Pictures show gravity of ‘sea snot’ problem in Marmara

* Photos: Muhammed Enes Yıldırım - AA; Source: AA

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The Sea of Marmara in northwestern Turkey has been troubled with increasing mucilage or 'sea snot' for the last two months.

While the mucilage density in the Caddebostan Coast in Kadıköy in the Asian side of İstanbul has increased, as is seen in the pictures taken from the air, the efforts to clear the sea are still ongoing.

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Launched as part of the "Mucilage Clearing Works" within the frame of the Ministry of Environment and Urbanization's "Marmara Sea Action Plan", the efforts to clear the sea continue in İstanbul.

On the other side, the boats of the İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality are also working to clean the bottom of the Sea of Marmara.

While no mucilage was visible in the Caddebostan Coast due to rainfall and wind on June 14, the sea snot was once again visible on the sea surface yesterday (June 15). The teams have indicated that the sea snot might decrease or increase depending on the sea flow and wind, adding that the efforts are continuing uninterruptedly for this reason.

The teams of the Ministry of Environment and Urbanization surrounded the mucilage with barriers and filled it into tanks by using hoses.

Public Health Specialist Assoc. Prof. Cavit Işık Yavuz previously spoke to bianet about the mucilage in terms of its effects on public health. Underlining that people should not go swimming in the Marmara, he also warned people against the risk of infectious diseases. (AÖ/SD)