Record marine heatwave drives surge of invasive species in Mediterranean

The bristle-covered bearded fireworm, native to the Mediterranean, has proliferated as seas warm and is damaging small-scale fisheries. AFP - IBRAHIM CHALHOUB

Warming seas are accelerating the spread of invasive species that threaten marine life and fisheries, especially in the Mediterranean, the European Union’s Copernicus Marine Service warned on Tuesday.

From May 2022 to early 2023, the Mediterranean went through its longest marine heatwave in four decades, with surface temperatures up to 4.3C above normal.