Climate change ‘sea snot’ killing Turkey’s Marmara Sea

Mass fish deaths have been observed with ecological experts warning of a possible disease outbreak such as cholera.

Balikesir, Turkey – Omur Karisik has fished in Turkey’s Sea of Marmara since he was 15 years old, just as his father did before him. But the water has been taken over by a sticky web of “sea snot” caused by rising sea temperatures and ineffective waste management, and if something is not done soon he cannot see a way he can carry on. The current flare-up, which began in December, is the inland sea’s largest recorded marine mucilage bloom and it is devastating the ecosystem, from the shores of Europe’s most populous city, Istanbul, to the Aegean, a popular spot with holiday-makers.