Türkiye deploys floating plant islands to combat mucilage in Marmara
BURSA
In an effort to address the persistent mucilage problem in the Marmara Sea, authorities are introducing an innovative ecological solution in a stream in the northwestern province of Bursa’s Karacabey district: Floating plant islands.
This initiative seeks to reduce pollution in the tributaries that flow into the Marmara Sea, preventing it from reaching the sea and helping to preserve the region’s ecosystem and improve water quality.
Spearheaded by Associate Professor Ayşegül Akpınar from Bursa Uludağ University, the initiative builds on a Scientific and Technological Research Council of Türkiye's (TÜBİTAK) research project in 2021. The project will now be implemented in cooperation with the Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Ministry, the Bursa Demirtaş Organized Industrial Zone (DOSAB) and the university.
Akpınar described the initiative as a strategic effort to reduce nitrogen and phosphorus levels — key contributors to mucilage formation. The pilot phase involved establishing 11 floating plant islands across three locations — two in the Çapraz Stream and one in the Nilüfer Stream, both of which flow to the Marmara Sea.
Initial results have been promising, with the plant islands effectively absorbing pollutants.
"We are beginning the process of expanding this project, with the goal of adding approximately 1,000 floating plant islands," Akpınar explained.
Fatih Turan, an official from the Environment Ministry, emphasized that the success of this initiative could lead to its expansion across all tributaries that flow into the Marmara.
"This collaborative effort aims to reduce pollution at the source of rivers leading to the Marmara Sea, using natural and ecological methods. Based on the findings of this study, we plan to expand it to all rivers that connect to the Marmara Sea,” Turan pointed out.
With its potential for large-scale application, the initiative marks a crucial step in the fight against marine mucilage and pollution in the Marmara Sea, offering a sustainable and nature-based solution to a persistent environmental challenge.
