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Marine life thrives in the Mediterranean during virus lockdown

Mediterranean marine life flourished during lockdown: Italian coastguard. Italy's Coast Guard heralds lockdown a success for the sea

 

Marine life thrives in the Mediterranean during virus lockdown

 

By Patryk Krych | The World Daily | JULY 7th 2020

 

It’s been found by the Italian coastguard that during the period of coronavirus lockdown, there have been several positive changes to the marine life in the Mediterranean, just off the coast of Italy. These changes come with the increased lack of ships and human activity in the area during the world’s enforced quarantine period.

Many changes have been noted to the environment over the course of the lockdown. The lowering of airplane emissions in particular was among the first changes noted to have caused an impact in the climate. An FT analysis had been made earlier in the year, of more than 6 million flights, having used data from FlightRadar24. What was found, was that as much as 28 million fewer tonnes of carbon dioxide were emitted during the month of March – emissions known to be harmful to the climate. Since then, many more environmentally positive changes have been noted, the improved state of Mediterranean marine life being one of them.

The opportunity to monitor and evaluate the impacts humanity has on its oceans via the lack of major ship movement and human interference presented to the Italian coastguard was unprecedented. The enforcement of strict quarantine rules gave them ample time over the course of the two months.

“We were able to ascertain a significant improvement in the transparency of the waters and a significant reduction in suspended material,” said the commander of the coastguard diving unit of the Campania region, Lieutenant Alessandro Mino, to journalists from Reuters. “The marine environment and marine life have regained spaces that human activity had eroded.”

 

Off the port of Milazzo near to the Sicilian sea, sperm whales had been spotted travelling the waves. The container ships typically common at ports in North-Western Liguria have disappeared, and had their places taken by families of dolphins. In the protected marine reserve of Secche di Tor Paterno, located 8km off the coast of Rome, new life has been breathed into the corals below the waters, as well as their common inhabitants. The numbers of colourful fish have gone up in droves, as have those of moray eels.

The operations were carried out by the Italian coastguard since April, with the use of frequent water samples as well as underwater camera footage. The jump in sightings of unusual species that wouldn’t regularly take residence in certain areas has seen a spike, among other significant observations.

Unfortunately, the coastguard had also discovered among the positive effects of quarantine – the many negative effects on the ocean’s floors caused by COVID-19, via the “COVID-19 waste” that consists of masks, gloves, as well as used sanitizer bottles.

75 tonnes of plastic, along with 5 tonnes of abandoned plastic nets have been recovered from the ocean by the coastguard since July of 2019. The addition of more plastics brought on by the COVID-19 panic is only thought to be making the ocean’s plastic waste situation all the worse. These materials are capable of causing great harm to marine environments as well as its wildlife, and have been proven so, many times over the past.

“This patrimony of beauty has been given to us on loan from our parents and we must preserve it and give it to our children and future generations,” said Coastguard spokesman Cosimo Nicastro, expressing his optimism that the lockdown would help people understand the fragility of the environment. “It is not something that belongs to us.”

 

By Patryk Krych | © The World Daily 2020

 

 

Categories:
Environment
Tags:
EuropeMediterraneanItalyWildlife