Heatwave batters Spain's Mediterranean mussel crop

Spain's northeastern region is facing significant losses in its mussel industry due to a severe marine heatwave that has reached temperatures of 30 degrees Celsius in the Ebro Delta, the country's primary mussel production area. The heatwave has resulted in the death of both this year's and next year's mussel crops, leading to initial estimates of losses reaching 1,150 tonnes and valued over one million euros. This extreme weather event, likely to be the worst in the Spanish Mediterranean since record keeping began in the 1980s, poses a serious threat to the region's entire marine ecosystem and highlights the broader impacts of climate change on the Mediterranean's biodiversity. The situation is critical for the 800 people directly or indirectly employed in the industry, with mussel growers like Javier Franch considering shifting their production towards more temperature-resistant oysters to adapt and secure their future in the changing climate.