Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/869387
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 3 SEPTEMBER 2017 9 YANNICK PACE THE temperature of Malta's seas has been creeping up steadily over the last few decades, with Meteor- ological Office data showing an in- crease of approximately 2°C since the 1980s. Experts have long warned of the lasting effects this will have on the marine environment, but just how much this will impact the lo- cal community is hard to predict, according to marine biologist Dr Julian Evans. He said that rising sea tempera- tures as a result of climate change would definitely affect Malta's ma- rine life, but there were so many factors to consider that it would be difficult to measure the extent of this. Evans is a researcher who has published a number of papers on invasive marine species. His doc- toral thesis found that shallow-wa- ter pebble-beds, generally thought to be quite barren, are actually home to an unexpectedly high spe- cies diversity. Evans said he had no evidence indicating that rising sea tempera- tures could affect these beds, but nor was studying a potential link the scope of his work. "Very limited information is available on temperature tolerance for most species, apart from fish and a few other groups, so it isn't easy to predict the effect of rising sea temperatures," he said. When it comes to the more prolific spe- cies, for which there is more avail- able data, it is more straightfor- ward, he said. He explained that every species has its own optimal temperature range. For cold-water species, the present sea temperature is already at the warm end of what they can tolerate, so any increase in temper- ature would make it considerably more difficult for them to survive. This, he said, would lead to more of that species of fish dying – ei- ther from heat stress, or from hav- ing become more susceptible to disease. Meanwhile, species better suited to warmer waters will likely thrive as the sea gets warmer, and marine communities in Malta will start to resemble those in the south-eastern regions of the Medi- terranean. "For example, the parrot fish, which was previously found in the eastern and central Mediter- ranean is now being sighted in the northwest, and its abundance in the central parts has been steadily increasing," he said, adding that a confluence of factors could be at play. For instance, many alien species spotted in Maltese waters are a re- sult of shipping and the importa- tion of aquarium life, but warmer seas mean that these species could now survive long enough to estab- lish a population. Moreover, as the climate gets warmer and the sea temperature rises, its salinity will likely do so too, and this could alter ocean currents, said Evans. This, he said, could alter living conditions for marine life and also aid or prevent fish and larva (the immature form of an insect or other animal) from moving from one part of the global ocean to the other. This is not to mention the fact that the sea is absorbing more carbon dioxide, resulting in more acidic seas. Ultimately, however, the effect of these changes and the prospect of any potential benefits remain un- clear, and are in some cases a mat- ter of perspective, said Evans. "We can't generalise," he said. "It's possible that one species could be added or lost from a sys- tem without any major changes while another could have a dispro- portionate effect." For example, we could see the introduction of an invasive spe- cies, which is very effective at graz- ing algae, and leaving barren, ex- posed rock, which in turn reduces the habitats for the creatures that make their homes in algae. A sce- nario like this would ultimately lead to a change in the seascape from "algal forests to bare bed- rock". A development like this may not be considered positive by the div- ing industry, which might be more interested if a new variety of col- ourful fish were to be introduced in our seas. Similarly, fishing communities could start catching more fish if the water becomes more suited to a particular com- mercially exploited species, but could also have to contend with more poisonous fish and declining catches. ypace@mediatoday.com.mt MATTHEW AGIUS A WOMAN has admitted to kicking a police officer who stopped her from smoking inside a Paceville club on Friday night. Police Inspector Nikolai Sant arraigned 29-year-old long-term St Paul's Bay resident Leanne Marie Collier before Magistrate Joe Mifsud yesterday, telling the court that the woman had been stopped by police for smoking inside a club and she had lashed out, kicking one of the officers. Collier was charged with as- saulting and resisting police, threatening or causing bodily harm to police, disturbing the public peace and disobeying law- ful police orders. The court ruled that the last two charges were to be absorbed into the first charge. The woman pleaded guilty and apologised for her actions. She was handed a sentence of imprisonment for six months, suspended for four years, togeth- er with a €4,000 fine. The woman explained that she was the sole breadwinner for both her husband and her baby and that she ended up with be- tween €50 to €100 left over at the end of the month. The court therefore granted the woman a three-year period in which to pay the €4,000 fine, saying it would not be setting monthly instalments. Malta sea life at risk from rising heat News era.org.mt Environment & Resources Authority Hexagon House, Spencer Hill, Marsa. PRELIMINARY MARKET CONSULTATION THE SETTING UP OF THE DWEJRA HERITAGE PARK The Chief Executive Officer, Environment and Resources Authority (ERA) notifies that electronic submissions in respect of the following notice will be received on the day and time indicated below: Up to Monday, 15 th January, 2018 at 12.00 p.m., for: Advt. No. PMC# 001. Preliminary Market Consultation for the setting up of the Dwejra Heritage Park. The purpose of this Preliminary Market Consultation (PMC) is the conceptualisation, development and proposal of ideas that in turn will be utilised by Government to develop the Dwejra Heritage Park. Preliminary Market Consultation documents are free of charge and are to be viewed or downloaded and submitted ONLY through the e-tenders website (http://www.etenders.gov.mt). Difficult to predict effect of rising sea temperatures on all marine life, researcher contends The 29-year-old was also handed a 6-month suspended sentence for smoking inside Species better suited to warmer waters will likely thrive as the sea gets warmer, marine communities in Malta will start to resemble those in the south-eastern Mediterranean Woman fined €4,000 for assaulting policeman The parrot fish is now being sighted in the northwest Mediterranean