Warming in the Aegean Sea may have global impacts

While the Aegean Sea is warming by an average of 0.05 degrees per year due to climate change, this warming also carries a global threat potential since the sea forms a part of the main current system. Factors such as pollution caused by human activities and the increase in the number of invasive species, combined with warming, pose a risk for the Aegean Sea.

Making evaluations, Beşiktepe stated that data of a quality capable of conducting climate studies for the seas could be collected all over the world after 1980, and said, “According to the data in the North Aegean, Marmara and Black Sea since this date, the temperature has been increasing by an average of 0.06 degrees per year. This figure is in the Aegean Sea.” 0.05 degrees in Turkey, 0.064 degrees in the Marmara Sea, 0.06 degrees in the Western Black Sea, and 0.04 degrees in the Mediterranean as a whole. While the entire Mediterranean has warmed by 1.2 degrees, the Aegean Sea has warmed by approximately 1.5 degrees in 30 years. ” he said.

Stating that the Aegean Sea is a part of the Eastern Mediterranean and that the system in the Mediterranean must be understood first in order to understand the change here, since climate change does not have the same effect on all systems, Beşiktepe said that the surface current coming from the Atlantic Ocean passes through the Strait of Gibraltar and flows into the Mediterranean Sea. He explained that he traveled around the southern coasts and reached the Aegean Sea, where the water cooled and sank into the depths, passing the European coasts and reaching the Atlantic again as an undercurrent.

Beşiktepe continued as follows:

“This circulation system is a miniature of the conveyor belt system in the ocean. Deep water formations give energy to the conveyor belt in the Mediterranean, and one of them is the water collapses in the Aegean. One of the most important effects of climate change on the Aegean Sea is the increase in density due to cooling. While the waters in the past settled to depths of 2,000 to 4,000 meters in the Mediterranean, today they can only sink to depths of 200-300 meters. This is a factor that will affect the entire Mediterranean, and if this system in the Mediterranean slows down, it will affect the Atlantic Ocean and therefore the world. That is, “Changes in the Aegean Sea affect the whole world.”

Stating that the functioning of this conveyor belt in the Mediterranean and the changes in the characteristics of the waters it carries change the characteristics of the waters going from the Mediterranean to the Atlantic, Beşiktepe said:

“Studies conducted in recent years show that these changes may slow down the ocean conveyor belt, of which the Gulf Stream is a part. In other words, it seems certain that the waters formed in the Aegean Sea will change the ocean conveyor belt, which has a role in regulating the world climate. This change, slowdown, “It causes serious problems in the world’s climate balance.”

Pointing out that the sea surface water warmed by the influence of the atmosphere is carried towards the North Pole by the Gulf Stream, where it cools and sinks to the bottom, Beşiktepe said that this collapse sends the creatures that hold carbon dioxide under water, turning the ocean into a carbon store, and that in case of a slowdown, both the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and the Pacific will be removed. He emphasized that the ocean temperature will increase faster because the warm waters reaching the North Pole cannot cool down.

Reminding that one of the seas affected by the Aegean Sea is the Marmara Sea, Beşiktepe said, “The Aegean Sea provides oxygen to the deep waters of the Marmara Sea. Due to warming, the waters of the Aegean Sea, which cannot reach sufficient density, will not be able to sink into the depths of the Marmara Sea and provide oxygen. This causes the Marmara Sea to fail.” “It will cause anoxia in the bottom waters.” He said his words.

Pollution

Stating that the most challenging and important issue in climate studies is to distinguish between human-induced effects and natural effects, Beşiktepe stated that while a steady increase in climate change is mentioned, there are different effects on different time scales, superimposed on human influence, and one of them is pollution.

Stating that the regions where Izmir Bay and Gediz River flow into the Aegean Sea, as well as the north of Güllük Gulf, Edremit Bay and Ayvalık are seriously polluted, Beşiktepe said:

“The reason for this is human-made pollutants, but there are also changes in the structure of the system. The flow systems here have changed because the streams and groundwater are polluted due to excessive use, and on top of that, warming has come. These are no longer the estuaries we knew in the past, the flow system of the water does not work very well, “There are systems where the water stays for a long time. In recent years, pollution has started to increase due to reasons such as fish farms, increased construction on the coast, and inadequate treatment facilities.”

worst case scenario

Beşiktepe pointed out that with the increase in temperature, invasive species, especially those coming from the Red Sea, began to live very comfortably in the Aegean Sea, and the predatory species that came in caused serious damage to fish stocks.

Stating that there is a very serious jellyfish problem in the Aegean Sea this year, Beşiktepe said, “With the deterioration of the ecosystem and warming, the number of jellyfish has started to increase. I think this will affect tourism. If it continues like this, in the worst case scenario, it will be much different, the fish structure will be completely changed, the coasts will be polluted and there will be a jellyfish infestation.” “We can see a broken sea.” he predicted.

Beşiktepe listed the pollution sources and solution suggestions as follows:

“The most important causes of pollution are the wastewater we discharge from the shore, the waste we create on the shore, and agriculture. Excessive fertilizer use and irrigation in agriculture goes to the sea with groundwater. We should not release water into the sea so easily. The most important thing is that we evaluate our way of agriculture very well, and the underground and river We need to prevent water from going to the sea so easily. We need to ensure that these waters spend time on land, especially by protecting wetlands. While the population of settlements in the Aegean is 100 thousand, it increases to 1 million during the tourism season. Can our treatment facilities handle this? I don’t think so. We plan all this and now it is up to us. “We shouldn’t be sending waste into the sea.”