The proliferation of certain species of jellyfish associated with global warming could, in the future, make Spain's beaches unsuitable for swimming.
In the future, it will be more and more difficult to swim on Spain's beaches
Yes, yes littoral Spanish is mainly exploited for its coastal tourismin the future, real estate developers will have to slow down: beaches Iberianand in particular those of the Costa Bravacould well prove unsuitable for swimming in a few years. In question the proliferation of jellyfishintrinsically linked to warming climatic which continues to accelerate.
A worrying proliferation of jellyfish
This summer, plus of 7000 bathers attending a beach Spanish would have consulted a doctor for a jellyfish sting, i.e. a increase of more than 40% compared to the previous year.
While most cases involved harmless species of jellyfish, two beaches in Tarragona, in Cataloniawere closed in July following the resurgence of physalia (Physalia physalis). Although they are not strictly speaking jellyfish, these marine organisms similar in appearance can inflict sting very painfulor even endanger people with an immune deficiency.
The effects of global warming
According to the research department of the Institute of Marine Sciences of Barcelona, the proliferation of jellyfish on the Spanish coasts could be explained by the increase in water temperatures, a phenomenon caused by the warming climatic :
The warmer the sea, the more jellyfish are able to reproduce, hence their proliferation in certain areas, particularly near the coast.
But the change climatic is not the only one jellyfish multiplication factor : the fishing intensive and the concreting of coastlines would also have their share of responsibility. The Spanish coasts are often considered to be the most concrete in Europe, seaside resorts which do not favor the best environmental conditions.
While altering water quality, human activities are reducing predators of jellyfish, which are capable of surviving in the most difficult environments.
A word from the editor
The consequences of the proliferation of jellyfish could also represent a major challenge for the Spanish tourism economy. While seaside tourism constitutes a significant part of the country's revenue, the proliferation of these marine organisms risks leading to a drop in attendance on certain beaches. Local authorities and industry players may need to invest more in solutions to control the presence of jellyfish, such as the installation of anti-jellyfish nets or the development of awareness programs for vacationers.
