-ISTANBUL, TÜRKİYE - MAY 16, 2025: Divers and Turkish Coast Guard removed the mucilage accumulated on corals in the Sea of Marmara off the coast of Istanbul on Friday, May 16. The crew used alternative air sources and low-pressure air blow guns to clear the mucilage from the polyps of corals to help protect the marine ecosystem. Mucilage, also known as "sea snot," is an overgrowth of microscopic algae called phytoplankton and is caused by rising seawater temperatures due to global warming, stagnant water and pollution. 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 are the main reasons beyond such intense mucilage formation. 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.