The Sea of Marmara is an internal sea that separates the Asian and the European continents. It connects to the Aegean Sea via the Dardanelles Strait, and to the Black Sea through the Bosporus Strait. The Sea of Marmara is 110 miles long from north – south orientation and 35 miles wide from east to the west. The Sea of Marmara has an area of 11,500 km2 with greatest depth reaching 1270 meters. The Marmara Sea is surrounded by mountains. The Sea of Marmara has a unique ecosystem as transitional medium between Mediterranean Sea and Black Sea. The Sea of Marmara has still remarkably high biodiversity, since 507 species out of 795 species consisting of Turkey’s marine flora are distributed mostly in the southern coasts.The Sea of Marmara is an internal sea that separates the Asian and the European continents. It connects to the Aegean Sea via the Dardanelles Strait, and to the Black Sea through the Bosporus Strait. The Sea of Marmara is 110 miles long from north – south orientation and 35 miles wide from east to the west. The Sea of Marmara has an area of 11,500 km2 with greatest depth reaching 1270 meters. The Marmara Sea is surrounded by mountains. The Sea of Marmara has a unique ecosystem as transitional medium between Mediterranean Sea and Black Sea. The Sea of Marmara has still remarkably high biodiversity, since 507 species out of 795 species consisting of Turkey’s marine flora are distributed mostly in the southern coasts.
Mucilage or "sea snot" a thick, mucus-like slimy layer contains a variety of microorganisms and is the result of the overgrowth of phytoplankton, a microscopic algae which constitutes the first step of biological production in the sea. The first sighting of mucilage was recorded in the Adriatic Sea in 1729, since the 1900s, marine mucilage has been reported in region as various times. In the 1990s seas snot was observed in coastal areas where there was high human pressure, similarly in marine mucilage was observed in the Adriatic Sea in 2007 and 2008.
The mucilage problem, which was first reported in recent years in 1997 in the Dardanelles and the Marmara Sea, resurfaced in 2007-2008. In 2021 it appeared in January and grew rapidly in May and June; it has now spread to the Black Sea.The mucilage problem, which was first reported in recent years in 1997 in the Dardanelles and the Marmara Sea, resurfaced in 2007-2008. In 2021 it appeared in January and grew rapidly in May and June; it has now spread to the Black Sea.