Sea of Marmara covered with 'sea snot'

Photos: AA

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Various spots on the Sea of Marmara, Turkey's inland sea, have been covered with "sea snot," or "marine mucilage," a yellow-colored organic matter.

While it's visible in the surface off the coasts of İstanbul, Çanakkale, İzmit, Tekirdağ, Yalova, Bursa and Balıkesir, it's now also seen in deep water, divers in İstanbul told the state-run Anadolu Agency (AA).

In Tekirdağ, fishing has stopped for 15 days due to sea snot.

Marine mucilage occurs with excessive growth of microscopic marine algae species and can harm the ecosystem, Prof. Yelda Aktan-Turan, a lecturer at İstanbul University's Faculty of Hydrology, told AA.

A leading cause of the forming of mucilage is human activities, said the professor.

"Domestic and industrial wastes reach the seas, causing marine pollution and destruction of the ecosystem," she explained.

"These creatures turn carbon dioxide and some nutrients into organic molecules such as sugar with light energy. Some of them become excessively dominant.

"The concentrated phytoplankton creates blur, reduces visibility, prevents sunlight from reaching the bottom. When these short-lived creatures die, they release organic substances into water and form mucilage.

"It can be observed in very large areas for a long time. The marine ecosystem can be dragged into a lack of oxygen or even toxic algae growth." (TP/VK)