Crustaceans wash ashore dead in Lake Eğirdir: 'The ecosystem is collapsing'

In Lake Eğirdir, one of Turkey's largest freshwater lakes and a source of drinking water for Isparta, extreme pollution and the resulting coverage of the lake's surface by aquatic plants and algae have caused oxygen levels to drop, leading to the mass death of many aquatic organisms.

Along the shores of the lake, which is being blanketed by aquatic plants and algae that create both a foul odor and visual pollution, thousands of dead snails and freshwater mussels—creatures vital to the lake's ecosystem—have begun to appear.

A MASS DIE-OFF IS OCCURRING

Dr. Erol Kesici, a scientific advisor to the Turkish Association for the Conservation of Nature who has been fighting for the protection of Lake Eğirdir, where water levels have dropped significantly in recent years due to drought and extreme pollution, stated: "The water snails we see here are organisms that play a direct role in cleaning up waste such as heavy metals and agricultural runoff in Lake Eğirdir. We are seeing thousands of their carcasses around the lake. These are also creatures with significant economic value. But unfortunately, we are witnessing a mass die-off here. This is an indicator that the ecosystem of Lake Eğirdir is collapsing and the lake is disappearing."

AQUATIC PLANTS HAVE SPREAD EVERYWHERE

Providing information on the root cause of the deaths, Dr. Kesici said: "We see that aquatic plants have spread everywhere. These are organisms that live by clinging to aquatic plants. They can only grow and develop by attaching themselves to plants within the water. As the plants break off and lose their vitality, these creatures are dragged along with them to the edges. We can see them all along the shore. It is truly very sad. The lake's ecosystem has collapsed. In other words, the lake has no resistance left. In France, they make soup out of 6 or 7 of these and sell it for 20-30 Euros. The same can be seen in England, Italy, and many parts of Europe. But unfortunately, here they are lying in a state of massacre."

News Source: 12punto