Mediterranean Sea CO2 absorption declines due to heat and low winds

A study conducted by ENEA researchers and published in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans indicates that the central Mediterranean Sea is experiencing a reduction in its ability to absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Between May 2022 and April 2023, the sea absorbed approximately 30% less CO2 compared to the same period the previous year.

Researchers identified two primary drivers for this decline: intense and prolonged marine heatwaves and a decrease in wind activity. While the Mediterranean typically acts as a natural carbon sink by absorbing CO2 during winter, rising temperatures and weaker winds have hindered this exchange. In 2022, surface temperatures in the Mediterranean exceeded the 1991-2020 average by 1.5 to 2 degrees Celsius, with peaks reaching 4 degrees Celsius in the central sector.

Data from the Lampedusa Oceanographic Observatory highlights the severity of the situation, noting that during the summer 2026 marine heatwave, water temperatures exceeded 31 degrees Celsius at a depth of one meter. Scientists emphasize that long-term monitoring is essential to understand how climate change will continue to alter the Mediterranean's capacity to mitigate atmospheric carbon concentrations.