Mucilage cleaning works in the Turkish seas finally paying off

ISTANBUL

With the efforts in line with a massive cleanup campaign launched by the authorities to eliminate the problem of mucilage that has severely threatened the marine biome finally paying off, the Turkish seas are coming back to life once again.

Following extensive works and the effect of prevailing winds, the mucilage density decreased in Istanbul’s Caddebostan coast and Kurbağalıdere, a narrow creek extending into Kadıköy district.

As mucilage can reproduce on the shores due to the current and wind, the cleaning efforts continue without interruption, authorities noted.

It was also observed that the teams succeeded in cleaning mucilage formed on the surface of the Çanakkale shores, but it was effective from time to time on the bays of the province in the Aegean Sea.

Mucilage is a jelly-like layer of slime that develops on the surface of the water due to the excessive proliferation of microscopic plants called phytoplankton, gravely threatening the marine biome.

The sea cleanup teams have collected a total of 7,430 cubic meters of mucilage from the Marmara Sea over the past 19 days, Environment and Urbanization Minister Murat Kurum said on June 27.

Meanwhile, İzmir Mayor Tunç Soyer went scuba diving to follow the mucilage cleaning process in İzmir Gulf and to observe the underwater life that officials say is endangered due to the slimy layers.

“No trace of mucilage. On the contrary, we have a gulf that is getting cleaner and more colorful every day. I am proud of this,” Soyer noted, adding that he saw anemones, swarms of bream and salema porgy, stony corals, sponges and molly miller blennies at the bottom of the sea.

“We will see much brighter days. We maintain our goal of swimming in the Gulf, and we are getting closer to that goal every day,” he added.