SEA SNOT OUTBREAK

June 30, 2021

Turkey’s Sea of Marmara, that connects the Black Sea to the Aegean Sea, has witnessed the largest outbreak of ‘sea snot’.

What is it?

  • ‘Sea snot’ is marine mucilage, which floats up on the surface of the sea like a brown phlegm.

  • This thick slimy layer of organic matter looks like a viscous, brown and foamy substance.

Formation

  • It 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. Water pollution adds to the problem.

  • Overproduction of phytoplankton caused by climate change/rising temperatures and the uncontrolled dumping of household and industrial waste into the seas has led to the present crisis in turkey.