An aerial photo of Pendik port in Asian side of Istanbul, Friday, June 4, 2021, with a huge mass of marine mucilage, a thick, slimy substance made up of compounds released by marine organisms, in Turkey's Marmara Sea. Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan promised Saturday to rescue the Marmara Sea from an outbreak of "sea snot" that is alarming marine biologists and environmentalists. Erdogan said untreated waste dumped into the Marmara Sea and climate change had caused the sea snot bloom. Istanbul, Turkey's largest city with some 16 million residents, factories and industrial hubs, borders the sea.(AP Photo)
Turkey’s president promised Saturday to rescue the Marmara Sea from an outbreak of “sea snot” that is alarming marine biologists and environmentalists.
A huge mass of marine mucilage, a thick, slimy substance made up of compounds released by marine organisms, has bloomed in Turkey's Marmara, as well as in the adjoining Black and Aegean Seas.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said untreated waste dumped into the Marmara Sea and climate change had caused the sea snot bloom. Istanbul, Turkey’s largest city with some 16 million residents, and five other provinces, factories and industrial hubs border the sea.
Marine mucilage has reached unprecedented levels this year in Turkey. It is visible above the water as a slimy gray sheet along the shores of Istanbul and neighboring provinces. Underwater videos showed suffocated coral covered with sea snot.
Erdogan said he instructed the Ministry of Environment and Urbanization to coordinate with relevant institutions, municipalities and universities. Teams are inspecting waste water and solid waste facilities, along with other potential sources of pollution, he said.
“We will save our seas from this mucilage calamity, leading with the Marmara Sea,” Erdogan said. “We must take this step without delay.”
Marine experts say that human waste and industrial pollution is choking Turkey’s seas. They say the rise in water temperatures from climate change is contributing to the problem.
The National Hurricane Center announced that the list of storm names in 2021 has been exhausted as one of the most active hurricane seasons in history continues to stir in the Atlantic Ocean. Subtropical Storm Wanda marks only the third time in history (last year being the second) that all the names were used in a single season.
Astronomers at NASA have located what could be the first exoplanet not only outside of the solar system but outside of our own galaxy in the Messier 51 (or the Whirlpool Galaxy), 28 million light-years away. It could take astronomers up to 70 years to see if the planet passes in front of its star to verify the find.
Even with pandemic lockdowns, greenhouse gas levels reached new highs in 2020, according to the World Meteorological Organization. This report comes just a week ahead of the United Nations Climate Change Conference, otherwise known as Cop26. Shannon Osaka, climate policy and solutions reporter at Grist, joined Cheddar's Between Bells to discuss.
Oatly Chief Sustainability Officer, Ashley Allen joins Cheddar News to talk about food waste and hows its been left off the table in the upcoming COP26 agenda. Ashley will be on the ground at COP26 and advocating for this conversation to get the attention it deserves.
Carlo's flying solo today, talking COP26 and climate change, another racially charged trial gets underway, SCOTUS takes on abortion and a stunning rise in traffic deaths points to a bigger societal breakdown sparked by the pandemic.
An FDA panel has recommended the low-dose Pfizer vaccine for kids ages five to 11. The recommendation now cues up the FDA to authorize the vaccine. Next week, the CDC will consider its own authorization. Once signed off by the CDC, the Pfizer vaccine can be administered in children immediately. Dr. Christina Johns, Senior Medical Advisor at PM Pediatrics, joined Cheddar's Search for a Cure.
Dr. Vivek Cherin, Internal Medicine Physician at Amita Health, joined Cheddar's Search for a Cure to break down what we need to know about eligibility and availability of COVID-19 vaccine boosters.
World leaders will converge this weekend at the 2021 G20 Summit in Rome and the UN COP26 conference in Glasgow with the climate crisis on the agenda. Lord Adair Turner, chair of the Energy Transitions Commission, joined Cheddar to discuss what people can expect to come out of the climate-focused conferences. Turner also noted that one of the biggest hurdles for the attending nations will be coming to a uniform decision on expanding on the Paris Climate Accord goals that have become insufficient to prevent global warming by 1.5 degrees celsius.
Nicole Lambert, President at Myriad Genetics joins ChedHER to discuss how to expand access to genetic testing for all women, and how her experience as a 'pre-vivor' motivates her role in the industry.
Carlo and Baker cover Facebook's big rebrand, the latest on Biden's economic agenda and more. Plus, ranking the best Halloween candy and the worst couple's costumes.
