Mediterranean most threatened ecosystem on Earth
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A study coordinated by the Spanish Upper Council of Scientific Investigation (CSIC) and released on Tuesday showed that the Mediterranean is the most threatened ecosystem on the planet.
The CSIC study said that over-exploitation of resources, pollution, the arrival of invading species from other habitats, and rising temperatures all constitute a major threat to the Mediterranean ecosystem.
"These threats will probably get worse in the future, especially those associated with climate change and the degradation of the habitats," said Marta Coll, who coordinated the study.
According to the study, "the Mediterranean is the region with the highest number of invading species (637)." Those 637 species, most of which are believed to have entered from the Red Sea via the Suez Canal, make up 4 percent of the total number of species in the area.
The Mediterranean boasts the fourth highest amount of biodiversity in the world, only after the seas surrounding Australia, Japan and China.
The CSIC study is part of the Census of Marine Life project, which aims to draw up a full inventory of life in the world's seas and oceans by dividing them into 25 separate units and studying them all.
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