Warming Waters Are Clogging Turkish Shores With “Sea Snot”

The Sea of Marmara in the northwest corner of Turkey is currently plagued by a mucus-excreting phytoplankton bloom known as “Sea Snot” that is likely due to a combination of coastal pollution and warming waters.

“Domestic waste released into the sea without treatment increases the nitrogen and phosphorus load of the seawater,” said Dr Mustafa Sarı, the dean of Bandırma Onyedi Eylül University.

Essentially, runoff from agriculture and sewage is comprised of nitrogen and phosphorous – essential nutrients that help phytoplankton grow. But, in excess, these phytoplankton populations explode allowing them to takeover large bodies of water – as can frequently be seen in the Gulf of Mexico at the mouth of the Mississippi River.

These “Sea Snot” does not refer to the phytoplankton, but a mucus they shed into the water that is not in and of itself harmful, but can harbor bacteria and viruses like E. coli that could cause problems. Additionally, as with the Gulf of Mexico, the bloom can reduce oxygen in the ambient water because microbes that consume dead phytoplankton consume oxygen and leave behind carbon dioxide. Additionally, the mucus does not necessarily stay at the surface, but can sink to the sea floor and suffocating corals and fish.

Although this mucus outbreak is only coming to light now, it has apparently been causing problems for commercial fishermen and divers whose targets are disappearing due to the mucus clogging the animals’ gills. And, some are concerned that the blanket of mucus could drive down tourism just as people are craving travel as global vaccination rates increase.

The last time a “Sea Snot” event occurred in the Sea of Maramara was nearly 15 years ago.

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