To rescue the Sea of Marmara, the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization, and Climate Change of the Republic of Turkey requested the Middle East Technical University (ODTÜ) Institute of Marine Sciences to collect updated mucilage data and simulate future scenarios based on these data. The ODTÜ Institute of Marine Sciences team conducted an intensive study during the mucilage process in the Sea of Marmara, collected data, and then performed a simulation. According to this simulation, if the amount of waste dumped into the sea is reduced by approximately 40%, oxygen levels in the depths of the Sea of Marmara could rise above 2 mg/l within 5 years, allowing the deep waters of the Sea of Marmara to recover. Science operates based on data; scientists first collect data and then model these data to reach a conclusion. This prediction indicates that if we reduce the amount of waste by roughly half, the sea could begin to return to its former state. Our fundamental knowledge of marine ecology also supports this. Some damaged species, such as gorgonian corals, will need a longer time to recover. However, the marine ecosystem, in general, will start to recover within 5 years if people take measures.
Extracted from Prof. Dr. Mustafa Sarı’s book “Mucilage: Elegy or Hope?”