The average temperature of surface
water in the Mediterranean Sea hit a new record of 21.1°C in
April 2023, as the area continued to be a "climate change
hotspot", according to a report released by WWF Italia on
Friday.
The report, entitled 'The Breath of the Oceans (Il Respiro degli
Oceani) and released ahead of World Oceans Day on Saturday, said
this was almost a degree higher than the average for the
1850-1900 period.
It said the climate crisis was leading the Mediterranean to
become saltier too and higher temperatures were enabling alien
species to migrate into the warming waters of the Mediterranean
Sea and replaced endemic species, and boosting the spread of
jellyfish.
WWF said at the moment of 8.33% of the Mediterranean's waters
are protected, a level that needs to come up to 30% by 2030.
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