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lluminem summarises for you the essential news of the day. Read the full piece on Euronews or enjoy below:
🗞️ Driving the news: New research warns that just 0.8°C of additional warming could trigger irreversible damage to Mediterranean ecosystems, threatening marine biodiversity, fish populations, and fragile coastal habitats
• The Mediterranean Sea already hit record heat in July 2025, averaging 26.68°C, with 95% of the basin above normal temperatures and the western Mediterranean suffering “extreme anomalies”
🔭 The context: The Mediterranean is a climate change hotspot, warming three times faster than the global ocean average
• Home to over 17,000 marine species, many unique to the region, it faces compounding stressors from overfishing, pollution, and habitat loss
• Researchers applied the IPCC’s “burning ember” risk framework, finding that seagrasses could disappear, fish stocks could decline by 30–40%, and invasive species like lionfish could expand under moderate warming
🌍 Why it matters for the planet: The Mediterranean’s accelerated warming offers a glimpse of climate impacts that could ripple across oceans globally
• Loss of seagrass and coral resilience would undermine marine biodiversity and coastal protection
• Rising seas and erosion threaten nesting sites for sea turtles, with over 60% at risk of disappearing
• Researchers stress that only strict climate protection measures can prevent these irreversible ecological shifts
⏭️ What’s next: Policymakers may face pressure to tighten regional climate adaptation and fisheries management
• The findings will likely inform negotiations at upcoming global climate summits, highlighting the urgency of limiting warming below critical thresholds
• Without swift action, ecosystems could face collapse within decades, not centuries
💬 One quote: “We found that Mediterranean ecosystems are remarkably diverse in how they respond to climate-related stress. Some are more resistant than others, but none are invincible.” — Dr. Meryem Mojtahid, University of Angers
📈 One stat: Between 1982 and 2019, the Mediterranean warmed by 1.3°C — triple the global ocean average
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