The Mediterranean at a Crossroads: Environmental Challenges and Hopes for RescueIt occupies only 0.82% of the world's ocean area, but its waters are home to 7.5% of all known marine fauna and 18% of the oceanic flora. The Mediterranean is one of the most abundant and at the same time most vulnerable seas on the planet. The fates of three continents, millennia of history, and a unique ecosystem, which today finds itself on the brink of catastrophe, are intertwined here. Overfishing, plastic pollution, climate change, shipping, and invasive species are turning this inland sea into an ecological testing ground. But there is good news: for the first time in many decades, the Mediterranean countries have begun to act in a coordinated manner. The success of these actions will depend not only on the future of the sea itself but also on that of millions of people living on its shores.Biological Treasure at RiskThe Mediterranean is a true open-air museum of living nature. It is home to nearly 20% of all known marine species. However, this sea is among the most affected by human activity. This is not just about the extinction of individual species but also about the destruction of entire ecosystems. More than 30% of the meadows of the unique Mediterranean sea grass, known as the \"lungs of the Mediterranean,\" have already disappeared. The forests of macroalgae and oyster banks have lost up to 80% of their area.The sea is warming three times faster than the world's oceans as a whole, making it one of the main \"hotspots\" of climate change. This leads to the mass death of endemic species, such as oceanic posidonia. The meadows of this marine grass, which play the role of \"nurseries\" for many fish and mollusks, have lost more than half of their original area over the last century.The situation with predators is no less alarming. More than half of the shark and ray species in the Mediterranean are already at risk of extinction. The great white shark, one of the most recogniza ... Read more