There is a certain diversity of marine life, although the Eastern
Mediterranean has never had the abundance of some other seas. It has,
unfortunately, been and is still over-fished, meaning that some of the
edible species are endangered, while others are extinct. Pollution has also
reduced the numbers of both specimens and species. The opening of the Suez
canal in the mid-19th century has allowed some Red Sea species to reach the
Mediterranean, although it took many years to do so. These have upset the
natural balance.

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