SEA SNOT IN TURKEY

Subject: International Relations

Context: Recently, there has been growing environmental concern in Turkey over the accumulation of ‘sea snot’.

Concept:

It is a slimy layer of grey or green sludge in the country’s seas, which can cause considerable damage to the marine ecosystem.
Turkey’s Sea of Marmara, that connects the Black Sea to the Aegean Sea, has witnessed the largest outbreak of ‘sea snot’.
The sludge has also been spotted in the adjoining Black and Aegean seas.
The thick slimy layer of organic matter, which looks like a viscous, brown and foamy substance, has spread through the sea south of Istanbul and also blanketed harbours and shorelines.

What is a Sea Snot?

It is marine mucilage that is formed when algae are overloaded with nutrients as a result of water pollution combined with the effects of climate change.
The nutrient overload occurs when algae feast on warm weather caused by global warming.
The phenomenon of water pollution adds to the problem.
The overproduction of phytoplankton caused by climate change and the uncontrolled dumping of household and industrial waste into the seas has led to the Sea Snot.
The dumping of sewage in the sea along with rising temperatures is causing the crisis.
A ‘sea snot’ outbreak was first recorded in the country in 2007 and it was also spotted in the Aegean Sea near Greece.