Environmentalists say this mucus is caused by pollution and climate change. Slime in the Sea of Marmara is a natural green silt that occurs when algae are overloaded with nutrients as a result of hot weather and water pollution.
For the first time such mucus was discovered back in 2007, but the current outbreak is the largest in history. Turkish President Recep Erdogan has promised to prevent the penetration of this slime into the neighboring seas.
“I hope we save our seas from this slime disaster,” he said.
Erdogan blames untreated sewage that is dumped into the sea for the slime and urged officials to investigate. The Turkish government has already sent a team of 300 people to check potential sources of pollution.
“I fear that if this spreads to the Black Sea … the problems will be enormous. We must take this step without delay,” he said.
Gray slime, in particular, interferes with the work of Turkish fishermen, as the sludge clogs boat motors and nets. Also, mucus blocks the access of oxygen, which leads to the death of fish and other marine life.
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