Sea slime is reappearing on the shores of the Marmara Sea in Istanbul, according to Turkish media.
The problem is returning, in particular, to Istanbul’s Tuzla and Kadake districts in the Asian part of the metropolis, although the layer of mucus on the sea surface is still not as thick as in 2021.
Prof. Mustafa Sar, an expert at the University of the Faculty of Marine Sciences in Bandarma County on September 17, commented that the phenomenon confirms his prediction that sea slime will return in 2022, despite efforts to clean it last year.
A small amount of sea mucus was first spotted in the Maltepe district of Istanbul in February this year, but it later appeared in two other places.
“Sea mucus is a consequence. It cannot be expected to disappear completely without eliminating the causes,” said the scientist.
Sea mucus is an excessive growth of phytoplankton / microalgae /. The thick mucous layer on the sea surface contains various microorganisms, and the main factors contributing to its formation are rising sea water temperatures due to global warming and pollution. The problem of sea slime has serious consequences for fisheries and tourism.
As a result of a major cleaning campaign last year in Turkey, sea slime was removed from the sea surface, although in some places it is stored in the sea below the surface, adds BTA.