Day: June 14, 2021

Turkish authorities have stepped up efforts to clean up the Marmara Sea of mucilage, the organic substances caused by a variety of factors such as climate change and waste that have a negative impact on the marine ecosystem.

The Turkish government, however, has made a decision to clean up the water in accordance with the Marmara Sea Action Plan, which likely to halt the degradation of the marine ecosystem.

Anadolu Agency has collated the following significant points concerning marine mucilage, also known as “sea snot”:

– What is mucilage, how does it emerge?

Mucilage or “sea snot” is the result of the overgrowth of microscopic algae called phytoplankton, which constitutes the first step of biological production in the sea. The thick, mucus-like slimy layer contains a variety of microorganisms.

Mucilage formation, which is a secretion released into seawater in response to changes and anomalies in sea conditions, requires a stagnant sea as well as a high amount of nitrogen and phosphorus contents.

Mucilage, which is a part of a natural process under normal conditions, can expand excessively when the weather gets warmer in the spring months and it finds the right temperature and light.

However, as in the case of the Sea of Marmara, experts say the structure of the sea, as well as intense pollution and waste, and global climate change, are the main reasons beyond such intense mucilage formation.

– When mucilage starts affecting Turkey’s seas?

The mucilage problem, which was first reported in recent years in 1997 in the Dardanelles and the Marmara Sea, resurfaced in 2007-2008 in a big way and for a long time.

This year it was detected in January and then intensified and expanded in April, resulting in a serious problem contrary to previous examples, which usually disappeared in a month or 45 days.

As it continued to increase its intensity in May and June, the Turkish authorities announced a comprehensive action plan to clean up the Sea of Marmara.

Although there have been reports of mucilage reaching the Black Sea and the Aegean Sea – because the Sea of Marmara connects them – experts do not expect a large expansion in the two seas due to differences in condition and geography.

– What dangers does mucilage pose?

Mucilage, which causes visual pollution and bad odor, is said to be a serious threat to the marine ecosystem.

While mucilage prevents oxygen transfer by covering the area from the sea surface to 30 meters deep in the Sea of Marmara, experts say it also kills non-motile or immobile organisms such as mussels, oysters, and pina, particularly sponges and corals.

Fish larvae and eggs are also severely harmed by mucilage, and it is also predicted that the fishing industry will suffer as a result of this situation in the coming years.

It is stated that the tourism sector around the Marmara Sea, which is in the form of a small family business and mostly for domestic visitors is also affected by this situation.

– Is that common around the world?

Experts say the first sighting of mucilage was recorded in the Adriatic Sea in 1729.

According to reports, since the 1900s mucilage presence constantly repeated in that region and scientists have conducted various studies on the issue.

Experts point out that sea snot was observed in coastal areas where the human pressure was high in the 1990s, and that a similar situation occurred in the Adriatic Sea in 2007 and 2008.

During the 2007-2008 period, countries with coasts on the Adriatic Sea gathered to tackle the mucilage problem, and they mostly solved the issue due to a long-term plan and program in coordination.

– What steps taken to solve issue?

On the solution, experts say that simply collecting mucilage on the surface will not yield definitive results. They suggest that conditions conducive to the formation of mucilage should be eliminated for a long-term solution.

To prevent marine mucilage, waste must be discharged after refinement, which removes impurities.

Aside from taking various steps to protect the fish population and biodiversity, it is also important to expand the protected areas that will allow the Marmara Sea to breathe.

It is also recommended that the number of advanced waste treatment facilities and inspections are increased.

As Turkey’s Environment Minister Murat Kurum has said earlier that existing wastewater treatment plants in the region will be converted into advanced biological treatment facilities.

Experts also agree on the action plan, with some of them are optimistic that the Sea of Marmara may begin to recover within the next five years.

Source: Anadolu Agency

Turkish teams collected a total of 2,166 cubic meters (61,334 cubic feet) of mucilage from the Sea of Marmara over the past six days, said the environment minister on Monday.

Murat Kurum said on Twitter that operations to clear the sea of the substance, also known as sea snot, are ongoing at 137 locations, adding that the collected mucilage had been sent for disposal.

The northwestern Yalova province, Istanbul and western province of Balikesir are among the cities where most of the mucilage has been cleared.

Kurum said that the sea is monitored 24/7 by the authorities with satellite tracking systems and daily challenges are responded immediately.

Environmental laboratories also run analyses on collected mucilage samples.

Meanwhile, a lecturer at Kastamonu University’s faculty of fisheries told Anadolu Agency that the mucilage is produced by phytoplankton and “the density of phytoplankton can be reduced by 40% to 70% with the cultivation of mussels in waste areas.”

“We can use mussels as biofilters,” Soner Bilen said.

Last week, Turkish authorities announced a 22-point action plan to clear a surge of mucilage, which covers parts of the Sea of Marmara in the country’s northwest.

The mucilage — mostly accumulated in Mudanya, Gemlik Bay, Gebze and its surroundings, the coastal areas of Istanbul’s Anatolian side, and around the Princes’ Islands — also partially covered the shores of the Sea of Marmara.

The substance covering the central coast of the northwestern Yalova province was dispersed by the wind to coastal areas of the Cinarcik and Armutlu districts as well as the town of Esenkoy, which are important touristic hubs.

Source: Anadolu Agency

A close aide and senior adviser to Afghanistan’s President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani has become the latest victim to the mounting coronavirus-related deaths in the war-ravaged country, officials confirmed on Monday.

According to his office, Nabi Misdaaq had been struggling with COVID-19 for the past few days, though it was not clear if he had recently been in contact with the president.

Born in 1944, Misdaaq was a veteran journalist and was among the founders of the BBC’s Pashto service for Afghanistan. He had been serving as Ghani’s media affairs advisor since 2015.

Afghanistan faces mounting new cases of infections and deaths as the country grapples with shortages of medical oxygen supplies and vaccines.

President Ghani tested negative for the COVID-19 last year after at least 20 reported confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus at the high-security presidential palace. With dozens of reported positive cases at the Presidency, the 71-year-old cancer survivor was feared as vulnerable to the virus.

Afghanistan on Sunday recorded its highest single-day death toll of 85, according to data released by the Ministry of Public Health, which also confirmed 1,597 new infections. This raised the total number of cases to 91,458.

According to official figures, at least 968,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines have already been administered in the country. Half of these vaccines, an estimated 500,000 doses, were gifted to Afghanistan by India, while another 486,000 doses came through COVAX, a global vaccine-sharing facility.

In February, Afghanistan began the rollout of an Indian-made COVID-19 vaccine as it calls for more international support to vaccinate at least 20% of its estimated population of 38 million this year, along with 60% by the end of 2022.

Source: Anadolu Agency

India on Monday recorded 70,421 new cases of coronavirus infections, the lowest in 74 days, the country’s Health Ministry said.

According to a ministry statement, the total number of infections in the country has now reached 29.5 million, while the death toll reached 374,305, with 3,921 new fatalities over the last 24 hours.

With the country recording a decline in daily cases, authorities are now relaxing restrictions which were imposed to prevent the spread of the infection.

The country’s capital New Delhi has lifted more curbs on Monday, with restaurants reopen at 50% capacity. Shops and markets also reopen as of Monday.

As of June 12, nearly 200 million people have gotten their first doses, while more than 47 million have been fully vaccinated, according to Our World in Data, a tracking website.

India has the second-highest coronavirus cases in the world after the US. The country stands third behind the US and Brazil in terms of number of deaths.​​​​​​​

Source: Anadolu Agency

NATO leaders have agreed to increase contributions to “the tailored assurance measures” for Turkey, according to a communique released after Monday’s NATO summit in Brussels.

“We have increased our contributions to our tailored assurance measures for Turkey, and we remain committed to their full implementation,” the communique said.

The situation in Syria was also on the agenda as the leaders discussed the missiles launched from Syria.

“We remain vigilant over missile launches from Syria which could again hit or target Turkey. We continue to monitor and assess the ballistic missile threat from Syria,” it said.

“We reiterate our appreciation to our Ally Turkey for hosting millions of Syrian refugees,” it also noted.

Source: Anadolu Agency

Turkey’s benchmark stock index opened at 1,466.57 points on Monday, increasing 0.39% or 5.71 points from the previous close.

At the last week’s close, Borsa Istanbul’s BIST 100 index was up by 0.29% at 1,460.86 points, with a daily trading volume of 15.17 billion Turkish liras ($1.81 billion).

The US dollar/Turkish lira exchange rate dropped to 8.3400 as of 9.30 a.m. local time (0630GMT) on Monday, from 8.4000.

The euro/Turkish lira exchange rate also decreased to 10.0900 versus 10.1700, while one British pound traded for 11.7800 Turkish liras, down from 11.8600.

One barrel of Brent crude oil was sold for $73.10 as of 10 a.m. local time (0700GMT).

Source: Anadolu Agency

Pakistan’s daily coronavirus tally continued to drop with the country recording 1,019 new cases over the past 24 hours, the lowest single-day figure since February, the Health Ministry said on Monday.

The South Asian country registered 958 cases on Feb.15.

With the new cases, the total number of infections in the country reached 942,189, with 41,726 active cases, the data showed.

Some, 878,740 people have recovered so far.

The number of daily fatalities from the virus has also declined in the past few weeks, with 34 deaths reported over the past 24 hours, pushing the toll to 21,723 since March 2020.

The government, earlier this month, lifted several lockdown curbs, allowing schools, restaurants, beaches and hair salons to reopen.

However, classes below ninth grade will remain suspended until further orders.

In Pakistan, a country of 207 million population, more than 8.13 million people have gotten their first doses, while more than 2.8 million have been fully vaccinated, according to Our World in Data, a tracking website.

The government plans to vaccinate 70 million people by the end of this year.

Source: Anadolu Agency

Former Iranian Intelligence Minister Haydar Muslihi said Monday that he blocked former President Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani from becoming president in 2013.

Muslihi, whose remarks came in a video interview shared on social media, said he submitted a report in 2013 to Iran’s top vetting body, the Guardian Council, in which he projected Rafsanjani to win the polls if allowed to vie for the presidency, which he noted would not have been in the interests of the regime.

“I detailed in two pages the pros and cons of approving Rafsanjani’s candidacy,” said Muslihi, who was the intelligence minister during the presidency of Mahmud Ahmadinejad.

“I did this based on the interests of the regime. I drew attention to the costs based on the protection of the regime. I came to the conclusion that vetoing his candidacy would be in the interests of the regime. I also listed the evidence. I also attended the Guardian Council meetings and I told them what I had reached.”

Rafsanjani, who died in January 2017 at the age of 82, was the president of Iran between 1989-1997.

Rafsanjani was among the leaders of the 1979 Islamic revolution in Iran. He was at odds with Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei over the country’s international relations.

Source: Anadolu Agency

Somali army on Monday said it has killed 16 al-Shabaab terrorists in the country’s south.

“Somali national army killed at least 16 al-Shabaab members in a security operation conducted by the special commandos Danab,” according to a brief statement on Twitter.

The operation against the terror group took place in the villages of Berhani and Libikuus in the Lower Juba region

Also on Monday, an operation against the al-Qaeda-affiliated group started in the southwestern province of Bakol.

The Bakol region’s capital Hudur has been under al-Shabaab blockade for nearly a decade, but Somali government is now trying to flush out the group.

On Sunday, the army said it had killed at least 50 al-Shabaab members in nationwide operations.

Source: Anadolu Agency