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The oceans experienced their warmest May on record. It is a consequence of climate change which impacts the seabed of the Mediterranean, in particular the gorgonian which resists poorly to the rise in water temperature.
They are now yellow or whitish, a sign that they are dead. The red gorgonians, emblem of the Mediterranean have almost all disappeared. They kind of burned in a marine fire. Last summer, the sea experienced the greatest heat wave ever recorded, with water temperatures sometimes reaching 30 degrees. Off Marseille, these diving instructors take tourists and trainees several times a week to the Calanques National Park. They see how much the show has changed. “Either they are yellow or they are half yellow”explains Cédric Bernabille.
Descend 30 meters deep to find some
The few living gorgonians must fight today against a brown alga, an invasive species which proliferates. To find live gorgonians, you have to go beyond 30 meters. They then serve as pantry and refuge for other species. “It’s really sad. I will not see the dive sites again as I saw them”, is alarmed Julien Plouchard, monitor. The Mediterranean Sea is particularly sensitive to global warming. New species settle there, which prevents the fauna and flora from adapting too easily.