Recently, the beaches in Turkey appeared a patch of mucus (sea snot), which is increasingly spreading over the water. The widespread mucus layer on the Turkish coast causes serious damage to the country’s marine life and fishermen. (Source: Reuters) Sea snot is a green mud that is formed naturally when algae are over-nutriented due to hot weather and polluted water environment. The phenomenon was first detected in Turkey in 2007 and then in the Aegean Sea near Greece. The latest outbreak in the Sea of ​​Marmara near Istanbul is believed to be the largest in history. (Source: Reuters) Experts believe that the large amount of mucus that has appeared recently is due to a combination of environmental pollution and global warming, which accelerates the growth of algae that cause the slime. Meanwhile, President Erdogan said that the problem of untreated sewage being discharged directly into the sea was the cause of this outbreak of marine mucus. (Source: Reuters) When algae grow out of control in the spring, as we’ve seen this year, they block sunlight and cause declines, says biology professor at Istanbul University Muharrem Balci. oxygen for fish and marine life. (Source: Reuters) This mucous membrane covers the sea surface like a canvas. After a while, they sink, covering the seabed ecosystem and harming many species of creatures. When this process is over, they will appear to smell like a spoiled egg. This phenomenon can cause poisoning to sea clams and creatures such as crabs. (Source: Reuters) Professor Bayram Ozturk of the Turkish Marine Research Agency said that due to the overgrowth of the mucus layer, several species are endangered, including oysters, mussels and starfish. “This is a real disaster,” he said. (Source: Reuters) According to environmental engineer Cevahir Efe Akcelik, mucus could cover the sea during the summer if authorities do not take urgent measures. Studies show that mucus stays not only on the surface but also at depths between 25-30 meters. (Source: Reuters) Divers report that large numbers of fish and other species in the affected area are being wiped out by suffocation. This phenomenon has a significant impact on the lives of fishermen. Boats passing through the Sea of ​​Marmara had to navigate through the gray mud, while some fishermen were unable to fish because the mud clogs their engines and nets. (Source: Reuters) Mehmet Soyolcu (43 years old), a fourth generation fisherman in the Sea of ​​Marmara, said that in the past, it took two hours to pull a fishing net at sea, but now it takes ten hours, not counting the cost of fuel. materials and other operating costs. Every day, the operating costs are getting higher and higher, and the fish are less and less. (Source: Reuters) Some fishermen will raise prices to cover their losses, but that won’t help either because people fear the seawater might contaminate the fish in Marmara. At the fish market, more and more customers avoid buying fish and seafood since information about the mucus layer appeared. This makes the fishermen lose income from fishing, life becomes more difficult. (Source: Reuters) Istanbul, Turkey’s largest city with about 16 million inhabitants, and five other provinces, factories and industrial centers border the sea. As a result, this outbreak has had a severe impact on the ecosystem and fisheries in the region. (Source: Reuters) The Sea of ​​Marmara is a sea that stretches 281 km from the Northeast to the Southwest and is 80 km wide at its widest. This sea is connected to the Black Sea through the Bosphorus, also known as the Istanbul Strait in the Northeast. President Erdogan fears the problem will be very serious if the mucus spreads to the Black Sea. (Source: Reuters) The Turkish government has deployed a team of experts to examine the source of pollution in the sea. Workers are now trying to use nets to remove mucus, but their efforts have so far been largely ineffective. (Source: Reuters) Not only around the Sea of ​​Marmara, but the adjacent Black Sea and Aegean Sea regions were also affected by this mucus outbreak. (according to Reuters)

According to research published in Nature, fishing operations emit about 1 billion tons of CO2 emissions per year – higher than those emitted by aviation (before the COVID pandemic – 19 ).

Industrial fishing, in particular the method of pulling nets along the seabed, not only contributes to climate change becoming more serious, but also greatly damages biodiversity. positive.

“This activity is the equivalent of plowing an old forest, repeating until there is nothing left,” report author Enric Sala, a marine biologist, points out.

Industrial fishing is also one of the least expensive fishing methods. Researcher Sala also said that most of the hunting grounds have been repeatedly caught, leaving little value left to catch.

Mr. Eric Sala is looking at possible dynamics that could cause the fishing industry and governments to abandon netting methods and hope the findings on the carbon footprint could be just a wake-up call.

The study of Mr. Sala et al. Breaks down the entire ocean into 50 square km units, measuring the extent to which each unit contributes to global marine biodiversity, fish stocks and climate protection, based on a complex analysis of the location, water temperature, salinity and distribution of species, among other factors.

At the same time, this study also monitors the amount of CO2 emissions each unit is capable of absorbing.

By mapping baselines for each previously divided unit, research can calculate the effects of an increase or decrease in fishing and other human activities.

The overall goal is to develop a map of ocean locations that, if protected, would be of maximum benefit to humans in increasing fish stocks, biodiversity and carbon sequestration while minimizing losses. income harm to the fishing industry.

Dismissing the long-held view that protecting oceans harm fisheries, research shows that marine protected areas designed to prevent overfishing will actually boost marine life. by acting as fish nurseries.

According to the study results, ocean protection could increase global fisheries production by more than 8 million tons per year, despite the challenges of overfishing and climate change.

“However, the fishing will have to stop,” said Mr Sala. While mangroves, kelp forests and sea grasslands have good carbon sequestration capacity, below the ocean floor is a large carbon sink.

Once fishermen’s nets are released into the ocean, the carbon gas is released back into the water. Excess carbon in the water turns it into acid, which is harmful to marine organisms.

Worse yet, this situation also affects the ocean’s ability to absorb carbon in the atmosphere: if seawater is saturated, it will not be able to absorb man-made emissions, limiting one of the The best “weapon” of man in the fight against climate change.

By combining publicly available data on the operations of fishing vessels globally with unit estimates of the amount of carbon stored in ocean sediment layers, researcher Sala and his team had The amount of emissions generated by this method can be calculated at the national level.

For example, the European Union emits 274,718,086 tons of carbon into the oceans each year, while Chinese fleets emit 769,294,185 tons and the US emits 19,373,438 tons.

Technological innovations such as green energy production and battery storage are critical to reducing global greenhouse gas emissions. But there is a need to reduce the amount of carbon in the atmosphere, and so far the technology has not been able to do it at a reasonable cost and scale.

Mr. Sala said the oceans have been absorbing carbon for thousands of years. “Most people still see oceans as victims of climate change. What people don’t realize is that nature is part of the solution to the climate crisis. ”

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According to Time