Will 2025 witness another extensive mucilage outbreak in the Marmara Sea?

Mucilage is organic mucous exuded by some phytoplankton species, notably Gonyaulax fragilis, which can create large aggregations in the water column and on the surface. In spring 2021, a mucilage outbreak in the Marmara Sea resulted in major economic and environmental consequences, particularly to fisheries and benthic ecosystems. While not novel to the area, as minor mucilage outbreaks occurred during autumn 2007 and 2008, the 2021 outbreak covered the entire region and was visible at the surface from satellites for at least three months. Preceding this massive 2021 outbreak, smaller aggregations of mucilage were observed in the Dardanelles Strait, west of the Marmara Sea, during March. Similar detections have recently been made during April 2025, which leads to the question: will the Marmara Sea experience another extreme mucilage outbreak in spring 2025?