Adriatic Sea sardines threatened by climate change

Climate change and rising sea temperatures are threatening the sardine population in the Adriatic Sea, a species central to local diets and the regional fishing industry. As surface waters warm, sardines are being forced to migrate to deeper, cooler waters or move toward the northern Mediterranean, disrupting traditional fishing patterns.

Additionally, warming oceans are causing an ecological mismatch in the food chain. Changes in water temperature affect the timing of plankton blooms, meaning the primary food source for sardines may no longer align with their feeding cycles. This lack of nutrition is reportedly leading to a decrease in the average size of the fish being caught.