Israel rushes to protect marine life as Mediterranean warms
Israel is blazing forward with a plan to protect sections of its 118-mile Mediterranean coastline, a measure experts say is crucial to maintain biodiversity and shield ecosystems from humanity
ROSH HANIKRA MARINE RESERVE, Israel (AP) — Between the cliffs and crags of Israel’s submerged prehistoric coastline, a Mediterranean ecosystem is surging back to life.
Giant groupers flourish among the rocks, a psychedelic purple nudibranch sea slug clings to an outcrop, and a pair of rays skate along the undisturbed sandy bottom.
Israel is blazing forward with a plan to protect sections of its 118-mile coastline, a measure experts say is crucial to maintain biodiversity and shield ecosystems from humanity. Rosh Hanikra, just south of the Lebanese border, is the centerpiece of this effort, providing what scientists believe can be a blueprint for rescuing seas ravaged by pollution, overfishing and climate change.
Climate change, invasive species and explosive human activity are threatening what remains of the eastern Mediterranean's severely impacted ecosystems. Scientists warn that without protection, remaining marine ecosystems will be devastated.
