Mediterranean Sea temperatrure hits record high
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00:00Spanish beachgoers seeking cool reprieve from the summer's heat may have been surprised
00:04when they dipped their feet in the water on Friday.
00:07The Mediterranean Sea hit a new heat record, topping its highest ever temperature for the
00:12second year running.
00:14The daily median water surface temperature reached 28.9 degrees Celsius compared with
00:1828.7 degrees Celsius last year.
00:22But the warmer waters weren't displeasing to all.
00:26The sea isn't too hot.
00:29It's better than the sea being too cold.
00:31I like it a bit more.
00:34It's better for tourism, holidays and all the people who are here.
00:40The record comes on the heels of a scorching July over large parts of the basin.
00:45And for experts, the news is concerning.
00:48Overheating of the sea prevents the air from cooling at night and encourages heatwaves.
00:54Warmer water also leads to higher mortality rates among many fish species.
01:01Of course I'm worried.
01:02Not only are we suffering, but also the ecosystems and the animals that live in the water.
01:09All of us who live on Earth are suffering right now because of global warming.
01:16Normally when the water is very warm, fish move away from the coast because the water
01:22is colder there.
01:24So they move away and don't go to the shore.
01:29Experts from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change have long classified the Mediterranean
01:34as a hotspot for global warming.
01:36They say it is particularly vulnerable to rising sea surface temperatures and faces
01:41significant risks due to climate change.