Hot Mediterranean Sea

[Davide DB]

I have been informed that my recent posts have been perceived as somewhat melancholy, with a particular focus on the challenges of climate changes while diving in the Mediterranean.

Personally, I don't like those who scaremonger as opposed to rampant denialism. But I can't pretend otherwise either. Glorifying (with a magnifying glass) only the beauties of the sea while everything is falling apart seems to me like burying my head in the sand.

As divers, we have a unique perspective on the impact of climate change in our seas, and it is our responsibility to raise awareness about these issues.

 

Data from the Copernicus Climate Change Service show that Europe had its warmest summer on record. The period from June to August was the warmest ever on a global scale, with temperatures 0.7 degrees Celsius above the 1991-2020 average. The summer period was wetter than average in western and northern Europe, and drier than average in eastern Europe and the Mediterranean.
All this results in the Mediterranean Sea warming at a much greater rate than the oceans. And the results are there for all divers to see.

English subtitles

 

 

[humu9679]

We can live only so long without facts and the search for truth. Otherwise it's a head-long dive into the metaphorical abyss.

[Chris Ross]

The huge rain event in Spain was also related to warm seas.  The seas off the east coast of Australia are getting warmer too and this is behind all the floods and wet summers we have been having.

[Davide DB]

Yes, oceans are huge heat accumulators which they then release in the form of water vapor that then has to be discharged somewhere. Heat = energy.
The thing that impressed me the most this year was that apart from the mucilage, when the first autumn swells and currents cleaned everything up, the soft corals seemed to have held up well. at the beginning of October we had taken some beautiful footage of this forest of shallow gorgonians that seemed to be doing just fine and the idea for the video had started from here.

Then editing the video we realized that we needed more footage and so, last week, we went back to the exact same spot. My buddy had a wide angle setup and I had the macro because at the base of the gorgonians we had found some beautiful alcyonarians and I wanted to get some fine detail. Unfortunately, half of the gorgonians were stone dead and there was no sign of the alcyonarians. Unbelievable. Guides and biologists confirmed to us that the process that leads them to death is slow and damage becomes visible even two months after the heat wave.