World-renowned climate expert and professor at the Collège de France, Edouard Bard, highlights the emergence of new fish species in Türkiye's seas due to global warming.
He stated, "With the effects of global warming, new fish species are beginning to appear in Türkiye's waters, it has been observed that lionfish and rabbitfish are coming from the Red Sea. Of course, there are also other species coming from the Atlantic, Türkiye has over 500 invasive marine species, this is certainly a significant number, and some of them are really harmful to the marine balance here."
Professor Bard, who heads the Climate and Ocean Evolution Chair at Collège de France, came to Izmir to participate in conferences organized by Dokuz Eylul University on "Paleo-climate and Sea Level Changes in the Mediterranean and Neighboring Seas" and by Ege University on "Climate Change and Invasive Species in the Mediterranean: Lessons from the Past."
He expressed that the effects of climate change and global warming are especially observable in the Mediterranean. He noted that this situation is causing rising sea levels.
He further explained that another impact of climate change is biological, particularly concerning marine life, stressing the need for precautionary measures. "Especially, we need to focus on reducing greenhouse gases," Bard said.
"Every marine organism, from the smallest to the largest, is affected by global warming, all living beings, from plankton to fish, and the entire food web are impacted, we observe these results in Türkiye and in my hometown of Marseille. However, there is another situation we are observing in Türkiye: the appearance of new fish species in the seas."
"Marine organisms from the Red Sea are arriving here via the Suez Canal, this creates an impact that disrupts the local balance, although it is not my direct area of expertise, from what I've seen in the studies of Turkish scientists, lionfish and rabbitfish from the Red Sea have specifically been observed coming here."
"Of course, there are other species from the Atlantic as well, Türkiye has over 500 invasive marine species, which can be fish or other organisms, this is indeed a significant number, and some are genuinely harmful to the local marine balance, all these are interrelated, for example, the presence of rabbitfish affects algae and in turn impacts the entire ecosystem."
Bard explained that they are conducting retrospective climate research, stating, "In a study I am involved in, we are also examining periods when the Suez Canal did not exist. At that time, the only passage for marine organisms was through Gibraltar. This research will provide clearer and more accurate information regarding whether invasive species are related to global warming or the canal. Therefore, conducting retrospective studies and comparisons of past climates is very important."
He also commented on the recent fish deaths in the Izmir Bay, mentioning that there could be several different causes. "I have certainly heard about and followed the recent events in Izmir Bay, it is crucial to remember that this is a situation that has emerged due to local conditions specific to this area, such situations can develop over many years, we need to investigate whether global warming, local pollution, or invasive species have contributed to this, because reaching a clear answer is the most important thing. However, it is also necessary to point out that there have been mass fish deaths in other parts of the Mediterranean as well," he said.
