Experts predict mucilage-free summer for Marmara Sea

ISTANBUL

Experts have expressed optimism that mucilage, a significant threat to the Marmara region’s marine ecosystem, is not expected to occur this summer.

Scientists and NGO representatives gathered in Istanbul on June 11 for June 8, Marmara Sea Day, to discuss the current state of threats to the Marmara Sea’s marine biology.

Organized by the Union of Marmara Municipalities, the event featured discussions on various issues such as marine life populations, oxygen levels, temperature changes and the risk of mucilage.

Ibrahim Tan, head of the Marine Research and Technologies Group at Scientific and Technological Research Institution of Türkiye Marmara research Center, provided insights into the mucilage threat. He explained, “When you talk about mucilage, it does not depend on only on one factor. We cannot just say climate, we cannot just say pollution. It was formed at the end of a process that covers all of these.”

Tan emphasized that while the current risk of mucilage this summer is low, ongoing monitoring is crucial.

“We are constantly monitoring both the Marmara Sea and other seas.”

Despite significant efforts since the major mucilage event of 2021, including strategies published by the ministry, Tan noted that persistent pressures such as high population density, industrial activity and agricultural runoff around the Marmara Sea remain.

“As long as we do not take the pressure off the Marmara Sea, it is possible that it will happen again,” he warned.

“Even if it has not happened recently, it does not mean that it will not happen in the future. If there is a stagnant period and temperatures continue to rise, mucilage could occur again. But right now, I think we have passed the period when it will happen,” he remarked.

Reflecting on the 2021 mucilage crisis, Tan attributed its occurrence to a combination of a warm winter and a stagnant meteorological period.