Endemic species
The Mediterranean
is one of 25 biodiversity hotspots of the Earth.
It is the habitat for more than 10.000 marine species, between them there
are 28% of endemic species. This rich biodiversity represents 8 to 9 % of
the total number of species in the world’s seas and new species are
still being recorded.
Seagrass meadows
provide an important habitat for numerous marine species, particularly fish,
crustaceans, and marine turtles. These meadows produce more than 80 per cent
of the annual
fish yield in the Mediterranean.
The
Mediterranean marine species have generally smaller individuals, having a
shorter life cycle, than similar species living in other seas.
Plankton
The Mediterranean
is oligotrophic, it means it is poor of nutrients.
About 470
zooplankton species have been recorded in the Mediterranean
coastal and offshore waters. The Mediterranean Sea is characterised
by the absence of true deep sea species; in fact the
deep waters are occupied by inhabitants of the intermediate
layers.
Fish
More than
600 fish species have been recorded. Their distribution is
not homogeneous: there are much more species in the western
than in the eastern basin.
Reptiles
The only reptiles
living in the Mediterranean sea are three marine turtle species:
the loggerhead turtle, the leatherback and the green turtle.
Birds
Several
colonial waterbird species live
along the Mediterranean
coastline. They are
threatened by the human activities. |
