Corals come to fruition after 6.5 year Marmara Sea plan

ISTANBUL

An uptick in the diversity of fish and other sea creatures has been witnessed some six years after the implementation of efforts to transplant corals in the waters surrounding Tavşan Island, contributing to enhanced oxygen levels and biodiversity.

The Marine Life Conservation Society, with the support of the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Türkiye (TÜBİTAK) and Istanbul University, orchestrated the project.

The project had set out to bring awareness to coral reefs and the leading role they play in producing oxygen in the sea and atmosphere, hosting roughly 25 percent of marine creatures, but now threatened by climate change, overfishing and pollution.

After the launch of the project, Tavşan Island and its surroundings were declared a Special Environmental Protection Area (SEPA) by a presidential decision in April 2021.

The chairman of Marine Life Conservation Society Volkan Narcı noted that the ongoing work has brought great results on a global scale, drawing attention to the increase in fish and living species in the region, thanks to the transplantation.

Stressing the significance of the area and the project, Narcı pointed to Marmara Sea Day on June 8, held within the scope of Environment Week, which was declared as part of the strategic plan after the Marmara Sea faced a pollution threat and mucilage crisis in 2021.

The chairman highlighted the importance of raising awareness for marine life, particularly pollution and climate change.