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Scientists studying the Black Sea have noticed a dramatic increase of seawater temperatures of almost 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit). A time of escalation Floods and landslidesRising temperatures in the Turkish region lying to the sea are attributed to the climate crisis. This can lead to other problems such as drought elsewhere.
Associate professor Ertuğrul Ağırbaş, a marine biology expert from Recep Tayyip Erdoğan University in the Black Sea province of Rize, says their latest measurement found seawater temperature in March was between 9.5-10 degrees Celsius compared to the average March figure of 8.1 degrees Celsius.
Unprecedented rains have been confined to certain areas. Landslides and flash floods have been a regular feature in the normally rainy Black Sea Region. Climate change exacerbated weather conditions, as was evident in last week’s temperatures, which reached 32 degrees Celsius last week, far above seasonal norms. Landslides were also caused by the sudden melting of the thick layer of snow that had accumulated over winter.
For the past five decades, the average seawater temperature was 8.1 degrees Celsius in March and this sudden change will bring about new challenges, Ağırbaş warns. He told Demirören News Agency (DHA) on Monday that it would also impact biodiversity and fishing.
“Global warming expands the areas with less oxygen in seas. The Black Sea is unique among seas because it is the most affected by climate changes. It is an inland ocean with an anoxic (caused by the inability to mix or drain deep water with fresher waters near the surface). The hydrogen sulfur layer at seawater’s bottom is brought closer to the surface by an increase in seawater temperatures. The change further reduces the areas with a high amount of oxygen,” he said. Ağırbaş noted that the cold layer between the bottom and surface was also disappearing, affecting biodiversity and fishing. “The number of fish species had decreased and this deals a blow to commercial fishing. Fisherman will resort to faster catch times or seek out fish beyond our territorial waters. This means more economic losses,” he warned.
Experts believe the change is not limited to the Black Sea. However, it could have an impact on the wider fishing economy as the Black Sea accounts to about 60% of Turkey’s fishing activity. Ağırbaş points to a significant decline in stocks of HamsiThe country’s most popular type of Turkish Anchovy is the. “In the case of hamsi, we see changing ecosystem conditions and changes in the food chain as factors in declining stocks and this, in turn, is caused by climate change. Without proper ecological conditions for their survival, the fish migrated to other waters,” he stressed. Ağırbaş added that regulations may be considered to change the period of the fishing ban to address the decline in stocks.
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan University is also running a project to study the impact of carbon emissions on the Black Sea ecosystem. Although the Black Sea is less industrialized compared to the western regions, its westernmost tip is home a large number of industrial hubs, which raises concerns about potential pollution. That western region was among the places affected by last year’s Sea snotMarine mucilage, also known as marine mucilage, was used to cover the Marmara Sea. It was blamed for increasing pollution and other factors that are exacerbated by climate change.
Climate change is already a problem in Turkey, which can lead to more disasters such as floods and forest fires. Experts warn of rising temperatures in already warm Aegean, Mediterranean regions. A rise in seawater temperatures is also a factor in heavy rainfalls and the evaporation.
