Climate crisis threatens the Mediterranean vacation: jellyfish floods beaches!

Climate crisis threatens the Mediterranean vacation: jellyfish floods beaches!

Mittelmeer, Italien - The Mediterranean, one of the most popular goals for summer vacations, is increasingly under pressure from the climate crisis. According to the Westfalenpost Warn scientists about the serious consequences of increasing water temperatures and other ecological stress. The winter water temperatures no longer fall below ten degrees, which results in serious changes in the ecosystem. In particular, plant and animal species that require cold periods for reproduction are affected.

Schnorkler and divers in the region notice the deterioration of the underwater landscapes. Seegrass meadows and horn coral forests are increasingly replaced by slimy algae carpets. Additional challenges result from extreme heat periods and floods that negatively influence the entire coastal space. Higher water temperatures increase the salt content and lead to a lack of oxygen, which can cause mass extinction in fish and other naval residents.

alarming ecological changes

Another concern is the formation of so -called death zones caused by dying algae that consume the available oxygen. At the same time, jellyfish populations increase. According to the wwf , jellyfish that have existed in front of the dinosaurs, have spread in all oceans and play an important role in the marine ecosystem. In the Mediterranean, there has been an imbalance since about 2003, triggered by temperature increases, which favors the explosive increase in jellyfish. These jellyfish, which used to rarely advance, are now annually and last longer.

The increase in jellyfish has a significant impact on the local economy, especially fishing. Whipfish fishing nets and damage fishing devices, which forces the crews to spend a lot of time with the removal of jellyfish instead of catching fish. Tourism also suffers because beaches with many jellyfish lose attractiveness and the decline in visitors: Inside, thus leads to economic damage to local communities.

urgent need for action

The invasive spread of species such as the tropical fire fishing and the killer algae Caulerpa Taxifolia threatens domestic habitats in the Mediterranean. An urgent need for action to preserve the coastal landscapes and biodiversity is essential. Suggestions to combat climate change include the reduction of overfishing and sewage load as well as the reforestation of seagrass meadows.

also on land, countries like Italy suffer from the consequences of climate change. There are increasingly bush and forest fires in Greece, Spain, Italy and southern France. Italy in particular is affected by heavy droughts, especially in the middle and southern regions and on Sicily. Vacationers who want to travel to these regions should definitely take local warnings and weather instructions seriously.