Greek environmentalists are grappling with the mucilage that surrounds and destroys the coasts around the island of Lemnos and the authorities are trying to understand if the phenomenon has to do with what happened a few weeks ago in Turkey.
Over three thousand cubic meters of marine mucilage were then collected in the first week of cleaning the Sea of Marmara, south of Istanbul, invaded for months by this thick layer of phytoplankton, very harmful to the ecosystem, also known as mucus or sea saliva . The extraordinary cleaning plan provided for the collection of mucilage by lowering some barriers into the sea to favor the accumulation of substances, which threaten the survival of various species and fishing, as well as damaging the tourist image of the region. The technical analysts also identified the presence of hydrogen sulfide, an extremely poisonous gas, at about 750 meters deep.
According to experts, the phenomenon is mainly linked to climate change and pollution due to incorrect wastewater disposal in the area, around which about 25 million people live. For this reason, the minister continued, checks have also been intensified.
Greenpeace’s alarm: even the submerged treasures of Portofino threatened by climate change
To a lesser extent, Lemnos is now battling the same invasion as well. The authorities on the island, which has about 30 sandy beaches, have reported mucus spots on parts of its coastline and in the sea to the north, east and west of the island.
The Greek Ministry of the Environment has consulted experts in oceanography and marine biosciences by monitoring the phenomenon through satellites and drones, “to determine if and to what extent the phenomenon in the Lemnos Sea is linked to the planktonic mucosa already evident in the Sea of Marmara”.
Experts are using the European Union’s Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellite and will also rely on visual input from drones, the ministry said. They claim that climate change and pollution have contributed to the proliferation of organic matter, also known as marine mucilage, which contains a wide variety of microorganisms and can thrive when nutrient-rich sewage flows into seawater.
Drone footage shot on the Sea of Marmara showed ferries and merchant ships passing through harbors and seawater covered in the viscous, grayish substance that can suffocate marine life. A Greek coast guard official told Reuters that spots were visible on some of the island’s beaches.
“The heat in recent days may have led to phytoplankton overproduction, but we have to wait for the results,” officials said. Theodosis Dalavitsos, head of Lemnos’ environmental service, said these viscous layers appear every year due to the high temperatures: “We can’t connect it to Marmara,” he said.
.