For the past several months, fishermen in the Sea of Marmara have been unable to catch fish due to a thick, viscous layer floating on the water. This situation gets worse for many reasons.
The appearance of this mucus is not a new phenomenon, scientists say. Washington Post reported on May 27.
However, increased water temperature due to global warming makes the situation worse. Another cause is the pollution of untreated industrial wastewater. Obstructing livelihoods In April, according to the newspaper Cumhuriyet , biologists discovered the mucus appeared on the seabed about more than 30 meters deep. This mucus layer covers the reef, potentially suffocating the coral. Carcasses of thousands of fish were also found in several coastal towns. To make matters worse in recent weeks, Istanbul’s coastline has been covered with a “beige carpet”. Fishermen who rely on the sea for their livelihood have begun to sound the alarm about the situation. Sheet Cumhuriyet quoted a fisherman who said he had not been able to work since January. The mucus prevented him from casting a net. 
The sea surface of Marmara is covered with “a blanket of beige”. Photo: Daily Sabah. A diver catching sea snails laments to the news agency Anadolu that his income was reduced by poor underwater visibility. Crabs and seahorses are slowly dying as slime clogs their gills. Lecturer in hydrobiology at Ondokuz Mayıs University, Mr. zgür Baytut told the newspaper. BirGün that since it first appeared in Turkey in 2007, the mucus seems to affect the Mediterranean Sea region cyclically. According to him, it is “unusual” that mucus has been regularly found along the coast of Turkey in recent times. Mainly human According to the Guardian , the high levels of nitrogen and phosphorus in the Sea of Marmara lead to phytoplankton populations releasing huge amounts of “mucus”. Although the mucus itself is not harmful, it can become a host for harmful microorganisms and dangerous bacteria such as E.coli – bacteria that cause gastrointestinal diseases in humans. Furthermore, when the mucus is so thick that it forms a coating on the surface of the water, it can cause a tragedy. It prevents fish from breathing, leading to mass fish deaths, which in turn leads to a sharp drop in oxygen in the water causing suffocation for other marine species. Scientists suspect that climate change may be a factor because phytoplankton thrives in warm waters. Last winter was milder than usual, meaning the Sea of Marmara was a few degrees warmer than average. Mustafa Sari, a professor at Bandırma Onyedi Eylül University, told podcast channel Kisa Dalga that the giant and sticky clumps of mucus represent “climate change that is becoming increasingly apparent”. 
Not only hindering the fishermen, the tourists are also worried that “mucus” will reduce the beauty of the Sea of Marmara. Photo: Daily Sabah. Experts also point out that preventing untreated waste from being dumped directly into the Sea of Marmara helps to reduce nitrogen and phosphorus levels somewhat. Overfishing – which leaves phytoplankton out of many natural prey – can also cause this condition. Officials in Istanbul in early May announced cooperation with the Turkish government and Bandırma Onyedi Eylül University to come up with a solution, including sending boats to dredge the seabed. In Izmit, workers collected more than 110 tons of mucus, which was then taken to an incinerator for processing. Concerned that the mucus could reduce tourist numbers, some have called on the government to do more to prevent the problem from recurring. Ismet Cigit, newspaper reporter Ses Kocaeli , lamented that humans had “betrayed the most beautiful waters in the world” by allowing chemical storage facilities, fuel tanks, factories, and industrial sites to build along the coast. “Clearly there is no deterrent penalty for those who pollute the sea. Marmara is dying,” he wrote in Turkish.
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