These visualisations, based on data produced by the Copernicus Marine Service (CMEMS), show the Sea Surface Temperature (SST) forecasts for 1 June 2021 (left) and 1 June 2022 (right). The visual on the right shows that the SST in some areas of the Mediterranean Sea should reach approximately 25°C, an unusually high value for this time of the year.

One of the warmest areas is the Ligurian Sea, between the Italian North-Western coast and Corsica, where the Sea Surface Temperature exceeded 23°C on 28 May 2022, reaching values typical of the mid-summer period. According to local biologists, the above-average temperatures have already significantly affected marine ecosystems, and the consequences are visible in local fishery activities, as larger-than-average anchovies are already being caught.

Credit: European Union, Copernicus Marine Service (CMEMS)