The Marmara Sea is warming at a rate far exceeding the global average, with seawater temperatures surging by 2.5 degrees Celsius over the past five decades, an expert has warned.
“The Aegean and Mediterranean seas have recorded increases of between 1.5 and 2 degrees Celsius above their long-term averages over the past 50 years. The Black Sea has warmed by 1.3 degrees. But the most striking finding is in the Marmara Sea,” said Professor Dr. Lokman Hakan Tecer from Namık Kemal University in the northeastern province of Tekirdağ.
“In the Marmara Sea, average seawater temperatures have increased by a full 2.5 degrees Celsius compared with the long-term average over the past 50 years. This is a dramatic increase,” he explained.
Tecer noted that global sea temperatures have risen by an average of 1.1 to 1.5 degrees Celsius in recent decades, making the warming observed in the Marmara Sea particularly pronounced.
He warned that rising sea temperatures could pose significant risks to both human health and marine ecosystems.
“One of the immediate consequences is the proliferation of pathogens. Disease-causing microorganisms such as Salmonella and the bacteria responsible for cholera multiply more rapidly as sea temperatures increase, posing a direct threat to public health,” he said.
Beyond human health, Tecer said warmer waters are disrupting the ecological balance of marine environments by forcing native fish species and other marine life to migrate while creating favorable conditions for invasive species.
“Species such as pufferfish, lionfish and jellyfish are increasingly colonizing our seas. One of the reasons behind the growing jellyfish outbreaks along the Marmara coastline is the rise in sea temperatures,” he added.
