‘Sea snot’ appears around northern Aegean islands

Thick swathes of marine mucilage, also known as ‘sea snot’ because of its slimy texture, have started appearing around the Greek islands of Limnos and Agios Efstratios in the northeastern Aegean in recent weeks. 

The phenomenon, caused by a nutrient overload in algae resulting from pollution and high temperatures, is being monitored by the Fisheries Research Institute on behalf of the Environment Ministry.

‘It forms every so often but usually dissipates after a while. This is the first time in a decade we have seen so much,’ Stavros Stathakis, vice president of the association of fishermen on Limnos, said, warning that the sludge is hampering fishing and also putting off tourists.