Editing Mediterranean Sea (section)

==Environmental issues==
For 4,000 years, human activity has transformed most parts of Mediterranean Europe, and the "humanisation of the landscape" overlapped with the appearance of the present Mediterranean climate.<ref name="Yale" /> The image of a simplistic, environmental determinist notion of a Mediterranean paradise on Earth in antiquity, which was destroyed by later civilisations, dates back to at least the 18th century and was for centuries fashionable in archaeological and historical circles. Based on a broad variety of methods, e.g. historical documents, analysis of trade relations, [[floodplain]] sediments, [[pollen]], tree-ring and further archaeometric analyses and population studies, [[Alfred Thomas Grove]]'s and [[Oliver Rackham]]'s work on "The Nature of Mediterranean Europe" challenges this common wisdom of a Mediterranean Europe as a "Lost Eden", a formerly fertile and forested region, that had been progressively degraded and desertified by human mismanagement.<ref name="Yale" /> The belief stems more from the failure of the recent landscape to measure up to the imaginary past of the [[classics]] as idealised by artists, poets and scientists of the early modern [[Age of Enlightenment|Enlightenment]].<ref name="Yale" />

[[File:Palomares H-Bomb Incident.jpg|thumb|The [[thermonuclear bomb]] that fell into the sea recovered off [[Palomares, Almería]], 1966]]
The historical evolution of climate, vegetation and landscape in southern Europe from prehistoric times to the present is much more complex and underwent various changes. For example, some of the deforestation had already taken place before the Roman age. While in the Roman age large enterprises such as the [[Latifundium|latifundia]] took effective care of forests and agriculture, the largest depopulation effects came with the end of the empire. Some{{who|date=September 2014}} assume that the major deforestation took place in modern times—the later usage patterns were also quite different e.g. in southern and northern Italy. Also, the climate has usually been unstable and there is evidence of various ancient and modern "[[Little Ice Age]]s",<ref>Jean M. Grove (2004). ''Little Ice Ages: Ancient and Modern''. Taylor & Francis.</ref>{{page needed|date=April 2023}} and plant cover accommodated to various extremes and became resilient to various patterns of human activity.<ref name="Yale" />

Even Grove considered that human activity could be the cause of climate change. Modern science has been able to provide clear evidence of this. The wide ecological diversity typical of Mediterranean Europe is predominantly based on human behaviour, as it is and has been closely related to human usage patterns.<ref name="Yale" /> The diversity range{{clarify|date=August 2019}} was enhanced by the widespread exchange and interaction of the longstanding and highly diverse local agriculture, intense transport and trade relations, and the interaction with settlements, pasture and other land use. The greatest human-induced changes, however, came after [[World War II]], in line with the "1950s syndrome"<ref>Christian Pfister (editor), ''Das 1950er Syndrom: Der Weg in die Konsumgesellschaft'', Berne 1995</ref> as rural populations throughout the region abandoned traditional subsistence economies. Grove and Rackham suggest that the locals left the traditional agricultural patterns and instead became scenery-setting agents{{clarify|date=August 2019}} for tourism. This resulted in more uniform, large-scale formations{{Fix|text=of what?}}.<ref name="Yale" /> Among further current important threats to Mediterranean landscapes are overdevelopment of coastal areas, abandonment of mountains and, as mentioned, the loss of variety via the reduction of traditional agricultural occupations.<ref name="Yale" >The Nature of Mediterranean Europe: An Ecological History, by Alfred Thomas Grove, Oliver Rackham, Yale University Press, 2003, [http://yalepress.yale.edu/book.asp?isbn=9780300100556 review at Yale university press] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006140735/http://yalepress.yale.edu/book.asp?isbn=9780300100556 |date=6 October 2014}} [https://muse.jhu.edu/login?auth=0&type=summary&url=/journals/journal_of_interdisciplinary_history/v032/32.3fagan.pdfThe Nature of Mediterranean Europe: An Ecological History (review)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006073018/https://muse.jhu.edu/login?auth=0&type=summary&url=%2Fjournals%2Fjournal_of_interdisciplinary_history%2Fv032%2F32.3fagan.pdfThe |date=6 October 2014}}, [[Brian M. Fagan]], Journal of Interdisciplinary History, Volume 32, Number 3, Winter 2002, pp. 454–455</ref>

===Natural hazards===
[[File:Aerial image of Stromboli (view from the northeast).jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|[[Stromboli]] volcano in Italy]]
The Mediterranean region is one of the most geologically active maritime area of the globe, sitting on a complex tectonic boundary zone between the European and African plates. The geology of the region, with the presence of plate boundaries and active faults, makes it prone to quite frequent earthquakes, tsunamis and submarine landslides with can have devastating consequences in densely populated coastal areas. In addition climate change now intensifies the frequency and impacts of storm surges and coastal flooding, putting additional human lives and property at risk.<ref>Marine hazards and coastal vulnerabilities in the Mediterranean - realities and perceptions. 2024. pp. 5–25 in ’’ CIESM Monograph 52’’ (F. Briand, Ed.) ISSN 1726-5886 [https://www.researchgate.net/publication/388029017]</ref>

[[Earthquakes]] are relatively frequent in the Mediterranean Basin, ranking among the most damaging geohazards. One of the most destructive was the Crete earthquake in 365 BC, with Mw > 8, which lifted the western tip of the island by up to 9 m and caused a mega tsunami that destroyed many harbors in the eastern sub-basin.

[[Volcanic eruptions]] are not uncommon either and left their mark in historical and archaeological records. The largest include the [[Thera eruption]], dated around 1600 BC, and the eruptions of [[Mount Vesuvius]] in 217 BC and AD 79 - the latter famously known for the destruction and the burying of the ancient cities of [[Pompeii]] and [[Herculaneum]].<ref name=mcguire2003>{{cite news|first=Bill|last=McGuire|title=In the shadow of the volcano|date=16 October 2003|publisher=Guardian News and Media Limited|newspaper=The Guardian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/education/2003/oct/16/research.highereducation2|access-date=8 May 2010|archive-date=12 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201112041053/https://www.theguardian.com/education/2003/oct/16/research.highereducation2|url-status=live}}</ref>  In the same region the [[Phlegraean Fields]] west of Naples constitute one of the most significant volcanic systems in the world, still very active. In the same general area, volcanoes like Mt. Etna and Stromboli are considered in a state of permanent activity, with frequent eruptions and lava emissions through the past 1500 years.

[[Tsunamis]], usually triggered by earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and submarine landslides, have caused a number of documented disasters in the Mediterranean Basin in the past 2500 years. Historical examples include the 365 and 1303 tsunamis in the Hellenic Arc, more recently the disastrous 1908 event that destroyed the cities of Messina and Reggio Calabria, and the large tsunami that occurred off the Algerian margin in 2003.

On the diplomatic front, the experience of coastal countries and regional authorities is leading to exchange{{Fix|text=of what?}} at the international level with the cooperation of NGOs, states, regional and municipal authorities.<ref name=evch>{{cite web|url=http://www.infopuntveiligheid.nl/Infopuntdocumenten/7._Eric_van_der_Horst.pdf|title=Alle kennisdossiers van het Instituut Fysieke Veiligheid|access-date=20 September 2014|archive-date=5 February 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150205041217/http://www.infopuntveiligheid.nl/Infopuntdocumenten/7._Eric_van_der_Horst.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> The [[Greek–Turkish earthquake diplomacy]] is a quite positive example of natural hazards leading to improved relations between traditional rivals in the region after earthquakes in İzmit and Athens in 1999. The European Union Solidarity Fund (EUSF) was set up to respond to major natural disasters and express European solidarity to disaster-stricken regions within all of Europe.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/home/en|title=Press corner|website=European Commission|access-date=15 September 2020|archive-date=25 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200825095835/https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/home/en|url-status=live}}</ref> The largest amount of funding requests in the EU relates to [[forest fire]]s, followed by floods and earthquakes. Forest fires, whether human-made or natural, are a frequent and dangerous hazard in the Mediterranean region.<ref name=evch/> [[Tsunami]]s are also an often-underestimated hazard in the region. For example, the [[1908 Messina earthquake]] and tsunami took more than 123,000 lives in Sicily and Calabria and were among the deadliest natural disasters in modern Europe.

===Invasive species===
[[File:Himantura uarnak egypt.jpg|thumb|The [[reticulate whipray]] is one of the species that colonised the Eastern Mediterranean through the [[Suez Canal]] as part of the ongoing [[Lessepsian migration]].]]

The opening of the [[Suez Canal]] in 1869 created the first salt-water passage between the Mediterranean and the [[Red Sea]]. The Red Sea is higher than the [[Eastern Mediterranean]], so the canal functions as a [[tidal strait]] that pours Red Sea water into the Mediterranean. The [[Bitter Lakes]], which are hyper-saline natural lakes that form part of the canal, blocked the migration of Red Sea species into the Mediterranean for many decades, but as the salinity of the lakes gradually equalised with that of the Red Sea, the barrier to migration was removed, and plants and animals from the Red Sea have begun to colonise the Eastern Mediterranean. The Red Sea is generally saltier and more nutrient-poor than the Atlantic, so the Red Sea species have advantages over Atlantic species in the salty and nutrient-poor Eastern Mediterranean. Accordingly, Red Sea species invade the Mediterranean biota, and not vice versa; this phenomenon is known as the [[Lessepsian migration]] (after [[Ferdinand de Lesseps]], the French engineer) or Erythrean ("red") invasion. The construction of the [[Aswan High Dam]] across the [[Nile]] River in the 1960s reduced the inflow of freshwater and nutrient-rich [[silt]] from the Nile into the Eastern Mediterranean, making conditions there even more like the Red Sea and worsening the impact of the [[invasive species]].

Invasive species have become a major component of the Mediterranean ecosystem and have serious impacts on the Mediterranean ecology, endangering a number of local and [[endemism|endemic]] Mediterranean species. A first look at some groups of marine species shows that over 70% of exotic [[Decapoda|decapod]]s<ref name="Briand">{{cite book |editor-last1=Briand |editor-first1=Frederic |last1=Galil |first1=Bella |last2=Froglia |first2=Carlo |last3=Noël |first3=Pierre |title=CIESM Atlas of Exotic Species in the Mediterranean: Vol 2 Crustaceans |date=2002 |publisher=CIESM Publishers |location=Paris, Monaco |isbn=978-92-990003-2-8 |page=192 |url=https://ciesm.org/catalog/index.php?article=2002 |access-date=2 January 2023 |archive-date=23 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221223120847/https://ciesm.org/catalog/index.php?article=2002 |url-status=live }}</ref> and some 2/3 of exotic fishes<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.issg.org/infpaper_invasive.pdf |title=IUCN Guidelines for the Prevention of Biodiversity Loss Caused by Alien Invasive Species |access-date=11 August 2009 |year=2000 |publisher=International Union for Conservation of Nature |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090115235640/http://www.issg.org/infpaper_invasive.pdf |archive-date=15 January 2009}}</ref> found in the Mediterranean are of [[Indo-Pacific]] origin, [[introduced species|introduced]] from the Red Sea via the Suez Canal. This makes the Canal the first pathway of arrival of [[Introduced species|alien]] species into the Mediterranean. The impacts of some Lessepsian species have proven to be considerable, mainly in the Levantine basin of the Mediterranean, where they are replacing native species and becoming a familiar sight.

According to definitions by the [[Mediterranean Science Commission]] and the [[International Union for Conservation of Nature]], and to [[Convention on Biological Diversity]] (CBD) and [[Ramsar Convention]] terminologies, they are alien species, as they are non-native (non-indigenous) to the Mediterranean Sea, and are found outside their normal, non-adjacent area of distribution. When these species succeed in establishing populations in the Mediterranean Sea, compete with and begin to replace native species they are "Alien Invasive Species", as they are an agent of change and a threat to the native biodiversity. In the context of CBD, "introduction" refers to the movement by human agency, indirect or direct, of an alien species outside of its natural range (past or present). The Suez Canal, being an artificial (human-made) canal, is a human agency. Lessepsian migrants are therefore "introduced" species (indirect, and unintentional). Whatever wording is chosen, they represent a threat to the native Mediterranean biodiversity, because they are non-indigenous to this sea. In recent years, the Egyptian government's announcement of its intentions to deepen and widen the Canal<ref>{{Cite web |title=Egypt to deepen, widen Suez Canal after blockage |website=Al-Monitor |date=21 May 2021 |url=https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2021/05/egypt-deepen-widen-suez-canal-after-blockage |access-date=12 July 2022 |language=en |archive-date=12 July 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220712155837/https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2021/05/egypt-deepen-widen-suez-canal-after-blockage |url-status=live }}</ref> raised concerns from [[marine biologist]]s, fearing that such an act will only worsen the invasion of Red Sea species into the Mediterranean, and lead to even more species passing through the Canal.<ref>{{cite book | last1=Galil | first1=Bella S. | last2=Zenetos | first2=Argyro | title=Invasive Aquatic Species of Europe. Distribution, Impacts and Management | chapter=A Sea Change — Exotics in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea | publisher=Springer Netherlands | publication-place=Dordrecht | date=2002 | isbn=978-90-481-6111-9 | doi=10.1007/978-94-015-9956-6_33 | pages=325–336}}</ref>

====Arrival of new tropical Atlantic species====
In recent decades, the arrival of exotic species from the tropical Atlantic has become noticeable. In many cases this reflects an expansion – favoured by a warming trend of sub-tropical Atlantic waters, and also by a fast-growing maritime traffic – of the natural range of species that now enter the Mediterranean through the [[Strait of Gibraltar]]. While not as intense as [[Lessepsian migration]], the process is of importance and is therefore receiving increased levels of scientific coverage.<ref>{{cite book | last1=Golani | first1=Daniel | last2=Azzurro | first2=Ernesto | last3=Dulčić | first3=Jakov | last4=Massutí | first4=Enric | last5=Briand | first5=Frederic | title=Atlas of Exotic Fishes in the Mediterranean Sea |edition=2nd | publisher=CIESM publishers | series=CIESM Atlases | year=2021 | isbn=978-92-990003-5-9 | page=}}</ref>

===Sea-level rise===
By 2100 the overall level of the Mediterranean could rise between {{convert|3|and|61|cm|1|abbr=on}} as a result of the [[effects of global warming|effects of climate change]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Mediterranean Sea Level Could Rise By Over Two Feet, Global Models Predict|url=https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090303084057.htm|website=[[Science Daily]]|date=3 March 2009|access-date=9 March 2018|archive-date=23 June 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180623133113/https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090303084057.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> This could have adverse effects on populations across the Mediterranean:
* Rising sea levels will submerge parts of [[Malta]]. Rising sea levels will also mean rising salt water levels in Malta's groundwater supply and reduce the availability of drinking water.<ref>{{cite news|title=Briny future for vulnerable Malta|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6525069.stm|date=4 April 2007|work=[[BBC News]]|access-date=23 November 2011|archive-date=23 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210523094353/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6525069.stm|url-status=live}}</ref>
* A {{convert|30|cm|0|abbr=on}} rise in sea level would flood {{convert|200|km2|0|abbr=out}} of the [[Nile Delta]], displacing over 500,000 [[Egyptians]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Egypt fertile Nile Delta falls prey to climate change |url=http://news.egypt.com/en/201001288902/news/-egypt-news/egypt-fertile-nile-delta-falls-prey-to-climate-change.html |date=28 January 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110209093815/http://news.egypt.com/en/201001288902/news/-egypt-news/egypt-fertile-nile-delta-falls-prey-to-climate-change.html |archive-date=9 February 2011}}</ref>
* [[Cyprus]] wetlands are also in danger of being destroyed by the rising temperatures and sea levels.<ref>{{cite web|title=Cyprus wetlands in danger of being destroyed by climate change|url=https://cyprus-mail.com/2019/11/08/cyprus-wetlands-in-danger-of-being-destroyed-by-climate-change/|website=cyprus-mail.com|date=8 November 2019|access-date=8 November 2019|archive-date=24 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210224181517/https://cyprus-mail.com/2019/11/08/cyprus-wetlands-in-danger-of-being-destroyed-by-climate-change/|url-status=live}}</ref>

Coastal ecosystems also appear to be threatened by [[sea level rise]], especially enclosed seas such as the [[Baltic Sea|Baltic]], the Mediterranean and the Black Sea. These seas have only small and primarily east–west movement [[Habitat corridor|corridors]], which may restrict northward displacement of organisms in these areas.<ref>Nicholls, R.J.; Klein, R.J.T. (2005). Climate change and coastal management on Europe's coast, in: Vermaat, J.E. et al. (Ed.) (2005). Managing European coasts: past, present and future. pp. 199–226.</ref> Sea level rise for the next century (2100) could be between {{convert|30|and|100|cm|in|abbr=on}} and temperature shifts of a mere {{convert|0.05–0.1|C-change||2}} in the deep sea are sufficient to induce significant changes in species richness and functional diversity.<ref name="greenpeace.org">{{cite web|url=http://www.greenpeace.org/international/campaigns/oceans/marine-reserves/the-mediterranean/mediterranean-other-threats|title=Other threats in the Mediterranean &#124; Greenpeace International|publisher=Greenpeace|access-date=23 April 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100416071023/http://www.greenpeace.org/international/campaigns/oceans/marine-reserves/the-mediterranean/mediterranean-other-threats|archive-date=16 April 2010|url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Pollution===
[[Marine pollution|Pollution]] in this region has been extremely high in recent years.{{When|date=May 2012}} The [[United Nations Environment Programme]] has estimated that {{convert|650000000|t|ST|abbr=on}} of [[sewage]], {{convert|129000|t|ST|abbr=on}} of [[mineral oil]], {{convert|60000|t|ST|abbr=on}} of mercury, {{convert|3800|t|ST|abbr=on}} of lead and {{convert|36000|t|ST|abbr=on}} of [[phosphate]]s are dumped into the Mediterranean each year.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.explorecrete.com/nature/mediterranean.html|title=Pollution in the Mediterranean Sea. Environmental issues|publisher=Explore Crete|access-date=23 April 2010|archive-date=13 January 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100113033738/http://explorecrete.com/nature/mediterranean.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The [[Barcelona Convention]] aims to 'reduce pollution in the Mediterranean Sea and protect and improve the marine environment in the area, thereby contributing to its sustainable development.'<ref>{{cite web|url=http://europa.eu/scadplus/leg/en/lvb/l28084.htm |title=EUROPA |publisher=Europa |access-date=23 April 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090409220807/http://europa.eu/scadplus/leg/en/lvb/l28084.htm |archive-date=9 April 2009}}</ref>
Many marine species have been almost wiped out because of the sea's pollution. One of them is the [[Mediterranean monk seal]] which is considered to be among the world's most [[endangered]] [[marine mammal]]s.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.monachus-guardian.org/factfiles/medit01.htm|title=Mediterranean Monk Seal Fact Files: Overview|publisher=Monachus-guardian.org|date=5 May 1978|access-date=23 April 2010|archive-date=12 September 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190912082329/https://www.monachus-guardian.org/factfiles/medit01.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> 
The Mediterranean is also plagued by [[marine debris]]. A 1994 study of the [[seabed]] using [[trawl net]]s around the coasts of Spain, France and Italy reported a particularly high mean concentration of debris; an average of 1,935 items per km<sup>2</sup> ({{convert|1,935|/km2|disp=out}}).<ref name="nep.org/regionalseas/ma">{{cite web |url=http://www.unep.org/regionalseas/marinelitter/publications/docs/anl_oview.pdf |title=Marine Litter: An Analytical Overview |access-date=1 August 2008 |year=2005 |publisher=United Nations Environment Programme |archive-date=17 July 2007 |archive-url=http://webarchive.loc.gov/all/20070717141400/http://www.unep.org/regionalseas/marinelitter/publications/docs/anl_oview.pdf |url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Shipping===
[[File:Portacontainer MSC in navigazione nello stretto di Messina.jpg|thumb|A cargo ship cruises towards the [[Strait of Messina]]]]
Some of the world's busiest shipping routes are in the Mediterranean Sea. In particular, the Maritime Silk Road from Asia and Africa leads through the Suez Canal directly into the Mediterranean Sea to its deep-water ports in [[Valencia]], [[Piraeus]], [[Trieste]], [[Genoa]], [[Marseille]] and [[Barcelona]]. It is estimated that approximately 220,000 [[merchant vessel]]s of more than 100 [[gross tonnage|tonnes]] cross the Mediterranean Sea each year—about one-third of the world's total merchant shipping. These ships often carry hazardous cargo, which if lost would result in severe damage to the marine environment.

The discharge of chemical tank washings and oily wastes also represent a significant source of marine pollution. The Mediterranean Sea constitutes 0.7% of the global water surface and yet receives 17% of global marine oil pollution. It is estimated that every year between {{convert|100000|and|150000|t|LT|abbr=on}} of crude oil are deliberately released into the sea from shipping activities.
[[File:Porto nuovo di Trieste 1.4.2012.jpg|350px|thumb|Port of [[Trieste]]]]
Approximately {{convert|370000000|t|LT|abbr=on}} of oil are transported annually in the Mediterranean Sea (more than 20% of the world total), with around 250–300 [[oil tanker]]s crossing the sea every day. An important destination is the [[Port of Trieste]], the starting point of the [[Transalpine Pipeline]], which covers 40% of Germany's oil demand (100% of the federal states of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg), 90% of Austria and 50% of the Czech Republic.<ref>Thomas Fromm "Pipeline durch die Alpen: Alles im Fluss" In: Süddeutsche Zeitung, 26 December 2019.</ref> Accidental [[oil spill]]s happen frequently with an average of 10 spills per year. A major oil spill could occur at any time in any part of the Mediterranean.<ref name="greenpeace.org"/>

{{Location map+
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| caption        = Largest ports of the Mediterranean area per total vessel traffic as of 2016.<ref>{{Cite book|url=http://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/508771540319329808/pdf/131217-PUB-PUBLIC-publication-date-is-10-23-18.pdf|last1=Arvis|first1=Jean-François|first2=Vincent|last2=Vesin|first3=Robin|last3=Carruthers|page=41|first4=César|last4=Ducruet|first5=Peter|last5=de Langen|year=2019|title=Maritime Networks, Port Efficiency, and Hinterland Connectivity in the Mediterranean. International Development in Focus|location=Washington, DC|publisher=[[World Bank]]|isbn=978-1-4648-1274-3|doi=10.1596/978-1-4648-1274-3|hdl=10398/08c83467-00f6-4f56-9833-1beda9f7734f|s2cid=134161640|access-date=8 September 2020|archive-date=13 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210613085117/https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/508771540319329808/pdf/131217-PUB-PUBLIC-publication-date-is-10-23-18.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>
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{{Location map~ | Mediterranean
    | label = [[Port of Livorno|Leghorn]]
    | position =
    | background =
    | mark = Legenda port.svg
    | marksize = 12
    | link =
    | lat_deg = 43 | lat_min = 34 | lat_dir = N
    | lon_deg = 10 | lon_min = 18 | lon_dir = E
  }}
{{Location map~ | Mediterranean
    | label = [[Evyapport|Evyap]]
    | position = right
    | background =
    | mark = Legenda port.svg
    | marksize = 12
    | link =
    | lat_deg = 40 | lat_min = 47 | lat_dir = N
    | lon_deg = 29 | lon_min = 42 | lon_dir = E
  }}
{{Location map~ | Mediterranean
    | label = [[Port of Mersin|Mersin]]
    | position =
    | background =
    | mark = Legenda port.svg
    | marksize = 12
    | link =
    | lat_deg = 36 | lat_min = 48 | lat_dir = N
    | lon_deg = 34 | lon_min = 38 | lon_dir = E
  }}
{{Location map~ | Mediterranean
    | label = [[Port of Haifa|Haifa]]
    | position =
    | background =
    | mark = Legenda port.svg
    | marksize = 12
    | link =
    | lat_deg = 32 | lat_min = 49 | lat_dir = N
    | lon_deg = 35 | lon_min = 00 | lon_dir = E
  }}
{{Location map~ | Mediterranean
    | label = [[Port of Ashdod|Ashdod]]
    | position =
    | background =
    | mark = Legenda port.svg
    | marksize = 12
    | link =
    | lat_deg = 31 | lat_min = 49 | lat_dir = N
    | lon_deg = 34 | lon_min = 39 | lon_dir = E
  }}
{{Location map~ | Mediterranean
    | label = [[Port of Beirut|Beirut]]
    | position =
    | background =
    | mark = Legenda port.svg
    | marksize = 12
    | link =
    | lat_deg = 33 | lat_min = 54 | lat_dir = N
    | lon_deg = 35 | lon_min = 32 | lon_dir = E
  }}
{{Location map~ | Mediterranean
    | label = [[Port of Gemlik|Gemlik]]
    | position = bottom
    | background =
    | mark = Legenda port.svg
    | marksize = 12
    | link =
    | lat_deg = 40 | lat_min = 25 | lat_dir = N
    | lon_deg = 29 | lon_min = 5 | lon_dir = E
  }}
{{Location map~ | Mediterranean
    | label = [[Port of Nemrut Bay|Nemrut Bay]]
    | position = right
    | background =
    | mark = Legenda port.svg
    | marksize = 12
    | link =
    | lat_deg = 38 | lat_min = 26 | lat_dir = N
    | lon_deg = 26 | lon_min = 55 | lon_dir = E
  }}
}}

===Tourism===
[[File:Kemer beach, Antalya.jpg|thumb|[[Kemer]] Beach in [[Antalya]] on the [[Turkish Riviera|Turkish Riviera (Turquoise Coast)]]. In 2019, Turkey [[World Tourism rankings#Most visited destinations by international tourist arrivals|ranked sixth in the world]] in terms of the number of international tourist arrivals, with 51.2 million foreign tourists visiting the country.<ref name="WTO Tourism Highlights 2019 Edition">{{Cite book|title=UNWTO Tourism Highlights: 2019 Edition {{!}} World Tourism Organization|year=2019|doi=10.18111/9789284421152|isbn=978-92-844-2115-2|s2cid=240665765}}</ref>]]
The coast of the Mediterranean has been used for tourism since ancient times, as the Roman villa buildings on the [[Amalfi Coast]] or in [[Barcola]] show. From the end of the 19th century, in particular, the beaches became places of longing for many Europeans and travellers. From then on, and especially after World War II, [[mass tourism]] to the Mediterranean began with all its advantages and disadvantages. While initially, the journey was by train and later by bus or car, today the plane is increasingly used.<ref>Rüdiger Hachtmann "Tourismus-Geschichte". (2007); Attilio Brilli "Quando viaggiare era un'arte. Il romanzo del grand tour." (1995).</ref>

Tourism is today one of the most important sources of income for many Mediterranean countries, despite the human-made geopolitical conflicts{{clarify|date=August 2019}} in the region. The countries have tried to extinguish rising human-made chaotic zones{{clarify|date=August 2019}} that might affect the region's economies and societies in neighbouring coastal countries, and [[shipping route]]s. Naval and rescue components in the Mediterranean Sea are considered to be among the best{{citation needed|date=August 2019}} due to the rapid cooperation between various [[List of fleets|naval fleets]]. Unlike the vast open oceans, the sea's closed position facilitates effective naval and rescue missions{{citation needed|date=August 2019}}, considered the safest{{citation needed|date=August 2019}} and regardless of{{clarify|date=August 2019}} any human-made or [[natural disaster]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://cor.europa.eu/en/engage/studies/Documents/sustainable-tourism-mediterranean/sustainable-tourism-mediterranean.pdf#:~:text=Within%20the%20wider%20Mediterranean%20region%2C%20the%20Mediterranean%20countries,is%20likely%20to%20resume%20when%20the%20situation%20stabilises. |title=Sustainable tourism in the Mediterranean |access-date=1 March 2023 |archive-date=1 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230301224423/https://cor.europa.eu/en/engage/studies/Documents/sustainable-tourism-mediterranean/sustainable-tourism-mediterranean.pdf#:~:text=Within%20the%20wider%20Mediterranean%20region%2C%20the%20Mediterranean%20countries,is%20likely%20to%20resume%20when%20the%20situation%20stabilises. |url-status=live }}</ref>

Tourism is a source of income for small coastal communities, including islands, independent of urban centres. However, tourism has also played a major role in the [[environmental degradation|degradation]] of the coastal and [[marine environment]]. Rapid development has been encouraged by Mediterranean governments to support the large numbers of tourists visiting the region, but this has caused serious disturbance to [[marine habitat]]s by erosion and [[#Pollution|pollution]] in many places along the Mediterranean coasts.

Tourism often concentrates in areas of high natural wealth{{clarify|date=August 2019}}, causing a serious threat to the habitats of endangered species such as [[sea turtle]]s and [[monk seal]]s. Reductions in natural wealth may reduce the incentive for tourists to visit.<ref name="greenpeace.org"/>

{{see also|Environmental impact of tourism}}

===Overfishing===
{{main|Overfishing}}
[[Fish stocks|Fish stock]] levels in the Mediterranean Sea are alarmingly low. The European Environment Agency says that more than 65% of all fish stocks in the region are outside safe biological limits and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation, that some of the most important fisheries—such as [[albacore]] and [[Atlantic bluefin tuna|bluefin tuna]], [[hake]], [[marlin]], [[swordfish]], [[red mullet]] and [[sea bream]]—are threatened.{{date missing}}

There are clear indications that catch size and quality have declined, often dramatically, and in many areas, larger and longer-lived species have disappeared entirely from commercial catches.

Large open-water fish like tuna have been a shared fisheries resource for thousands of years, but the stocks are now dangerously low. In 1999, [[Greenpeace]] published a report revealing that the amount of bluefin tuna in the Mediterranean had decreased by over 80% in the previous 20 years, and government scientists warn that without immediate action, the stock will collapse.

===Marine heatwaves===
{{Main|Marine heatwave}}
A study showed that [[Effects of climate change on oceans|climate change-related]] exceptional [[marine heatwave]]s in the Mediterranean Sea during 2015–2019 resulted in widespread mass sealife die-offs in five consecutive years.<ref>{{cite news |title=Marine heatwave: Record sea temperatures seen in the Mediterranean could devastate marine life |url=https://interestingengineering.com/science/marine-heatwave-sea-temperaturesmediterranean |access-date=21 August 2022 |work=interestingengineering.com |date=20 August 2022 |archive-date=20 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220820164944/https://interestingengineering.com/science/marine-heatwave-sea-temperaturesmediterranean |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Garrabou |first1=Joaquim |last2=Gómez-Gras |first2=Daniel |last3=Medrano |first3=Alba |last4=Cerrano |first4=Carlo |last5=Ponti |first5=Massimo |last6=Schlegel |first6=Robert |last7=Bensoussan |first7=Nathaniel |last8=Turicchia |first8=Eva |last9=Sini |first9=Maria |last10=Gerovasileiou |first10=Vasilis |title=Marine heatwaves drive recurrent mass mortalities in the Mediterranean Sea |journal=Global Change Biology |date=18 July 2022 |volume=28 |issue=19 |pages=5708–5725 |doi=10.1111/gcb.16301 |pmid=35848527 |pmc=9543131 |bibcode=2022GCBio..28.5708G |hdl=10754/679702 |s2cid=250622761 |language=en |issn=1354-1013|display-authors=4}}</ref>