Launch of the “DİPTE İZ” Project, Carried Out in Collaboration with Piri Reis University

We held the launch and the seagrass planting stage of the “DİPTE İZ” project at Tuzla Port. The project was implemented within the Cemre Foundation in collaboration with Piri Reis University, and is carried out with the support of Halkbank and the contributions of the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change and Tuzla Municipality.

The ceremony was attended by future climate diplomats from 44 countries, along with Deputy Governor of Istanbul Cengiz KARABULUT, Tuzla District Governor Ümit Hüseyin GÜNEY, Mayor of Tuzla Eren Ali BİNGÖL and Cemre Foundation President Furkan GÖKGÖZ. The project aims to protect the biodiversity of the Marmara coastline and to restore seagrass meadows, which store 35 times more carbon than tropical forests, to the sea. As part of the project, Prof. Dr. Mustafa SARI, faculty member of our University’s Faculty of Maritime, and his expert team successfully completed the fieldwork.

Speaking at the ceremony, our Rector Prof. Dr. Nafiz ARICA highlighted the vital role the seas play in our future:

“We owe one of every two breaths we take to our seas and oceans, and this project is one of the most valuable ways to repay that debt. As a university, alongside our missions in education and research and development, we regard service to society and the environment as one of our core responsibilities. We will continue to expand our scientific projects aimed at protecting life in our Blue Homeland, in Tuzla and in all of our seas.”

We would like to thank all the institutions taking part in our efforts to protect seagrass meadows, which enhance biodiversity and give the marine ecosystem room to breathe, as well as our distinguished guests and international participants.