International Courant
ISTANBUL
An El Niño climate occasion, mixed with local weather change, has had a multiplier impact because it has pushed seawater temperatures to document highs, in line with a Turkish researcher.
Knowledge from the EU-linked Copernicus Local weather Change Service has revealed that 9 out of the primary 10 months on document when international sea floor temperatures surpassed the 1991-2020 common transpired throughout the newest El Niño interval, with one occasion occurring throughout 2016’s El Nino section.
In accordance with an evaluation by the Institute of Marine Sciences at Center East Technical College (METU), the common sea water temperature within the Mediterranean throughout the El Niño interval, which began in June final 12 months and resulted in April this 12 months, was 23.06C (73.5F).
This determine was 21.04C (69.8F) within the earlier El Niño interval of 2014-2016, 20.98C (69.7F) in 1997-1998 and 20.25C (68.4F) in 1982-1983.
Within the Aegean Sea, the ocean water temperature was recorded as 19.97C (67.9F) as over the last El Niño interval was 18.11C (64.5F) in 2014-2016, 18.03C (64.4F) in 1997-1998 and 17.51C (63.5F) in 1982-1983.
Within the Marmara Sea, these figures had been recorded as 17.21C (62.9F), 14.72C (58.4F), 15.18C (59.3F) and 15.10C (59.1F) from the final El Nino.
Within the Black Sea, which follows an analogous course to the Marmara Sea, the seawater temperature within the final El Niño interval was 17.36C (63.2F), whereas previously El Niño durations, it was measured as 14.47C (58F), 15.10C (59.1F) and 14.67C (58.4F), respectively.
‘Our seas are alarming’
Baris Salihoglu, director of the METU Institute of Marine Sciences, informed Anadolu that the El Niño interval is behind us, however its results are nonetheless persevering with, and with the mixture of this climate phenomenon with local weather change, excessive temperatures have began to be seen.
Emphasizing that this example impacts not solely the temperature of the ocean but additionally the ecosystem construction and the providers it gives, he mentioned: “After we evaluate this El Niño with the earlier very sturdy ones, the seawater temperatures we now have reached are past all of them — document temperatures.”
“When this was mixed with local weather change, the general impact was very sturdy,” he confused. “It had a multiplier impact and raised temperatures to numbers we now have by no means seen earlier than.”
Mentioning that whereas the ocean floor water temperatures within the Mediterranean had reached a most of 21C (69.8F) in earlier El Niño durations, this time they reached 23C (73.4F), he mentioned.
“The final El Niño we noticed was in 2014-2016, not even 10 years in the past, and we’ve seen a rise of two levels within the Mediterranean.
“The Aegean is in an analogous state of affairs. There is a rise of near 2 levels.”
“Will increase within the Marmara Sea and the Black Sea are above 2 levels,” he mentioned. “There’s a state of affairs right here that actually makes us say ‘Our seas are alarming’.”
“The local weather is altering, and with the addition of El Niño, we now have seen temperatures we now have by no means seen earlier than.
“The consequences of those on the ecosystem shall be very huge, and we are going to see them,” he warned.
‘It’s not attainable for the ecosystem to adapt’
Salihoglu indicated that the areas most affected by the temperature improve within the seas are the Japanese Mediterranean and the Japanese Black Sea, saying the warming impacts the deep seas in several methods.
“We are able to now not see the chilly interlayer within the Black Sea. There’s a related state of affairs within the Mediterranean. The warming is mirrored within the deep sea,” he asserted.
“However we can’t see this as clearly as within the Black Sea,” he mentioned.
“Within the Marmara Sea, it is rather clear as a result of the waters within the deep sea come from the Mediterranean Sea and the change within the deep sea right here is far sooner, so we see a critical temperature improve within the deep sea in Marmara.”
Explaining that there are at present many pressures on the seas comparable to air pollution, invasive species and searching, Salihoglu mentioned it’s not attainable for the ecosystem to adapt to such sudden temperature modifications.
He famous that when speaking about species and biodiversity within the seas, not solely fish shouldn’t be thought-about, however the entire ecosystem — beginning with phytoplankton that photosynthesizes — ought to be addressed.
He emphasised that there might be critical modifications in microscopic crops comparable to phytoplankton throughout temperature will increase.
“There might be dangerous algal blooms or, as we noticed throughout the mucilage interval, the proliferation of the species that trigger it might probably happen,” he mentioned.
“Within the Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea, we see periodic explosions of poisonous algae species,” he mentioned. “We see will increase in jellyfish.”
“The change in fish species is great. Half of the fish species at present discovered on the Mediterranean coast are invasive species.
“Since these species are already tailored to heat waters, they instantly tailored right here,” he mentioned, noting “there’s already an eroded habitat and ecosystem.”
“Native and financial species will expertise modifications of their spawning and pure migration durations attributable to growing temperatures,” he mentioned.
Migration of marine species ‘modifications the ecosystem as an entire’
Underlining that fishing is the exercise that erodes the ecosystem probably the most, Salihoglu additional talked about that phytoplankton, zooplankton, fish and even mammals are affected.
He mentioned that sea creatures migrate to the north with the rise in temperature.
“I do not assume migration to the north is an answer for species in closed seas like us,” he mentioned. “It’s extra clearly noticed within the oceans, however this isn’t an answer both.”
“As a result of the migrating species turn into new species for the areas they go to and the ecosystem modifications utterly,” he mentioned.
“There will certainly be migrations in seas like ours, such because the Mediterranean and the Black Sea, however they imply a change within the ecosystem and won’t have a optimistic final result.”
Saying that El Niño, which is a pure occasion, can’t be prevented and that measures ought to be taken relating to local weather change, Salihoglu emphasised: “Rising temperatures attributable to local weather change are the work of people. We have to forestall this.”
“We have to cut back carbon emissions,” he mentioned. “Now we have not been in a position to maintain the temperature rise to 1.5 levels, however we have to maintain it to a minimum of 2 levels.”
“Local weather change is a actuality, and it’s not straightforward to reverse it. The answer for the seas is to scale back different pressures.
“We have to cut back fishing and air pollution strain to make marine and terrestrial ecosystems local weather resilient,” he mentioned.
“Air pollution will not be solely an issue of Marmara, however of all our seas,” he mentioned. “We have to finish the usage of dangerous fishing gear comparable to trawls and assist ecosystems which are fighting local weather strain.”
“We have to get rid of these pressures in order that ecosystems can resist local weather change. That is the answer.”
– The months with the best temperatures above the common and the temperature variations are listed as follows as per information from the EU-linked Copernicus Local weather Change Service:
YEAR/MONTH
TEMPERATURE DIFFERENCE
(ACCORDING TO 1991-2020 AVERAGE – CELSIUS)
2016/02 0.68C (over 33.2 levels Fahrenheit)
07/2023 0.72C
2023/08 0.70C
2023/09 0.93C
2023/10 0.85C
2023/11 0.85C
2024/01 0.69C
2024/02 0.80C
03/2024 0.72C
2024/04 0.66C
*Writing by Merve Berker
Anadolu Company web site incorporates solely a portion of the information tales provided to subscribers within the AA Information Broadcasting System (HAS), and in summarized kind. Please contact us for subscription choices.
