This document discusses potential oil pollution areas in the Turkish Straits System, which includes the Marmara Sea, Strait of Istanbul, and Strait of Canakkale. It identifies several key areas that are at risk of oil pollution from vessel operations, including the entrance and exit points of the straits, Istanbul anchorage areas, and areas with high vessel traffic or ports. The document also discusses the main sources of marine pollution like oil, how ship operations can cause illegal discharges, and reasons why ships may illegally discharge bilge water and sludge, posing risks to the Turkish Straits System.

1. Potential Oil Pollution Areas in
Turkish Straits System
Ocg. Cpt. A.Tuğsan İŞİAÇIK ÇOLAK¹- Istanbul Technicial
University Maritime Faculty, Turkey, isiacik@itu.edu.tr

2. CONTENTS
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Marine Pollution
Sources of Marine Pollution
Study Area:Turkish Strait Systems
Marmara Sea Enviromental Problems ‘ Overview’
Oil Pollution Caused by Vessel Operations
Why Ship Makes ILLEGAL Discharge???
Potential Oil Pollution Areas in Turkish Straits
Systems
Conclusion

3. 1.Marine Pollution

The term marine pollution was defined by United
Nations working group called "Group of Experts on
Scientific Aspects of Marine environmental Protection
(GESAMP)". GESAMP defined it as "Pollution means
introduction by man, directly or indirectly of
substances or energy into the marine environment
(including estuaries) resulting in such deleterious
effects as harm to living resources, hazards to human
health, hindrance to marine activities including
fishing, impairment of quality for use of seawater and
reduction of amenities".

4. 2.SOURCES OF MARINE
POLLUTION
Nutrients
Primary Source
Runoff approximately 50% sewage, 50% from forestry,
farming, and other land use. Also airborne nitrogen
oxides from power plants, cars etc.
Effects
Feed algal blooms in coastal waters. Decomposing
algae depletes water of oxygen, killing other marine life.
Can spur algal blooms (red tides), releasing toxins that
can kill fish and poison people. (Ref:1)

5. …

Sediments
Primary Source
Erosion from mining, forestry, farming, and other landuse; coastal dredging and mining
Effects
Cloud water; impede photosynthesis below surface
waters. Clog gills of fish. Smother and bury coastal
ecosystems. Carry toxins and excess nutrients. (Ref:1)

6. Pathogens

Sewage, livestock.
Effects

Contaminate coastal swiming areas and seafood,
spreading cholera, typhoid and other diseases.
(Ref:1)

7. Alien Species
Several thousand per day transported in ballast water;
also spread through canals linking bodies of water and
fishery enhancement projects.
Effects
Outcompete native species and reduce biological
diversity. Introduce new marine diceases. Associated
with increased incidence of red tides and other algal
blooms. Problem in major ports.


8. Persistent Toxins (PCBs, Heavy metals, DDT
etc.)Industrial discharge; wastewater discharge from
cities; pesticides from farms, forests, home use etc.;
seepage from landfills.
Effects
 poison or cause disease in coastal marine life, especially
near major cities or industry. Contaminate seafood. Fatsoluble toxins that bio-accumulate in predators can
cause disease and reproductive failure.


9. 
Oil
46% from cars, heavy machinery, industry, other landbased sources; 32% from oil tanker operations and other
shipping; 13% from accidents at sea; also offshore oil
drilling and natural seepage.
Effects
Low level contamination can kill larvae and cause
disease in marine life. Oil slicks kill marine life, especially
in coastal habitats. Tar balls from coagulated oil litter
beaches and coastal habitat.

10. Plastics
Fishing nets; cargo and cruise ships; beach litter; wastes
from plastics industry and landfills.
Effects
Discard fishing gear continues to catch fish. Other plastic
debris entangles marine life or is mistaken for food.
Plastics litter beaches and coasts and may persist for
200 to 400 years.


11. Radioactive substances
 Discarded nuclear submarine and military
waste; atmospheric fallout; also industrial
wastes.
Effects
 Hot
spots of radio activity. Can enter food
chain and cause disease in marine life.
Concentrate in top predators and shellfish,
which are eaten by people.

12. Thermal
 Cooling water from power plants and
industrial sites
 Kill off corals and other temperature sensitive
sedentary species. Displace other marine life.

13. Noise
 Supertankers, other large vessels and
machinery
 Can be heard thousands of kilometers away
under water. May stress and disrupt marine
life. (Ref:1)

14. 3.STUDY AREA
TURKISH STRAITS SYTEM

15. The Turkish Straits System (TSS),consisting of
the Marmara Sea, Strait of Istanbul and Strait
of Canakkale

16. Marmara Sea

17. Istanbul Strait

18. Çanakkale Strait

19. The Turkish Straits, which consist of the Strait of Istanbul
(Bosporus), the Strait of Çanakkale (the Dardanelles)
and the Sea of Marmara, have for centuries been one of
the world’s most strategic waterways due to their
extreme narrowness, winding contours and densely
populated shores. As the Black Sea's sole maritime link
to the Mediterranean and the open ocean beyond, they
are a vital passageway not just for trade but for the
projection of military and political power. (Ref.2)

20. 4.Regional Environmental Problems for
the Marmara Sea

It has been estimated that on a global scale, up to 70% of pollution
in the seas originate from land-based sources <m. The marine
environment of the Marmara Sea has become increasingly
vulnerable; whose oceanographic features do not help much its selfpurification capacity. This inland sea is a semi-enclosed water body
of 11111 km with an average depth of 260m. Domestic pollution
load is generated mainly by the Istanbul Metropolis and its
surroundings where 1/5 of Turkey's population live [3]. Furthermore
large industrial facilities amounting to 60 % of the total, located on
the bays and coastal areas constitute the most significant portion of
local land-based input into the Marmara Sea.(Ref:3)

21. Sea Transportation is one of the most important regional
enviromental problem due to Black Sea is connected to the
World Oceans via the Mediterranean Sea through Turkish
Straits System.

22. 
The tanker traffic is very
dense through the
Straits to Black Sea. It is
expected that increasing
situation of tanker traffic
in Black Sea and
quantities of oil handled
will be higher for the
future. This high density
of crude oil
transportation by tankers
and other ships cause
major oil pollution.
Observed 150 Envisat Satellite Pictures. May 2007-Jan2008 Source EMSA
100 possible Oil Slick Detected

23. 5.Oil Pollution Caused by Vessel
Operations

24. Examples for Ship transportation that
causes sea pollution






Oil Pollution
Discharging Bilge Water and Sludge
Ballast Water Exchange Operations Alien Species
transported in ballast water
Litters from Ships
Anti- Fouling Paints
Discharge of Sewage (Ref:4)

25. Major inputs of Petroleum to the
Marine Environment

37% comes from industrial wastes, reach the sea, via
storm water drain, creeks, sewage and rivers.

33% from oil vessels during transportation.

2% during explorations and


12% from accidents involving tankers.
7% comes from natural sources like fissures from sea
bed.

9% absorbed from atmosphere. (Ref:4)

26. Oil Pollution can be
Operationally or
Accidentally

27. Loading / Discharging – Cargo Operations

28. Bunkering Operations

29. Any Accidents with Oil Pollution

30. Grounding

31. Collision

32. Illegal Discharges from Vessels

33. 6. Why Ship Makes ILLEGAL
Discharge???

Ship generates oily waste products due to usage of
consuming heavy fuel oil, marine oil and lubricating oil for
all types power driven vessels. On the other hand routine
tanker operations cause oily waste water.

Three categories of oily waste generally accumulate
onboard especially on large vessels

Bilge water

Sludge

Oil cargo residue

34. Bilge Waste

Machinery spaces on large commercial vessels contain a
wide array of complex engineering systems to propel and
power the vessel. Not only purification also supporting
systems; saltwater service, bilge and ballast, cooling
systems, fire fighting and sewage generate oily waste
products and leakage.

35. Sludge Waste

In order to prevent damage to engine systems and improve
combustion, the fuel should be purified. After purifying
the residues ( both the sludge and fluid contaminates )
drain to a sludge tank. Purifying method is also used for
main and auxiliary engine lubricating oil.

36. Sludge in the Sludge Tank

37. Oil Cargo Residue Waste
Tankers (product, chemical and crude) carry oil in bulk
and generate oil cargo waste residues. Tankers have
various tanks and may carry many different cargos at the
same time. After each change of cargo type, cargo tanks
should be cleaned.

Steam cleaning

Butterworth machine
These systems use water for cleaning cargo tanks and they
produce oily waste water after cleaning tank operation

38. The Reason of Illegal Discharges are


To load more cargo
Too much cost to discharge bilge water-sludge
and slop to the shore facilities

39. This bilge water
line must be
clean!!!! (directly
open to the sea)

40. 7. Potential Oil Pollution Areas in
Turkish Straits Systems

41. End of İstanbul Strait-Entrance
to the Black Sea

42. Geographical Distribution of Main Ports in Turkey
42

43. İzmit- Gemlik and Port Entrance–
Tuzla /Yalova Ship Yard Area

44. İstanbul Anchorage Area
Kumkapı-Zeytinburnu-AmbarlıKartal

45. Anchored Vessels have potential for
illegal discharge of bilge water and
sewage water

46. RORO TRANSPORT has also play role
for marine pollution
Ro-Ro transportation between the Northern-Southern ports of the Sea of
Marmara which is an inland sea of our country.
46

47. Güneyden Çanakkale Boğaz
Çıkış- Marmara Adası

48. 8. Conclusion

49. (Ref1) Sources and Effects of Marine Pollution, Compiled by WorldWatch Institute.
(Ref.2) RISK ANALYSIS OF TRANSIT VESSEL TRAFFIC IN THE STRAIT OF
ISTANBUL 1Özgecan S. Ulusçu , Birnur Özbaş,Tayfur Altıok ,İlhan Or
(Ref:3) Land Based And Shıp Orıgınated Pollutıon In The Turkısh Straıts System
Selmin B. * Zeki S. , Demir V. and Dogan E.
Lal, G., (2010), Disaster Management and Security ppt.

50. TEŞEKKÜRLER