An ICM-CSIC study on the impact of Mediterranean warming on fisheries wins the 2025 Barcelona City Awards - Life eCOadapt50
The award-winning study is led by the Institute in collaboration with the Marine and Food Research Centre AZTI and published in the journal Global Change Biology. It analyses how the progressive warming of the Mediterranean Sea is altering catches and fishing income along the Catalan coast. The awards, presented annually by the Barcelona City Council, aim to recognise high-quality creation, research, and production carried out in the city.
The jury particularly valued the study’s ability to connect the climate crisis with its direct repercussions on the fishing sector. The scientific article shows how the tropicalisation of catches—the increase in warm-water species at the expense of colder-water species—not only changes the marine ecosystem but also modifies fishermen’s catches and income.
The awarded research highlights that the increase in Mediterranean temperature in recent decades has caused changes in the composition of the marine community, with effects on catches and fishermen’s earnings. According to the data collected, catches of thermophilic species (which prefer warm waters) have multiplied, while species from more temperate or cold waters—historically essential in the Mediterranean diet and the local market—are declining. This phenomenon is not just a biological fact, but a reality already affecting auction prices and the daily work of fishermen.