The thick layer of 'sea gum' that pollutes the Turkish coast is widening and the authorities are struggling to clean it up

Weather of Arabia - Despite the enormous efforts made by the Turkish government to rid the Sea of Marmara of the stinky sticky layer of "marine gum" that pollutes the coasts, disrupts ports, clogs fishermen's networks and suffocates marine life, there are scenes showing the expansion of the layer to reach the Black Sea.

What is marine gum?

Sea Snot is a layer of sticky mucus colloquially known as "sea snot." This mucus is produced from the secretions of phytoplankton that grow to uncontrollable numbers when high levels of nitrogen and phosphorous upset the ecological balance of the ocean. And although the mucus itself is not dangerous, it can carry toxic microorganisms and dangerous bacteria, so it is best not to touch it.

The reason for the emergence of a layer of "marine gum" in the Sea of Marmara

Scientists explain the emergence of a layer of marine gum in the Marmara Sea to the flow of untreated sewage and runoff from agricultural lands and other forms of pollution are responsible for this phenomenon due to its high content of nitrogen and phosphorous, which stimulates the growth of phytoplankton, in addition to the high water temperatures caused Climate change has played a role in phytoplankton blooming more and increasing mucus secretion.

Efforts to clean up marine gum

The Turkish authorities have launched a massive cleaning operation to remove layers of marine gum from the Sea of Marmara, located between the Black Sea and the Aegean Sea, using tanker trucks equipped with suction hoses, which stand along the coastline and effectively act as giant vacuum cleaners. But the fear that these layers will extend to the Black Sea, then the problem will be enormous.

Officials said the mucus removed from the Sea of Marmara will be trucked to waste disposal facilities, though some communities are testing drying it out on land to see if it can be used as fertilizer or animal feed.

Turkey's Environment Ministry is deploying hundreds of workers to every province on the border of the Marmara Sea in the largest marine clean-up effort the country has ever seen. To prevent the problem from recurring, officials will take steps to reduce pollution and improve wastewater treatment.

While some scholars praised the plan, others said the Turkish government should have cracked down on pollution decades ago. Marine biologist Mert Kokalp told Turkey's Cumhuriyet newspaper that the number of people living in Istanbul and other cities along the Sea of Marmara has exploded. "Why do we go on with our lives without thinking of unpolluted ways to dispose of our waste?"

(Satellite image taken on May 24 shows marine gum south of Gebze - Turkey)

Marine gum extends to the depths of the Marmara Sea

Marine scientists have warned that simply removing the top layer of "sea mucus" won't solve the problem, because the thick mucus clumps float under the water's surface and settle on the sea floor, where they pose a threat to corals and other marine life. It is not clear how the mucus can be removed underwater, but officials in Istanbul suggested last month that it might be necessary to bring in dredging boats.