Marine pollution to be monitored at 425 locations: Ministry

ANKARA

As part of a project under to coordination of the Environment, Urbanization, and Climate Change Ministry and the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Türkiye (TÜBTAK), the waters of the country will be monitored at 425 separate locations for a period of three years to combat marine pollution.

Emergency action plans on pollution will be created in line with the data to be obtained through the project called “Integrated Marine Pollution Monitoring Program” in the Environmental Reference Laboratory in the capital Ankara.

Within the scope of the project, which is planned to be carried out under the leadership of nearly 150 scientists and seven research vessels, Marmara, Mediterranean, Aegean and Black Seas will be regularly monitored in the 2023-2025 period.

According to the information received from the Ministry, the study will monitor and track the pollution level, ecological quality status and some living species in the waters to ensure optimal environmental conditions in the waters.

Physical parameters such as sea water temperatures, carbon dioxide levels and atmospheric properties of air temperature will be evaluated along with the monitoring of coral reefs to observe the effects of climate change.

The study will also determine the extent of adverse impacts of global warming such as eutrophication, marine litter and noise on marine ecosystems, biodiversity and food webs.

In addition, specifically in the Marmara Sea, water quality will be monitored real-time with a sea buoy, an underwater noise map will be prepared, and additional studies will be carried out on invasive species, the ministry announced.