Türkiye İş Bankası continues its work to protect the seas and marine resources and to support ecological balance and sustainability. The buoying phase of the “Future of the Seas: Sea Meadows” project, which the bank implemented last year in cooperation with the Turkish Marine Research Foundation (TÜDAV), has begun.
A press conference was held off the coast of Beykoz, which is among the regions where buoys were thrown for the new stage of the project, with the participation of İşbank Deputy General Manager and Sustainability Leader İzlem Erdem and TÜDAV President Prof. Dr. Bayram Öztürk.
Erdem : “There is a need more than ever to develop solutions for the seas”
In his speech here, İşbank Deputy General Manager and Sustainability Leader İzlem Erdem stated that all institutions have important responsibilities against the threat of climate change and said that it is more than ever to develop sustainable solutions and take conscious steps to protect marine biodiversity, reduce pollution and ensure that these beauties continue for generations. He said it was very much needed.
Stating that they aim to contribute to the protection of the seas, increasing scientific knowledge and developing research capacity in the studies they initiated with the approach of “The seas are ours, the future is ours”, Erdem continued his words as follows:
“With the ‘Future of the Seas: Seagrasses’ project, which we took the first step last year, we aim to map, clean and protect the areas where Posidonia oceanica seagrasses, which are critical for the health of the Marmara Sea, are located. The discovery of two new seagrass areas, known as the lungs of the seas, in our first year was a pleasing development for the Marmara Sea, which is running out of oxygen. We were both happy to be rewarded for our efforts and continued on our way with even more motivation for more. “In our 100th anniversary, we are moving to a new phase and starting buoyation works to increase the impact of the project.”
İzlem Erdem reminded that within the scope of the Bank’s strategy to reduce emissions arising from its direct operations, they have moved their target of becoming a carbon-neutral bank from 2035 to 2026, and that they have made important commitments to reduce the emissions resulting from the loans they provide as a member of the Net Zero Banking Association. Erdem said, “Our projects regarding the preservation of the ecological balance in nature and the sustainability of life are not limited to the seas. We restarted our 81 Forests in 81 Provinces project, which we carried out between 2008 and 2017, in our 100th year, in order to leave a green world to future generations, to protect nature by increasing the forest areas in our country and to increase environmental awareness. “We set out to plant 2.2 million saplings all over our country in the next 5 years,” he said.
Öztürk : “Climate change will also be monitored thanks to the buoys”
TUDAV President Prof. Dr. Bayram Öztürk said in the new phase of the project in July; Stating that a total of 10 eye bolts and buoys will be placed in the places where the seagrass cover begins, he said:
“Thus, for the first time, we will not only place buoys aimed at protecting seagrass meadows in the Marmara Sea, but also position systems that will monitor climate change. The increase in sea water temperatures is one of the most important indicators of global warming. The sea water temperature data we will regularly obtain with temperature measuring devices to be placed on buoys within the scope of the project will make significant contributions to our understanding of the effects of climate change. We think that the vaults to which the buoys will be attached will, over time, create a living space for cuttlefish and squids that end up in the Marmara. In addition, we aim to raise awareness about the activities carried out in the region (fishing, diving, water sports and boat and ship passages, etc.) with these eyebolts and buoys placed in the sea meadow areas. “We would like to draw special attention to the fact that a total of 10 buoys are not damaged.”
Öztürk also underlined that permission was obtained from all authorized institutions for the thrown buoys and that fishermen’s hunting areas were not restricted since they were in shallow waters.
New Posidonia oceanica seagrass beds found in Marmara
Providing information about past studies in the project, Öztürk said, “In 2023, we found new Posidonia oceanica seagrass beds in Marmara and published their results in scientific journals. Three new areas of five thousand square meters became the new distribution area of this flowering plant. As it is known, the last distribution areas of these meadows are the Marmara Islands. “In addition, as of December 2023, we have provided training on our seas and sea meadows to more than 4 thousand primary and secondary school students in a total of 20 schools in Marmara Island, Avşa Island, Erdek center and villages,” he said.
Seagrass meadows: Habitats of vital importance for marine creatures
Protecting the seas and marine resources; Mapping the last Posidonia oceanica seagrasses, which are critical for the health of the Marmara Sea, with the “Future of the Seas: Seagrasses” project, which was implemented in September 2023 in cooperation with İşbank and TÜDAV, which adopts the “The world is ours, the future is ours” approach with the aim of supporting ecological balance and sustainability. It is aimed to clean and protect from the waste on it.
In the new phase of the project, research buoys are being carried out for the first time in the Bosphorus. The first 2 buoys were placed off the coast of Büyük Port and Beykoz – Sultaniye, which is home to seagrass meadows known as fine sea grass or Zostera marina. In July, 8 new research buoys will be launched in areas where seagrass meadows are located, including Narlı Village and Paşalimanı Island in the Marmara Islands region.
Seagrass meadows, which are vital habitats for many marine creatures, provide breeding, feeding and sheltering areas for various species such as fish and invertebrates. For example, in the Marmara Islands, sea meadows also contain bream, butt, kingfish, seahorse, sea needle, crab and shrimps, pinas, squid and cuttlefish. Preserving seagrass meadows is of great importance to maintain the life cycles of these species in a healthy way. The project aims to protect these important areas and raise social awareness so that marine ecosystems can continue in a healthy and balanced manner.
* Float; It is a floating object that can move on the sea surface, is firmly anchored to its rings to tie a boat, and serves to indicate a location, a place, to indicate a danger or to show a passageway.
* Eyebolt; It is a fixed ring used for attaching hooks and tying ropes on decks or in suitable places.
* Reef vault; They are concrete blocks or similar structures placed on the seabed. It contributes to species diversity by creating new habitats for marine creatures.