Overview
- Researchers report mass fish die-offs and oxygen-poor zones as higher temperatures reduce seawater oxygen levels.
- Snorkelers and divers now encounter algal carpets where seagrass meadows and coral-like habitats once thrived.
- Tropical lionfish and the invasive alga Caulerpa taxifolia are expanding, while jellyfish numbers, including stinging species, are rising.
- Heatwaves, floods, wildfires and prolonged droughts are compounding pressures, with parts of Italy and Sicily facing acute water stress.
- Experts urge wastewater controls, reduced overfishing and large-scale seagrass restoration, while the German Foreign Office advises travelers to follow local warnings and monitor weather conditions.