The Mediterranean Sea that exists today has been due to Messinian Salinity Crisis, which resulted in the drying of the seas. Basically, the maritime biota of the Mediterranean has been taken largely from Atlantic Ocean. North Atlantic had been significantly colder and enriched with a nutrient base than the Mediterranean. However, the marine existence of the Mediterranean adapted to the altering conditions of the habitat over the past 5 million years, while the basin got re-flooded.

Ecology of the Mediterranean Sea was enhanced, and enriched with the opening of Suez Canal in the year 1869. The first salt-water passage was created between Mediterranean and Red seas. The Suez Canal acts like a Salt River pouring water from the Red Sea in to the Eastern Mediterranean, since the later is higher. However, hyper-saline natural lakes called Bitter Lakes, prevented migration of many Red Sea species to the Mediterranean, since it formed a vital part of the canal.

With the time the salinity of the lakes equalized with water of the Red Sea. Hence, the blockade of migration was naturally erased. The animals and plants from Red Sea gradually colonized in the eastern parts of the Mediterranean. Considering the fact that the Red Sea is saltier, with poor nutrient content compared to the Atlantic, the species from Red Sea were able to equalize with the Eastern Mediterranean much easily.

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