2.5 Degree Alarm in 50 Years in the Marmara Denizi: Ecosystem at Point of No Return

The Marmara Denizi, one of Türkiye's most critical marine ecosystems, is on the verge of a major environmental crisis as a result of the combination of climate change and heavy human-induced pollution. According to striking data shared by Prof. Dr. Lokman Hakan Tecer, Dean of the Çorlu Mühendislik Fakültesi at Tekirdağ Namık Kemal Üniversitesi, sea water temperature in the region has increased by exactly 2.5 degrees Celsius within the last 50 years. This dramatic warming severely disrupts the biological balance of the sea, virtually dragging the ecosystem to a point of no return. Considering that the global sea water temperature increase average remains at around 1.1 to 1.5 degrees, it becomes clearer how massive the scale of the warming experienced by the Marmara Denizi is. Experts emphasize that this picture is not merely a regional environmental issue, but a dimensional crisis that deeply threatens public health and economic activities directly.

All the seas located on the different coasts of Türkiye are negatively affected by global warming; however, the Marmara Denizi is by far at the top of the list in this regard. It is followed respectively by the Ege and Akdeniz with increases of 1.5 to 2 degrees, and then by the Karadeniz with a temperature rise of 1.3 degrees. One of the main reasons for this exceptional and rapid warming in the Marmara Denizi is the fact that the region has the characteristics of an enclosed basin and there is an extremely intense industrial and population pressure around it. The inability of the waters of enclosed seas to circulate sufficiently within themselves paves the way for the rapidly accumulating heat and polluted water to build up inside, increasing the threat. For this reason, a warming trend well above the global average and more aggressive is observed across all of Türkiye's marine ecosystems.

The significant temperature increase in the sea not only changes the physical structure of the water, but also brings along unprecedented biological and public health problems. While native marine creatures are forced to leave their natural habitats due to rising temperatures, invasive species such as pufferfish, lionfish, and jellyfish are virtually invading the Marmara Denizi. The dangerous decrease in the amount of dissolved oxygen in warming waters gradually narrows the survival areas of marine life, posing a risk of causing mass deaths.Another much more frightening detail is that rising temperatures allow pathogenic microorganisms that can cause deadly diseases such as salmonella and cholera to multiply rapidly. This situation reveals that the degradation in the marine ecosystem is not limited only to underwater creatures, but also directly targets the health of millions of people on the coast.

Pointing out that global climate change is not the sole culprit of this great environmental destruction, Prof. Dr. Tecer states that human-induced pollution multiplies the dimensions of the crisis. The uncontrolled discharge of domestic and industrial wastewater into the sea causes a chemical load accumulation in enclosed basins like Marmara, where circulation is already limited. This intense pollution load and excessive warming are shown as the main triggers of major environmental disasters such as mucilage, which paralyzed the sea and dominated the country's agenda in past years. Furthermore, sea water temperatures rising above 29 degrees in the summer months negatively affect tourism activities in the region, discouraging crowds from going to the beaches. In addition to the damage to the tourism sector, the visible collapse in fish populations has become a serious problem that directly threatens the food security of the local population.

In order to save the Marmara Denizi from this irreversible process of destruction, experts state that all relevant institutions and organizations must urgently cooperate. Not leaving wastewater in nature in any way without treatment and passing all discharges flawlessly through advanced biological treatment plants come to the fore as a vital necessity. In order to protect the ecosystem, it is planned to expand the areas where seagrasses are located and where biodiversity is rich as marine protected areas. In addition, complying strictly with fishing bans and designated seasons without any concessions is stipulated for fish populations to regain their former health. Finally, significantly reducing the carbon footprint on an industrial facility and individual consumption basis is considered one of the most radical steps to be taken for the future of both the sea and our planet.