Biologists and environmentalists are working to tackle the effects of climate change in the Mediterranean with help from a so-called "Smart Bay" on Italy's Ligurian coast.

Marine biologists fear the Mediterranean is becoming hotter and more acidic, which would affect the habitat of many native species and also lead to destructive changes in weather systems such as more frequent tornadoes.

The Santa Teresa Smart Bay, on the northwestern coast popular for tourism and diving, is Italy's first underwater "living" laboratory where scientists use aquatic invertebrate animals known as bryozoans and other organisms as live sensors.

It provides data for the study of extreme weather events that are becoming more frequent in countries such as Italy, Greece, Spain, and France.

"The Mediterranean Sea has basically become a hot spot of what is happening globally in the world's oceans," said ENEA researcher and ocean expert Franco Reseghetti, who has been monitoring temperature changes in the Mediterranean for years.

Note: With temperatures going up 20% faster than the global average, and sea level rises expected to exceed one meter by 2100, the Mediterranean is becoming the fastest-warming and the saltiest sea on our planet.

Source: https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/italys-smart-bay-seeks-tackle-mediterranean-climate-change-2021-09-27/