Study reveals how five tuna species respond to changing Mediterranean conditions
As the Mediterranean Sea continues to warm, it may become more favorable for some tropical tuna species. However, warmer waters do not necessarily provide all the environmental conditions these highly migratory fish need.
A recent study has revealed disparities in how five tuna species react to warming Mediterranean conditions. Despite rising temperatures potentially benefiting some tropical tuna species, the basin's high salinity, changes in water mixing and other environmental factors may hinder their overall suitability. Professor Zhang Hui and his team from the Chinese Academy of Sciences examined how albacore, Atlantic bluefin, yellowfin, bigeye and skipjack tuna would fare in the Mediterranean under current conditions and future climate projections.
While the Mediterranean currently supports albacore and Atlantic bluefin tuna reasonably well, suitable habitats for yellowfin, bigeye and skipjack tuna are limited. By the end of the century, under high emissions, Atlantic bluefin tuna may lose much of their suitable habitat, falling from 100% to 69.1%, while yellowfin tuna could see a modest increase in suitable habitat from 9.5% to 18.6%.
Bigeye and skipjack tuna may gain suitable habitats, but high salinity and other environmental differences could still limit their use of the Mediterranean. The researchers emphasize that climate warming will not uniformly benefit all tuna species, and that improvements in temperature suitability do not automatically translate to environmental accessibility.
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