Mediterranean warming drives invasive fish boom, endangering native species

Scientists say climate change, driven mainly by burning oil, coal and gas, is raising Mediterranean Sea temperatures by 2 °C to 6 °C by 2100, designating the basin a climate‑change “hot spot.” Because the sea is enclosed, heat cannot disperse, creating ideal conditions for invasive fish.

Invasive species such as the spotted puffer fish, lionfish and rabbitfish are spreading after entering through the Suez Canal and are now moving toward France and Spain. Lionfish was first recorded in the eastern Mediterranean in 2012 and has rapidly expanded westward, displacing native stocks like the red mullet. The UN General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean notes the spread accelerated after the early 2000s, matching rising sea temperatures.

Marine biologist Ernesto Azzuro of the Italian National Research Council and oceanographer Ronan McAdam of the Euro‑Mediterranean Center on Climate Change warn the loss of biodiversity will harm coastal communities that rely on traditional fisheries for their livelihoods.