Mediterranean Sea warming and salinity levels accelerating

A new study published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters reveals that the Mediterranean Sea is warming and becoming saltier at an accelerating rate. Researchers from the Ruder Boskovic Institute in Croatia analyzed temperature and salinity data collected between 1950 and 2025, finding that the most intense changes occur in the central and eastern regions, particularly in the Adriatic Sea, where impacts extend to the seafloor.

Key findings indicate that the upper 100 meters of the Mediterranean have warmed by approximately 2°C compared to the 1950–1999 average. Scientists recorded a temperature increase of up to 0.3°C per decade and a salinity rise of approximately 0.1 grams per kilogram of seawater every decade. Historically, highly saline surface waters were confined to the easternmost parts of the basin, but these conditions are now spreading across the entire Mediterranean. This research confirms that the acceleration of environmental changes is not limited to the surface but is penetrating deeper throughout the maritime basin.