Thousands flock to beaches amid ongoing mucilage cleaning efforts

ISTANBUL

With efforts to eliminate the problem of mucilage in the Turkish seas finally paying off, thousands of people flocked to beaches to enjoy the sunny weather on the first Sunday without nationwide lockdown.

The beaches in the western towns near Istanbul as well as in the northwestern province of Balıkesir’s Erdek, Bandırma and Marmara districts were packed with people bathing in the sun and enjoying the serenity of the beaches.

A great number of residents and local tourists were also seen along the sandy shoreline of the province of Tekirdağ, relaxing and having a picnic with their family members. While some people preferred to ride bikes under the trees along the shores of Istanbul, others went on fishing near the Bosphorus coast.

Meanwhile, the sea cleanup teams have collected a total of 10,434 cubic meters of mucilage from the Marmara Sea over the past 25 days, Environment and Urbanization Minister Murat Kurum said on July 3.

Mucilage is a jelly-like layer of slime that develops on the surface of the water due to the excessive proliferation of microscopic plants called phytoplankton, adversely threatening the marine ecosystem.