The breath of the oceans

The Mediterranean Sea has now become a true climate change hotspot: it is warming increasingly rapidly and becoming more saline. 

The oceans capture over 40% of carbon dioxide (thus mitigating climate change) and absorb about 90% of atmospheric heat (cooling the planet). These functions add to other fundamental ones, such as food production (almost 30% of total proteins) and oxygen generation (about 50% of all available oxygen). But all these services depend on their health. 

Today, however, it is increasingly evident that seas and oceans have fallen ill: they are becoming too acidic and heating up at an alarming pace, especially the Mediterranean, with negative effects on marine organisms and ecosystems. 

Yet our very salvation from the effects of climate change lies precisely in the protection of biodiversity: marine species at all levels of the food chain contribute to the long-term natural storage of “blue carbon,” transferring it from the surface to the deep ocean and sediments. 

Seagrass meadows of Posidonia oceanica, phytoplankton, fragile giants such as whales, and apex predators such as bluefin tuna and sharks help regulate our planet’s climate through carbon sequestration and oxygen production.

WWF Italy’s Call

In its report, WWF outlines several concrete solutions to counter the impacts of climate change, starting with the reduction of climate-altering emissions and the energy transition. It is also essential to protect the Mediterranean Sea—both a precious treasure trove of biodiversity and a shield against climate change—first and foremost through the effective protection of 30% of its marine area by 2030. 

Furthermore, it is crucial to safeguard ecological corridors vital for the survival of numerous migratory species such as whales, to promote the development of more sustainable fishing practices, and to plan the use of maritime space with full respect for the marine ecosystem, under the guidance of the European Directive.