Turkish Journal of Water Science and Management, cilt.7, sa.2, ss.1-12, 2023 (Hakemli Dergi)
The Sea of Marmara (SoM) has been damaged dramatically over recent decades, due to rapid population growth. and industrial development. The mucilage outbreak happened in the SoM in the year of 2021 caused severe damage on the ecosystem. The alarming situation has been great concern for all the citizens, public and scientific institutions without exception. This study aims to point out the environmental pressures in the SoM from 2007 to 2020 considering the mechanisms of the mucilage events happened. With a 14-year time frame, this paper evaluates population growth, wastewater load, wastewater treatment types for each province around the SoM. It’s estimated that population increased 19% and waste water generation potential increased 15% around the SoM. The increasing anthropogenic pollution needs environmental-friendly solutions to provide sustainability of the SoM. This study offers efficient measures for sustainable management to avoid further outbreaks in the SoM.