Mucilage, also known as sea saliva, is one of the important environmental problems that indicates that the balance of the marine ecosystem is disrupted.
Mucilage, which manifests itself as a sticky and dense layer resulting from the excessive proliferation of microscopic creatures living in the sea, is known not only as visual pollution but also as a serious problem that threatens marine life.
“THE BIGGEST CAUSE OF MUCILAGE IS UNPURIFIED WATER”
President of the Turkish Marine Research Foundation (TÜDAV) Prof. Dr. In his statement, Bayram Öztürk stated that pollution threatens the Marmara Sea, “Pollution in the Marmara Sea is not only ship-based, but also land-based pollution. Land-based pollution means the discharge of untreated water into the Marmara Sea. Even one liter of water should not be given without purification; if it is, it will become mucilage.” made his assessment.
‘EUTROPIFICATION’
Öztürk, nutrient and domestic wastes such as nitrogen and phosphate in the seas. “eutrophication” He said it caused the so-called pollution.
Öztürk noted that when the sea is polluted, certain types of plankton and microscopic single-celled creatures invisible to the naked eye reproduce excessively, and as a result, mucilage or “red tide” He explained that the so-called red tide appeared.
Öztürk emphasized that red planktons were seen extensively in the Marmara Sea in the 1980s and 1990s, and phytoplanktons and microscopic single-celled organisms that cause mucilage were seen intensely in the late 1990s.
“WHO WILL DO THE PURIFICATION? MUNICIPALITIES AND MINISTRIES WILL DO IT”
Stating that 50 percent of untreated water is supplied to the Marmara Sea, Öztürk pointed out that the treatment is insufficient.
Öztürk reminded that the Marmara Sea was declared a “Special Environmental Protection Area” by the Presidential decision in 2021 and said:
“This is the right decision. The first thing to do is to prevent untreated water from being discharged into the Marmara Sea, that is, to prevent land-based pollution. Untreated sewage waste, human-origin materials and discharges should not be discharged into the Marmara Sea. We will do the treatment for this. Who will do the treatment? Municipalities and ministries will do it. The Marmara Sea will recover to the extent that we carry out the treatment. We can describe the Marmara Sea as sick, but it is not dead. Therefore, with the measures to be taken, it will return to its former state.” “Even if it cannot be brought, we can ensure that it survives to a very large extent. Thus, not only the Marmara Sea, but also the Northern Aegean and the Black Sea can be ensured.”
Underlining that great attention should be paid to the Marmara Sea, Prof. Dr. Bayram Öztürk, “It is the only sea where all sides belong to us. The north, east, west, south. Neither the Chinese nor the Argentines will clean this place, we polluted it and we will clean it. The general slogan is: ‘The polluter pays.’ “We polluted, we will pay, we will pay by purifying.” he said.
“WE USE THE SEA OF MARMARA AS A GARBAGE AND SEWAGE PIT”
Stating that citizens pay purification fees to the municipalities where they live, Öztürk stated that this should be inspected and that this problem is everyone’s problem.
Öztürk concluded his speech as follows:
“Mucilage has been present in the Sea of Marmara for 25 years. So why haven’t we heard about it until now? It’s a matter of a thousand advices. We explained it, we explained it, but we couldn’t announce it. Everyone woke up in 2020 when mucilage covered everything. We use the Sea of Marmara as a garbage and sewage pit, we shouldn’t do this. We have no other inland sea and we have to leave a clean sea to future generations. Future generations should also eat fish, but if we pollute it “If the fish finds clean water, it reproduces, feeds, grows and lays eggs. If the water is dirty, the fish goes away, just like we don’t swim.”
