Alarm for marine habitats Mediterrian sea beaten with threats CNN Greece Antonis Bougias, head of the marine campaign of the Greek office of Greenpeace.
Despite making up only 0.3% of the world’s seas, the Mediterranean is home to more than 10% of known marine species.
“This ratio is an indicator of its importance as a marine ecosystem,” explains the organization’s campaign manager.
At the same time, the Mediterranean coast is home to 6.7% of the world’s population.
However, figures from the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) are particularly worrying, as the Mediterranean has the largest share of threatened marine habitats in Europe.
In particular, 32% of all these habitats are threatened and 11% of them are on the verge of extinction.
In fact, as Mr. Bougias points out, “the Mediterranean basin is being affected by the effects of climate change more rapidly than any other region on the planet.”
What is the importance of the oceans to the environment
Referring to the contribution of the seas and oceans to the protection of the environment, the official emphasized that “they are climate regulators on our planet, because they sequester more than a quarter of climate change and slow down its effects. annual total anthropogenic emissions of carbon dioxide coal“.
In this regard, the health of marine ecosystems is key to fulfilling the above function.
However, as he explains, rapid changes in temperature and marine biodiversity and significant pressures on the marine ecosystem from the residual effects of the climate crisis, but also from various socio-economic system parameters, such as the use of plastics. , increasing without sustainable rates.”
A telling fact is that “rapid changes in specific parameters such as ocean temperature or acidity have historically been associated with five periods of mass extinction.”
What marine species are threatened by the climate crisis in Greek waters?
At the same time, marine pollution threatens many species from the effects of the climate crisis.
Among them seals already burdened by sea pollution, nets and lack of food, the monks and their At the same time, habitats such as caves, natural coastal depressions and isolated beaches will disappear as sea levels rise.
Another endangered species is common dolphin Chemical pollution affecting the immune and reproductive systems of mammals and the ever-increasing temperature of the marine environment are significant and ever-increasing threats to the species.
Species such as Greek Trench humpback whales, puffins and ospreys, as well as porpoises, face similar threats, so conservation of this area is extremely important.
Accordingly, the Caretta-Caretta tortoise remains on the verge of extinction, and the effects of climate change make its conservation even more difficult.