RESEARCH is to be carried out by the Mediterranean Institute for Advanced Studies (Imedea) on the possible effects of climate change in Spain's Atlantic and Mediterranean coastal areas over the next 100 years.
Imedea are to be joined in the project by a study group from the Balearic University (UIB) and the Science Investigation Board (CSIC). An attempt will be made to forecast how temperatures will change, how the saline content of sea water will be affected, what currents will be altered, the nature of change in sea levels and the effect of waves on the coastline.
The knowledge of what effect climate change will have in these areas is fundamental for regions such as the Balearics and other parts of Spain where the chief economic activity is inextricably linked with the sea.
Such findings could be vital when the time comes to decide on long-term environmental management plans or the design of beaches and other coastal infrastructure.
Sea level is rising globally at the rate of 2 millimetres every year.
Temperature changes could alter coastal ecosystems, prompting the migration of species of fish. Similarly unexpected cold spells could ruin traditional crops such as the Sa Pobla potato, vital for export.
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