The overlooked impacts of freshwater scarcity on oceans as evidenced by the Mediterranean Sea
Water stress is an urgent issue in many regions worldwide, particularly in southern European countries. This study reveals the consequences of decreased freshwater flow on marine ecosystems in the Mediterranean Sea due to climate change and escalating water demands. A 41% reduction in river flow may result in a 10% decline in marine primary productivity and a 6% decrease in biomass of commercial fish and invertebrate species. Regional reductions could be as high as 12% and 35%, disrupting coastal and marine ecosystems and their related socio-economic sectors. The findings emphasize the importance of considering nutrient load changes in water management strategies and incorporating marine ecosystem requirements into environmental flow requirements for freshwater bodies. Integrated, source-to-sink management approaches are crucial for sustainable water resource utilization.
Authors
- Olaf Duteil (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5670-570X)
- Diego Macías (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7772-255X)
- Jordi Guillén (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3705-2253)
- Bruna Grizzetti (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5570-8581)
- Chiara Piroddi
- Alberto Pistocchi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3696-873X)
- Berny Bisselink (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5203-0410)
- Ioannis Trichakis (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1463-8625)
- Ángel Udías (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1219-0465)
- Elisa García‐Górriz
- Jean‐Noël Druon (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0824-8778)
- Adolf Stips (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2433-1501)
- Natalia Serpetti (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9502-5790)
- Luca Polimene (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3549-6937)
- Olga Vigiak (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0007-3216-2337)
- César Carmona‐Moreno (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7086-4731)
- Svetla Miladinova
Institutions
- Universidad Rey Juan Carlos (ES)
- University of Luxembourg (LU)
- European Commission (BE)
- General Numerics Research Lab (DE)
- Joint Research Centre (IT)
- Institute of Mechanics (BG)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Nature Communications
- Published
- 2025-02-03
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-54979-4
- Citations
- 18
- Primary Topic
- Marine and fisheries research
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 19.90
Funders
- European Commission