Marine Mucilage

Marine snow or also known as Marine mucilage is an ubiquitous occurrence in the oceans/seas of the World. As a structure, it can be described as an amorphous aggregated formation which might have various lengths from a few millimeters to several meters.

Mucilage version of this formation is usually the gelatinous type of marine snow and can create flocks and clouds which evolve into an enormous dimensions. This substance is made of exopolymeric compounds with highly abundant colloidal particles usually excreted by marine organisms such as phytoplankton under various conditions like photosynthetically-derived carbohydrates produced under stressful situations for these organisms. These production of high amount of carbohydrate based substances might not be compensated through hydrolization ability of prokaryotes via extracellular enzymes leading to accumulation of large molecular weight compounds in water.

Figure SEQ Figure * ARABIC 1: From accumulation of the beach along the Dutch coastal waters in May 1988 CITATION Chr95 l 1055 (Lancelot, 1995)

The most severely affected area is especially the Northern portion of Adriatic Sea within the Mediterranean Basin. Mucilage occurrence was first reported here in 1729, originally as ‘mare sporco’ - the dirty sea phenomenon - because mucilage causes clogging of fish nets. Since 1729, mucilage formation was recorded sporadically, however in the last three decades the occurrences have become frequent.

Marine mucilage floating on the surface of water have a relevantly long life time of 2-3 months and once it is settled on the bottom of the sea ,these large aggregated formations extends kms and causes hypoxic and/or anoxic conditions. Consequently, suffocates benthic (underwater) organisms.

Figure 2: Surface mucilage by Robert Danovaro’s paper (Roberto Danovaro, 2009)

According to the samples taken by Robert Danovaro and his team, the existence of different pathogenic microorganisms were examined as comparing it with the seawater.

  

Figure 3: Microbial abundance and diversity in marine mucilage and seawater surrounding (Roberto Danovaro, 2009)

Figure 3 indicates that the mucilage is in an abundant state when compared to normal seawater and marine mucilage also highly consists of Coliforms, E.coli and Vibrio harveyi.

A Graph: Viral and prokaryotic abundance

B Graph: shows bacterial diversity (as OTU, Operational Taxonomic Units)

C Graph: electropherograms of DNA extracted from a mucilage sample and surrounding seawater

D Graph: Number of pathogens

In agreement with the results of examined samples and other observable effects of marine mucilage, it can be said that marine mucilage is a carrier of diseases. This huge abundance of viruses and prokaryotic within mucilage might be due to the entrapping ability of marine mucilage viruses and prokaryotic organisms from water column. This high viral abundance can also enhance the renewal and persistence of mucilage through dissolved organic material and particulate due to killing of prokaryotes. 

Since the system gave an error when I was uploading the whole , I will be creating one or two more parts about mucilage. I would like to share more pictures. 

I am attaching my references here as well. 

References

BIBLIOGRAPHYERGÜL Halim Aytekin, A. S. (2018). Assessment of the consecutive harmful dinoflagellate blooms during 2015 in the Izmit Bay (the Marmara Sea) . Acta Oceanol, 91-101.

Halim Aytekin Ergul1, N. B.-O. (2021). The early stage of mucilage formation in the Marmara Sea during spring 2021. J. Black Sea/Mediterranean Environment, 232-257.

İ. Destan Öztürk, S. M. (2021). Vertical distribution of mucilage typology in the water column after a massive mucilage formation in the surface waters of the Sea of Marmara . J. Black Sea/Mediterranean Environment , 184-201.

Lancelot, C. (1995). The mucilage phenomenon in the continental coastal waters of the North Sea. The Science of the Total Environment, 83-102.

Melek İŞİNİBİLİR OKYAR, F. Ü. (2015). Changes in abundance and community structure of the zooplankton population during the 2008 mucilage event in the northeastern Marmara Sea. Turkish Journal of Zoology, 28-38.

neslihan balkis, h. a. (2011). Role of single-celled organisms in mucilage formation on the shores of Buyukada Island (the Marmara Sea). Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, 771-781.

Özalp, H. B. (2021). First massive mucilage event observed in deep waters of Çanakkale Strait (Dardanelles), Turkey. J. Black Sea/Mediterranean Environment, 49-66.

Roberto Danovaro, S. F. (2009). Climate Change and the Potential Spreading of Marine Mucilage and Microbial Pathogens in the Mediterranean Sea. PlosOne, 1-8.

Vildan TÜFEKÇİ, N. B. (2010). Phytoplankton composition and environmental conditions of a mucilage event in the Sea of Marmara. TUBITAK, 199-210.