Acidification of the Mediterranean: negative impacts on aquaculture and fisheries

A recent analysis carried out by a research group in which the OGS was at the forefront has identified the vulnerability of different areas of the Mediterranean to acidification. This phenomenon affects the integrity and functionality of ecosystems with negative impacts on biodiversity and human activities that benefit from the natural resources of the sea, known as ecosystem services, such as fisheries and aquaculture.

The analysis made it possible to identify the hotspots of marine acidification in the Mediterranean and the vulnerability of ecosystem services, so that it can be determined when and where mitigation or adaptation measures need to be taken. The research, which involved Donata Canu, first researcher of the Oceanography Section of the National Institute of Oceanography and Experimental Geophysics of the OGS, together with Cosimo Solidoro, Director of the Oceanography Section of the OGS, and Serena Zunino, researcher of the OGS, forms a chapter of the recent book "Ocean Governance Knowledge Systems, Policy Foundations and Thematic Analyses, published by Springer.