The Mediterranean Basin

The CLIM-ECO² project focuses on the Mediterranean Sea, which is considered a “hotspot” for both high pressures and high biodiversity. This semi-enclosed sea is strongly impacted by anthropogenic pressure (e.g., pollution, overfishing) and at the same time, the Mediterranean basin is expected to face warming 2 to 3 times faster than the world average. For more than a century, human activities have led to profound changes in the structure and functioning of Mediterranean ecosystems, thus affecting their resilience. From a socio-economic point of view, the Mediterranean Sea is an excellent model because it includes well-developed and less developed economies. The distribution of the magnitude of the socio-economic impacts of climate change on Mediterranean fisheries will reflect the differences between the economies of the countries (North-South gradient) as well as the dietary habits of the human population for seafood. For example,fish production and consumption are essential for food security in coastal countries.