Temperature Record in 2024 for Greek seas – The hottest summer in 40 years

Undoubtedly this year was one of the hottest in recent years. However, according to a study of researchers from three universities in the country, namely the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, the University of the Aegean and the Democritus University of Thrace, they concluded that they broke every record at a depth of 40 years. Researchers studying data from satellite observations from 1982 onwards found that during the summer of 2024 the warmest conditions occurred in the last forty years throughout the Aegean, Ionian and Cretan Sea with record temperatures. As explained in the Athenian-Macedonian News Agency, the researcher of the Department of Oceanography and Marine Biosciences of the University of the Aegean, Vassilis Kolovoyannis and one of the authors of the study, among the most affected areas is the Northeast and Southeastern Aegean, the South Cretan Sea and the Ionian Sea and stresses that what is worrying and troubling scientists is that increasing the temperature is not only surface but extends deep. “This increase in temperature extends deep, which means that there is a cumulative phenomenon” Mr.Colovogiannis reports to the APE-APE. In particular, according to the survey, high temperatures were extended to depths of 50 metres in some areas, indicating a deep and extensive heating of the upper areas. At the same time, changes were observed in the ordinary Aegean cooling mechanisms, such as the inflow of cold water from the Black Sea, which was reduced, and the coastal emergence of colder masses. At the same time one of the most important findings of the study is the duration of the intensity of the marine exhausts that appeared this summer. Specifically, as noted in the survey, intense and long sea heats were recorded in the North Aegean until August 2024. As the Deputy Professor in the Department of Oceanography and Marine Biosciences of the University of the Aegean stresses in the AUTH School of Political Engineering and research authors, Giannis Androulidakis, what is recorded by this study and others is a continuous increase in the temperature of the Greek seas in summers. This increase, he explains, exceeds 0.5 degrees per decade and adds that this summer the temperature reached up to 30 degrees Celsius in some areas. “The growth trend is more pronounced in the North Aegean, in smaller regions of the Ionian Sea and in areas of the Dodecanese. But mainly North Aegean and Theraikos present the highest trends,” Mr. Androulidakis stresses. At the same time, as he notes, the long sea heat was equally important beyond temperature intensity. “This is also the worst for the ecosystem, that is, to have a long duration in some events combined with their intensity,” he points out. For his part, Mr. Colovoyannis points out that although the episodes of seaburn have not been the most intense were their intensity, i.e. high temperatures and duration. Looking at the effects of the constant increase in sea temperature, Mr.Androulidakis cites the Thermal Gulf and the production of mussels which due to the thermal shock was destroyed in coastal aquacultures in the area of Halastra, causing serious financial losses for 2024, but also possible significant reductions in capacity for next year. “There was a problem not only in this year’s production but also in future production because there is mortality in infants as well,” the professor points out and adds that rising temperature creates changes in the oxygen of the sea, which in turn causes various other damage to biological agents. For his part, Mr.Colovogiannis explains that one of the consequences of the constant increase in temperature is the invasion of warm foreign species in principle in the South Aegean and the Cretan Sea. Also, as researchers point out at the center, the connection and correlation of sea temperature increases with intense weather phenomena such as Janos. “These intense weather phenomena take energy when moving over the sea. So, think that when we have warmer seas, such systems that are increasingly intense in the Mediterranean—corresponding to tropical systems even though we do not have a tropical climate—feed, take energy, are powered by hot water. The more often we have and more intense, warm waters, larger sea heats, floods-related phenomena, tend to become more intense,” notes Mr. At the same time, due to the constant rise in the temperature of the Greek seas, the need for monitoring is becoming increasingly urgent, which, as Mr. Androulidakis points out, is missing as the measuring stations are very few. “The network of monitoring the open sea was the stations of Poseidon of the Greek Marine Research Centre. At the moment, only one operates – in Northern Crete, in the Cretan Sea”, he points out and adds that a sufficient network is needed to provide a continuous record. “This could help us in too many areas. There are only sporadic measurements of missions, which can be done, from some measurements in certain areas,” he stresses. It is noted that the research is co-signed by Giannis Androulidakis, Vassilis Kolovogiannis, Christos Makris, Giannis Krestenitis. The study resulted from the collaboration of researchers of the Department of Oceanography and Marine Biosciences (Egypt University), the Department of Civil Engineering (APP) and the Department of Civil Engineering (IPP).