Alien species invade Med as temperatures head higher

Experts are sounding the alarm as the warming of the sea is affecting the Mediterranean ecosystem, which is already stressed from overfishing, plastic pollution, yacht traffic and noise pollution.

While the number of alien species is increasing due to rising temperatures, marine mammal populations have declined by 41% in the last 50 years. Indicatively, half of the shark and ray species are considered endangered, and there are no more than 400 monk seals.

Anni Mitropoulou, director of the Cyclades Preservation Fund, says the most invasive fish enter the Med through the Suez Canal and the Cyclades are their first stop. Due to climate change, she said, alien species are invading the waters as they are already adapted to high temperatures.

“We should note that the invasion of marine alien species would not be so rapid if we had not taken care to eliminate their natural predators due to overfishing,” she added.