Turkish president vows to save sea from ‘sea snot’ outbreak

Recep Tayyip Erdogan said untreated waste dumped into the Marmara Sea and climate change had caused the sea snot bloom

An aerial photo of Pendik port in Istanbul, Turkey (AP)

Turkey’s president has promised to rescue the Marmara Sea from an outbreak of “sea snot” that is alarming marine biologists and environmentalists.

A huge mass of marine mucilage, a thick, slimy substance made up of compounds released by marine organisms, has bloomed in Turkey’s Marmara, as well as in the adjoining Black and Aegean Seas.