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| Eastern Mediterranean Sea | |
|---|---|
| Name | Eastern Mediterranean Sea |
| Location | Mediterranean Sea |
| Type | Sea |
| Basin countries | Albania, Algeria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cyprus, Egypt, Greece, Israel, Italy, Lebanon, Libya, Malta, Montenegro, Palestine, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey |
| Islands | Crete, Cyprus, Rhodes, Lesbos, Chios, Samos, Kos, Karpathos, Lemnos, Samothrace, Ikaria, Ios, Santorini, Naxos, Paros, Mykonos, Zakynthos, Kefalonia, Corfu, Malta, Gozo, Comino, Pantelleria, Lampedusa |
Eastern Mediterranean Sea The Eastern Mediterranean Sea is the eastern basin of the Mediterranean Sea bordering Southern Europe, Western Asia, and North Africa. It links the Aegean Sea, the Ionian Sea, the Levantine Sea, and the Adriatic Sea and connects to the Atlantic Ocean via the Strait of Gibraltar and to the Red Sea via the Suez Canal. The region's coasts include major cities such as Athens, Istanbul, Alexandria, Haifa, Beirut, Tripoli, Tunis, and Valletta.
The basin encompasses maritime zones off Greece, Turkey, Cyprus, Egypt, Israel, Lebanon, Syria, Libya, Malta, and Italy, with complex archipelagos like the Dodecanese, the Cyclades, and the Ionian Islands. Prominent straits and gulfs include the Dardanelles, the Gulf of Antalya, the Gulf of İzmir, the Gulf of Sidra, the Gulf of Lion, and the Gulf of Corinth. Major rivers draining into the basin include the Nile River, the Asi/Orontes, and the Peneus. Coastal peninsulas include the Peloponnese, the Anatolia, and the Cyrenaica region. Key maritime routes pass through ports such as Piraeus, Alexandria, Beirut, Haifa, Mersin, Izmir, Limassol, Tripoli, Valletta, and Taranto.
The eastern basin overlies complex tectonics involving the African Plate, the Eurasian Plate, and the Anatolian Plate, with subduction along the Hellenic arc and strike-slip motion on the Dead Sea Transform. Deep basins include the Levantine Basin, the Herodotus Basin, and the Cretan Sea trenches, with bathymetric features like the Mediterranean Ridge and the Hellenic Trench. Volcanism is represented by volcanic centers including Santorini and Nisyros, with hydrothermal vents and mud volcanoes documented near Cyprus and the Levantine Basin. Geological studies reference formations such as the Messinian salinity crisis evaporites and Pleistocene terraces correlated with Last Glacial Period sea-level changes.
Sea-surface temperatures and salinity are influenced by inflow through the Strait of Gibraltar, evaporation over the basin, and winter cooling linked to the Sahara Desert and Syrian Desert. Eastern currents include the Anticyclonic circulation of the Levantine Intermediate Water and seasonal upwelling off Cyprus and Greece. Atmospheric systems affecting the region include the Azores High, the North Atlantic Oscillation, and Mediterranean cyclones such as Medicanes. Oceanographic programs from institutions like National Observatory of Athens, Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, Israel Oceanographic and Limnological Research, Suez Canal Authority, and Mediterranean Science Commission monitor thermohaline circulation, heat flux, and nutrient dynamics.
Biogeographic zones host endemic species across ecosystems from Posidonia meadows to pelagic habitats; notable flora and fauna include Posidonia oceanica, loggerhead sea turtle, leatherback sea turtle, green sea turtle, Mediterranean monk seal, smooth hammerhead, Atlantic bluefin tuna, swordfish, and dusky grouper. Invasive species from the Red Sea via the Suez Canal—the Lessepsian migration—include silver-cheeked toadfish, marbled spinefoot, Devil firefish, and Caulerpa taxifolia. Habitats of conservation concern intersect with protected areas like Gulf of Gökova, Akamas Peninsula, Gavdos Island, and marine zones under Barcelona Convention frameworks and Natura 2000 sites.
The basin is a cradle of civilizations including Minoan civilization, Mycenaeans, Ancient Egypt, Phoenicia, Hittites, Byzantine Empire, Ottoman Empire, Crusades, and the Roman Empire. Archaeological sites and shipwrecks include Akrotiri (Santorini), Uluburun shipwreck, Aegestus, Pharos, Byblos, Tyre, Pella, Kition, and submerged ruins near Alexandria. Maritime trade networks linked to the Silk Road, Spice trade, maritime Silk Road, and medieval commerce in Venice and Genoa shaped cultural exchange. Important explorers and scholars who worked in the region include Herodotus, Strabo, Ptolemy, Thucydides, Flavius Josephus, and later investigators from institutions like the British Museum and National Archaeological Museum, Athens.
Fisheries, tourism, shipping, and hydrocarbon exploration drive regional economies with ports such as Piraeus, Alexandria, Haifa, Beirut, Karasu, and Mersin handling cargo and passenger traffic. Recent offshore gas fields include Zohr gas field, Leviathan, Tamar, Aphrodite, and prospects in the Cyprus EEZ and Egyptian EEZ. Energy infrastructure projects involve pipelines and LNG terminals tied to Eastern Mediterranean Gas Forum, EastMed pipeline proposal, and partnerships with Eni, TotalEnergies, BP, Chevron, and Shell. Fisheries target species such as mackerel, European pilchard, and Atlantic horse mackerel while aquaculture grows around Gulf of Saronikos and Iskenderun Bay. Tourism hubs include Santorini, Mykonos, Rhodes, Antalya, Limassol, and Sharm el-Sheikh.
Maritime boundaries and exclusive economic zones have led to disputes involving Greece, Turkey, Cyprus, Israel, Lebanon, and Egypt, invoking bodies like the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and cases before the International Court of Justice and International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea. Environmental concerns include overfishing addressed by the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean, pollution from tanker incidents such as the Amoco Cadiz precedent and local spills, desalination brine impacts near Ashkelon desalination plant and Hadera facilities, coastal development pressure in Antalya Province, and climate-change-driven sea-level rise examined by Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Regional cooperation efforts involve the Barcelona Convention, Union for the Mediterranean, Eastern Mediterranean Gas Forum, and conservation NGOs like WWF-Mediterranean and IUCN.