Satellite image showing metropolitan İzmit along northern and eastern shores
TheSea of Marmara[a], also known as theSea of Marmora or theMarmara Sea, is a smallinland sea entirely within the borders ofTurkey. It links theBlack Sea and theAegean Sea via theBosporus andDardanelles straits, separating Turkey'sEuropean andAsian sides. It has an area of 11,350 km2 (4,380 sq mi), and its dimensions are 280 km × 80 km (174 mi × 50 mi).[1] Its greatest depth is 1,370 m (4,490 ft).
The Sea of Marmara is named after the largest island on its south side, calledMarmara Island because it is rich inmarble (Greekμάρμᾰρον,mármaron 'marble').[2]
Inclassical antiquity, it was known as thePropontis, from the Greek wordspro 'before' andpontos 'sea', reflecting the fact that the Ancient Greeks used to sail through it to reach theBlack Sea, which they calledPontos.[citation needed]
The surfacesalinity of the Marmara averages about 22 parts per thousand, which is slightly more than that of theBlack Sea, but only about two-thirds that of mostoceans. The water is much more saline at the bottom of the sea, averaging a salinity of around 38 parts per thousand, similar to that of theMediterranean Sea. This high-density saline water does not migrate to the surface as is also the case with the Black Sea. Water from the Susurluk,Biga (Granicus), andGönen Rivers also reduces the salinity of the sea, though with less effect than on the Black Sea. With little land inThrace draining southward, almost all of these rivers flow fromAnatolia.
There are two main groups of islands in the Sea of Marmara. To the north lie thePrinces' Islands, an archipelago made up of the inhabited islands ofKınaliada,Burgazada,Heybeliada,Büyükada andSedef Adası and several uninhabited islands includingSivriada,Yassıada,Kaşıkadası andTavşanadası. The inhabited islands are readily accessible by ferry from both the European and Asian shores ofİstanbul and the entire archipelago forms part of the conurbation.
To the south lie theMarmara Islands, an archipelago made up of the eponymousMarmara Island and three other inhabited islands –Avşa,Paşalimanı andEkinlik – as well as of seventeen largely uninhabited islands including the prison island ofImralı whose most famous prisoner, since 1999, has been the PKK leaderAbdullah Öcalan. These islands lie withinBalıkesir province and are most readily accessible fromTekirdağ inThrace orErdek on the southern shore of the Sea of Marmara. In high summer additional ferries travel to Avşa and Marmara Islands from the centre of İstanbul to facilitate a growing tourist trade.
There are also a few individual islands elsewhere in the Sea of Marmara, such as Koç Adası, offTuzla, which is privately owned by theKoç family of industrialists.
TheNorth Anatolian Fault runs under the sea and has triggered several majorearthquakes, such as theIzmit andDüzce in August and November 1999 respectively. The August 1999 earthquake is commonly referred to as theMarmara Earthquake since its epicentre lay under the Sea and most of the places worst affected by the quake and ensuingtsunami lay along its shores.[5]
In a storm on 29 December 1999, the Russianoil tankerVolgoneft-248 broke in two in the Sea of Marmara, spilling more than 1,500 tonnes of oil into the water.[6]
The main cities in Turkey, especially Istanbul, the largest city, are around the Marmara Sea, a small inland sea. Despite its limited size, the basin is home to about one-third of the country's population. Rapid population growth and uncontrolled construction in this area have put heavy pressure on the sea. For many years, waste was dumped into the Marmara Sea with little or no treatment, surpassing the sea's ability to handle it. As a result, many species in the sea have disappeared, and fishing was banned in the "East Bay" of the Marmara Sea for years due to severe pollution.One of the most serious environmental problems in the Marmara Sea in recent years has been mucilage, a thick, sticky substance that appears for up to six months. The mucilage outbreak began in January 2021 and lasted until June 2021. It caused habitat loss, economic issues, and disrupted vital ecosystem services, such as fishing.[7]
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