Staff Reporter
THE waters of the Mediterranean have reached record temperatures off Andalucia, the latest analysis suggests.
A bouy in the sea off Cabo de Gata (pictured above), in Almeria, constantly records the temperature of the water and is the reference point for Andalucia’s Mediterranean coast.
According to the latest data, the water was 28.61C on August 21, exceeding all readings since 2001, when records began.
According to Europa Press, it is the second consecutive year in which the water has exceeded 28C.
On August 26, 2023, the bouy recorded a temperature of 28.24C, which was a new record at the time.
Comparing the last 10 years, experts say the average temperature of the Med off Andalucia has increased by 1.01C.
The increase in temperatures is ‘without a doubt’ due to climate change, said coordinator of GENA Ecologistas en Accion, Rafael Yus.
He told Europa Press that the average atmospheric temperature has ‘increased’, which has affected both the continent and the sea.
Although it is too early to see the effects of climate change on the sea, Yus said that there are predictions of what could happen.
He explained that the increase in temperatures is already affecting ‘the posidonia oceanica’, a plant that has a temperature tolerance margin of 24C.
Additionally, warmer water produces ‘an acceleration of chemical reactions’, meaning carbon dioxide is dissolving in the sea ‘at a greater speed’, causing the water to become more acidic.
This will affect many animals, such as mollusks, whose shells are at risk in ‘acidic environments’.
Crustaceans and echinoderms face similar risks, meaning a rise in temperatures will likely harm the biodiversity of the sea.
Scientists predict the water will ‘rise to over 30C and cause the loss of many species’.
