Red tides spotted on Marmara Sea, near Istanbul shores

TEKİRDAĞ/ISTANBUL - Doğan News Agency

The orangish tide was spotted at the western shores of Istanbul. DHA photo

Red tides have been seen in the Marmara Sea, near Istanbul shores April 25. The tides were spotted in Tekirdağ province, near the small Marmara shore town Şarköy as well as the Büyükçekmece bay area west of Istanbul.

The orangish color of the tide is thought to be caused by algae that produce toxins harmful for fish and other species. The phenomenon has again raised the environmental pollution in the Marmara Sea, which is a small, enclosed basin between two straits that harbors the most industrialized regions of Turkey and lies on the route of hundreds of oil tankers, that cross it every day.

Experts at the Marmara Oceanographic Monitoring Center (MAREM) told Doğan news agency the phenomenon happened several times every year, especially during season transitions.