Ondokuz Mayıs University (OMU) Faculty of Science, Department of Biology member Assoc. Prof. Dr. Özgür Baytut stated that mucilage directly affects and puts at risk many marine organisms living both on the surface and at the bottom of the sea.
Emphasizing that both governments and the public must now make a conscious effort to combat mucilage, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Baytut said, “Scientists have been warning for years that 'mucilage events may become more frequent' and have emphasized the need for a comprehensive action plan. Biological monitoring must be increased, and preventive strategies for the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara must be developed. Most importantly, agricultural and domestic waste management must be handled more comprehensively at the state level.”
Dr. Baytut continued, “Although this natural disaster known as mucilage only gained wide attention in Türkiye in 2021, it was first scientifically documented in the Sea of Marmara in 2004. Going further back, some marine scientists also recorded its presence during the 1990s. In fact, as far back as the 1800s, the Mediterranean experienced this phenomenon, historically referred to as ‘Mare Sporco’ or ‘dirty sea.’ The structure we call mucilage is produced by a single-celled, phytoplanktonic organism known as Gonyaulax fragilis, a type of dinoflagellate. This organism secretes a dense and sticky substance to outcompete other species. Over time, other single-celled organisms and bacteria become embedded in the structure—just like adding stone and gravel to cement—increasing its volume and durability, eventually spreading over a large area and becoming a disaster. Since November 2024, we have been regularly collecting monthly samples from a depth of 30 meters in the Central Black Sea together with Assoc. Prof. Dr. Funda Üstün and Dr. Orçin Uygun from Sinop University’s Faculty of Fisheries, and we have been detecting mucilage in these samples.”
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Özgür Baytut explained, “Mucilage typically begins surfacing after the months of January and February. Similarly, in our exchanges with Prof. Dr. Mustafa Sarı from Bandırma Onyedi Eylül University, we learned that mucilage had been observed in deep waters of the Sea of Marmara since November. Over time, the structure grows in volume and integrates other organisms, eventually reaching the surface and becoming a visible disaster. Today, mucilage has become a frequently encountered problem. It was observed extensively in the Sea of Marmara in 2021, and we have also detected its presence in the Black Sea through our sampling. Mucilage affects not only surface-dwelling marine life but also shellfish, fish, and other organisms on the sea floor. By reducing oxygen levels in the upper water column, it causes serious harm to fish populations and the region's biodiversity. Therefore, we must view mucilage not merely as a temporary pollutant but as a significant and dangerous ecological disaster.”
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