The phenomenon is particularly bad this summer. A slimy substance is accumulating off the beaches of the Adriatic Sea – the waves off Rimini are huge.
Rimini – In Italy, “Mucillagine” – slimy sea foam – is spreading. The northern Adriatic is particularly affected. Some holidaymakers find it particularly disgusting. Fishermen can no longer cast their nets because of the slime. Sea slime is a problem. Satellite images now show the enormous extent of it off the coast of Rimini.
Slime wave in the Italian Adriatic – seaside resort of Rimini suffers from natural phenomenon
In a satellite image from August 7, both the slime (in white) and the phytoplankton bloom (in green) can be seen off the coast of the city of Rimini. Copernicus, the European Union’s Earth observation program, has released the Sentinel-2 satellite images.
According to the Copernicus experts, high temperatures and heavy rainfall have favored this bloom. “The freshwater input has reduced the salinity of the sea surface, creating an ideal environment for the rapid proliferation of phytoplankton. The rising temperatures have further accelerated the process and made the bloom so large that it is even visible from space.” This bloom has led to the formation of slime that has accumulated on the coasts of some Italian regions on the Adriatic.
Where does the slime in the Adriatic Sea come from?
The sea slime is annoying for tourists, but generally harmless. It is a natural phenomenon. However, experts fear that a slime explosion on this scale could have negative consequences for the marine ecosystem.
“The slime forms on the surface but then falls to the bottom due to the effect of gravity, completely covering the benthic organisms that live in close contact with the rocky subsoil,” explains Monica Montefalcone of DiSTAV at the University of Genoa in a Press release.
Recent investigations carried out in collaboration with Greenpeace Italia have shown that by the end of June, around 95 to 100 percent of the seabed at a depth of between 15 and 30 meters in the Portofino marine reserve (Liguria) was covered with slime. According to the experts, this poses a threat to biodiversity on the seabed and coastal reefs. The slimy substances could suffocate mussels, for example.
Slime plague in the Adriatic Sea – already observed in the 18th century
In June, an algae plague in the Croatian Adriatic made headlines. However, the “sea snot” on the beaches of Istria has since disappeared. After the Tyrrhenian Sea, the Adriatic Sea is now affected. Currently, the “sea snow” is a problem off Rimini on the Adriatic coast of the Emilia-Romagna region.
But a two-kilometer-long strip of slime had already been discovered north of Ancona off the coast of Pesaro at the end of July, reports the Marche Environmental Agency ARPAThe organic material had accumulated due to winds and currents, according to a recent report in August. Threads of slime were found in the water column during dives in the Conero. “The seabed, however, was clear.”
The weather plays a very important role in reproduction, said Cristina Mazziotti, head of the oceanographic structure Daphne ARPA Emilia-Romagna in the news portal ilrestildelcarlinino.it. The danger of slime multiplying only exists in stable weather and high heat. Only rough seas can destroy it. Phytoplankton produce polysaccharides (sugars) that reach the surface and then settle on the coast. The color of the slime depends on how long it stays in the sea. When it oxidizes, it turns yellow.
Traces of slime were found in the Gulf of Trieste as early as 1800. According to the expert, slime backflows also occurred in 2018, 2014 and 1988.
In their opinion, the marine ecosystem is not at risk precisely because this phenomenon has always existed. Where the phenomenon does not occur, the water is transparent.
Holidays in Italy: Is an end to the slime wave in the Adriatic in sight?
“The slime will certainly come to an end, if only thanks to the wind that can drive it: it could slow down in the next few weeks, perhaps with a progressive drop in temperature,” said Cristina Mazziotti. The slime is also multiplying in the waters because there is currently so much fresh water.
Is bathing in sea slime dangerous?
The mucous substances may be disgusting, but they do not pose a direct threat to human health. However, according to the Italian newspaper The Press Analyses show that even the slime on the coasts of the Adriatic can contain a variety of microbes – including human pathogens such as Escherichia coli bacteria. There is also evidence that chemical pollutants, including large amounts of microplastics, accumulate in the slime, which then accumulate in seafood and enter our bodies when we eat it.
A fearsome fireworm is spreading in Italy. The sea worm looks harmless, but that is very deceptive. Until now, poisonous jellyfish were the main terror for holidaymakers. But then reports of the “killers of the sea” began to increase. (ml)
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