STATUS OF MEDITERRANEAN SEA

Ed Vincent EmpronBSMB

January 26, 2012

Mediterranean Sea

• ‘’Sea at the middle of the earth ’’• ‘’Global biodiversity hot spot’’• ‘’Home to a wealth of marine

resources’’• ‘’A threatened sea’’

Physical Characteristics

• Surface area:• 2.5 million km² (965,000 sq.mi)• ~0.7% of the world’s total ocean area

(Garcia et al. 2010)

• Length: 4,000 km• Width: 800 km• Coastline: 46,000 km• Depth: 5,200m• Average ~ 1,500m (Zenetos et al. 2002)

Physical Characteristics• Bordering Countries:

Spain MoroccoFrance MonacoItaly AlgeriaTunisia CroatiaAlbanian GreeceLibya MaltaTurkey CyprusSyria LebanonIsrael EgyptMontenegro BosniaSlovenia

Chemical Parameters

Environmental Threats

• Invasive species• Opening of the Suez Canal (1869)• lessepsian species (from Red Sea)• 70% of the non-indigenous decapods• 63% exotic fishes

Environmental Threats

• Replacement of indigenous species

MullusUpeneus moluccensis

Environmental Threats

• Replacement of indigenous species

Marsupenaeus japonicus

Penaeus kerathurus

Environmental Threats

• Pollution• United Nations Environment

Programme (UNEP) • 650,000,000 tons of sewage• 129,000 tons of mineral oil• 60,000 tons of mercury• 3,800 tons of lead• 36,000 tons of phosphates

• Affected Species• Sea turtle• Mediterranean Monk Seal

Environmental Threats

• Eutrophication• Water masses enriched with

nutrients• HABs• Occur from the northern part of

the Mediterranean• Lack of data in the south-eastern

part

Environmental Threats• Shipping• ~220,000 merchant vessels of more

than 100 tons/yr• 1/3 of the world’s total merchant

shipping• between 100,000 tons and 150,000

tons of crude oil/yr – released• ~370,000,000 tons of oil/yr –

transported• 250-300 oil tankers/day – crossing

the sea

Environmental Threats• Tourism• “played major role in the

degradation of the coastal and marine environment”

• caused serious erosion problems – urban developments

• Coastline affected by erosion• Greece – 4,368 km• Italy – 2,349 km• France – 2,803 km

Environmental Threats• Tourism• Produced large amount of solid

waste• Caused a serious treat to natural

habitat of endangered Mediterranean species

Environmental Threats• Overfishing• “biggest environmental threat to

the oceans”• 20% of resources are depleted• 15% are overexploited• 50% are fully exploited (FAO)

• Commercially important stocks• bluefin tuna, albacore, hake,

swordfish, marlin, red mullet and sea bream

Conclusion• The open waters of the Mediterranean can be considered to be

in good condition• In coastal areas, hot spots located in bays near to big cities and

harbors are the major problem of the mediterranean sea due to urban and tourist development

• Most of the benthic and demersal fisheries are more or less overexploited

• All together, Mediterranean Sea is mostly affected by land-based pollution sources (urbanization, industry, harbors, agriculture)

• Therefore, conservation plan, monitoring, sustainable development and resource management of the marine resources of the Mediterranean sea must be enhanced.

• Agreement on the Conservation of Cetaceans of the Black Sea, Mediterranean Sea and Contiguous Atlantic Area

• Convention on Biological Diversity• United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization• General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean• International Union for Conservation of Nature• Mediterranean Action Plan• The Network of Managers of Marine Protected Areas

in the Mediterranean• Strategic Action Programme for the Conservation of

Biological Diversity in the Mediterranean Region• United Nation Environmental Programme