The Mediterranean

Almost completely enclosed, it takes up to 100 years for the waters of the Mediterranean Sea to be completely renewed. This unique environment is home to a vast range of ecosystems including rich seagrass meadows, seamounts, cold seeps and trenches that reach depths of 5000 metres.

Over ten thousand species live in the Mediterranean Sea, representing eight to nine percent of the world’s marine biodiversity whilst taking up only 0.7 percent of the marine area. Many species are found nowhere else – at least one in four is unique to the Mediterranean and some like the monk seal, green turtle and leatherback turtle are critically endangered.

The millions of people who live by the Mediterranean rely on the Sea for its biological resources and the link it provides between three continents. The proximity of so many people and the consequent heavy use of the sea for fishing, aquaculture, drilling for oil and gas, dredging and commercial shipping has placed huge pressure on the marine environment.

This Sea, so central in shaping and supporting the region’s history and culture, is now under serious and imminent threat. Currently, fully protected areas cover less than one percent of the Mediterranean Sea – a far cry from the twenty to fifty percent that scientists recommend. The Mediterranean Sea urgently needs a network of fully protected marine reserves, to preserve its biodiversity and ensure that it is healthy and productive for future generations.