![](https://www.nextias.com/ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/7277111HOD current-affairs.jpg)
In News
Recently, Turkey’s Sea of Marmara has witnessed the largest outbreak of sea snot.
- The Sea of Marmara connects the Black Sea to the Aegean Sea, where too the sludge has been spotted.
- Turkey recorded its first outbreak in 2007, in the Aegean Sea near Greece.
(Image Courtesy: BI)
About Sea Snot
- It is marine mucilage (thick, gluey substance) or a slimy layer of grey or green sludge, which can cause considerable damage to the marine ecosystem.
- It looks like a viscous, brown and foamy substance.
- Cause: It is formed when algae are overloaded with nutrients.
- The nutrient overload occurs when algae feast on warm weather caused by global warming.
- Water pollution adds to the problem as cities like Istanbul, which is home to 16 million people, discharge untreated water into the seas.
- Impacts
- The mucilage floats up on the surface of the sea and poses a severe threat to the marine ecosystem.
- It has caused mass deaths among the fish population and has killed other aquatic organisms such as corals and sponges.
- It has also spread to 80-100 feet below the surface. If not checked and taken care of, it can collapse to the bottom and cover the sea floor.
- Over a period of time, it can poison all aquatic life, including fishes, crabs, oysters, mussels and sea stars.
- It has also affected the livelihoods of fishermen as the sludge is getting collected in their nets, making them so heavy that they break or get lost.
- Moreover, the mucilage coating the strings makes the nets visible to fish and keeps them away.
- It can possibly lead to an outbreak of water-borne diseases such as cholera in cities like Istanbul.
- Steps Taken
- The entire Sea of Marmara will be turned into a protected area.
- Steps are being taken to reduce pollution and improve treatment of waste water from coastal cities and ships.
- All other steps under the framework of a disaster management plan are being taken to save not only the present but also the future.
- Turkey’s biggest maritime clean-up operation is being launched.
- Local residents, artists and NGOs are being called to join hands to extend assistance.
- Preventive Measures
- The government should impose strong penalties on waste disposal facilities that fail to follow the rules.
- Fresh investments to treat and purify waste water being pumped out of Istanbul are needed to provide a long-term solution to the crisis.
- Turkey has planned to reduce nitrogen levels in the sea by 40 per cent, which would help tackle the crisis and prevent it from happening again.
- Lawmakers and environmentalists have suggested the Turkey government to approve the Paris Agreement on climate change which aims to cut down on carbon emissions and reduce global temperatures.
- Turkey is the only G20 country that has not ratified the Paris Agreement.
Paris Agreement
|
Source: IE
Previous article
E-100 Project
Next article
Facts in News