The study, conducted by a team of oceanographers and published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters on September 16, observed an acceleration in warming and salinity down to depths of approximately 2,500 meters, while the same warming trends remained observable at greater depths in some areas of the sea.
Elena Terzic, a researcher at the Rodger Bošković Institute for Marine and Environmental Research in Croatia and the study's lead author, said, "The striking result is not just the rise in sea temperature, but the speed at which this change is occurring and the depth to which it is reaching." She added that the data shows that the rate of warming and salinity increase is no longer constant, but has accelerated over time, and that this acceleration is no longer just a surface phenomenon.
The data shows that the most significant temperature increases have been recorded in recent years compared to the average for the period 1950-1999. The increase reached 2.04 degrees Celsius in the surface layer (up to a depth of 100 meters), 1.13 degrees (between 100 and 300 meters), 0.62 degrees (between 300 and 1,000 meters), and 0.21 degrees at depths between 1,000 and 2,000 meters, proving that heat is gradually seeping into the depths and is not confined to the surface.
The researchers also observed that salinity levels are following the same trend. Comparing the period between 2000 and 2025 with that between 1950 and 1999 reveals a clear shift towards warmer and saltier waters, particularly in the central and eastern Mediterranean. The Ionian Sea was among the most affected areas, with the 100-300 meter layer recording a temperature increase of approximately 1.27°C, accompanied by a significant rise in salinity.
The study also indicates that the change is not uniform across the Mediterranean. The region encompassing the Adriatic, Ionian, and eastern Mediterranean Seas emerged as one of the most significant hotspots of accelerated change, with the southern Adriatic Sea being one of the most prominent areas where the accelerated change was observed at considerable depths.
The study was based on an analysis of one of the longest and most extensive monitoring sets of the Mediterranean Sea, encompassing temperature, salinity, and density measurements taken between 1950 and 2025. This analysis combined historical measurements from ships, modern Argo buoy observations, and regional measurements from the Adriatic Sea.
The study concluded that the Mediterranean Sea may act as a kind of "early warning system" for ocean-related events, alerting the planet to potential future climate risks.
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