaves also have consequences, and meteorologists firmly believe that the “rise in temperatures puts the Mediterranean Sea at risk,” since it is “one of the most sensitive areas on the planet to global warming.”
Everything indicates that the summers will continue getting warmer, which will inevitably lead to more tropical nights between May and October, as well as an increase in cold drops or DANAS and torrential rains.
As the water heats up, the WWF expert predicts that the oceans will become “a breeding ground for the proliferation of jellyfish and the arrival of invasive species that alter the balance of the ecosystem”, which sadly has already begun. At the same time, there is a very real possibility that key species will be wiped out in “mass mortality episodes,” wreaking havoc with the biodiversity of the environment.
Image: Puertos del Estado
Source: Murcia Today
