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.

Share:
More In Science
Bowery Farming Focuses on Sustainable Food Chain With Vertical Farming Process
Bowery Farming's vertical growing process allows it to cultivate 13 types of greens — and now, strawberries — in a sustainable way that's also faster than traditional farming. Bowery focuses on sustainability from start to finish, using unique technology to provide plants with what they need at the right time while eliminating waste and cutting down on carbon dioxide emissions. Katie Seawell, Chief Commercial Officer of Bowery Farming, joins Closing Bell to discuss the company's vertical farming process, sustainability focus, fixing the food supply chain, and more.
Nexii CEO on Creating Alternative to Major Carbon Contributor: Concrete
Nexii, a company based in Canada, is getting some big backing for its sustainable, low-carbon concrete alternative. CEO Stephen Sidwell, joined Cheddar News to talk about the initiatives his company is taking to tackle climate change and scaling up production to meet demand. "Most people don’t realize it, but buildings are the number one contributor to CO2 emissions," he said. "So that's really what we're attacking, the overall CO2 emissions."
New York Mayor Eric Adams to Lift Mask Mandate for Children Under 5
New York City Mayor Eric Adams has announced the removal of the mask mandate in school and day-care centers for children under 5. If COVID-19 cases remain low, this change will take place on April 4th. Syra Madad, an infectious disease epidemiologist, joins Cheddar News to discuss.
New BA.2 Variant Predicted to Boost Covid Cases in U.S.
A subvariant of the omicron COVID-19 variant called BA.2 is causing an outbreak overseas. Now, some health experts worry it could also lead to an increase in COVID-19 cases in the U.S. Dr. Amesh Adalja, infectious disease specialist and senior scholar at Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, joins Cheddar News to discuss.
Green Battery Materials Maker Nouveau Monde Graphite Aims to Power Energy Revolution
Nouveau Monde Graphite says it wants to power the sustainable energy revolution. The Canadian company is developing carbon-neutral battery materials to serve the growing EV and cleantech markets and is doing so via a mining and manufacturing operation in Quebec. Eric Desaulniers, founder, president & CEO of Nouveau Monde Graphite, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
There's A New Subvariant. How Concerned Should We Be?
Health experts are warning an even more contagious subvariant of Omicron, known as BA.2, could soon lead to another surge in Covid cases here in the U.S. The variant has already driven cases to skyrocket in China and Europe, which has historically served as a preview to the pattern the U.S. has seen throughout the pandemic. This comes at a time when protection from booster shots is waning for most people who got them. Dr. Jen Caudle, Family Physician & Associate Professor at Rowan University, explains what we can do to protect ourselves against the new variant and how we should act as warnings of another surge rise.
Load More