Mediterranean study finds alarming coral crisis

[Yiannis Issaris/HCMR]

Greek scientists took portion successful an planetary coral probe programme spanning 7 Mediterranean countries to measure the status of this emblematic species. They dove into once-thriving coral sites – lone to look a sobering reality.

From 2020 to 2023, researchers from Greece, Italy, France, Croatia, Malta, Morocco and Tunisia surveyed reddish coral populations under a programme funded by the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) of the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization. In Greece, the task was led by Maria Salomidi of the Hellenic Center for Marine Research (HCMR), who noted a steep colonisation diminution owed to overharvesting and changing oversea conditions.

Divers studied reefs adjacent bluish Evia astatine depths of 55-60 meters, uncovering debased familial diverseness and widespread harm from sportfishing cogwheel – adjacent successful protected zones. “This used to beryllium a vibrant industry, but present populations person retreated to inaccessible depths,” Salomidi said. Scientists stress that without due monitoring and mapping, reddish coral whitethorn vanish unnoticed from Greek waters.