14.3.1. Conservation and sustainable utilisation of the oceans (events)
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14.3.1. Conservation and sustainable utilisation of the oceans (events)
In 2025, METU organised events to promote the conservation and sustainable use of the seas and marine resources.
'Black Sea – Mediterranean Science Connections' symposium (3 October 2025)
To mark the 50th anniversary of the METU Institute of Marine Sciences (IMS), METU held the international symposium 'Black Sea – Mediterranean Science Connections' on 3 October 2025 at the IMS campus in Erdemli, Mersin. More than 120 participants from universities, research institutes and policy bodies, in person and online, discussed five decades of marine research and regional cooperation for healthy seas.
https://ims.metu.edu.tr/slider/international-symposium-black-sea-mediterranean-science-connections
MARMOD Phase III final workshop (4 December 2025)
The closing workshop of MARMOD Phase III, held with the Ministry of Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change, presented the Digital Twin of the Sea of Marmara, a tool for protecting the sea from wastewater pollution.
BRIDGE-BS final conference (25 November 2025)
METU's Institute of Marine Sciences coordinated BRIDGE-BS, a Horizon 2020 project in which 31 partners from 14 countries worked for four and a half years towards a sustainable blue economy and a safe operating space for the Black Sea, including training young marine scientists and engaging citizens. Its final conference in Brussels on 25 November 2025 brought together 160 scientists, policymakers and stakeholders (65 on site, 95 online). It presented the project's Black Sea digital twin demonstrator, scenarios for ecosystem resilience and a policy brief, and a panel discussed future cooperation for the Black Sea.
Talks for the Mersin public on marine biodiversity
In 2025, METU CLIMATE spoke at events held by the Mersin City Council: at the City and Maritime Conference on the likely effects of climate change on marine biodiversity in Mersin, and at the panel 'Aydıncık, the last stronghold of seagrass meadows' on the effects of climate change on seagrass ecosystems.
Free public podcast on life below water (20 March 2025)
In the seventh episode of METU CLIMATE's free 'Sustainable Development Talks' podcast, released on 20 March 2025 on YouTube, Prof. Dr. Mustafa Yücel, deputy director of the METU Institute of Marine Sciences, explains to a general audience how the seas can be managed sustainably, how marine protected areas contribute to SDG 14, how climate change is affecting the oceans and why ocean observing systems matter, together with the scientific and economic potential of hydrothermal vents and the history of deep-sea exploration.
Ocean literacy for schoolchildren in Mersin (Blue School, 20.11.2025)
As part of the Blue School application of the METU Development Foundation Private Mersin Schools, Dr. Evrim Kalkan of the METU Institute of Marine Sciences gave pupils a talk on ocean literacy, covering the vital role of the oceans in our lives, the changes climate change is bringing to the seas and why individual awareness matters for a sustainable future, and introduced METU CLIMATE's work. METU CLIMATE lists its Blue School cooperation with the school among its 2025 partnerships.
https://iklim.metu.edu.tr/sites/iklim.metu.edu.tr/files/birim_faaliyet_raporu_ocak_2025_0426.pdf
Workshop on preventing pollution of the Mediterranean (16 January 2025)
On 16 January 2025, the METU Institute of Marine Sciences, as the Türkiye focal point of the BlueMissionMed Mediterranean Hub, held the hybrid workshop 'HUBs4Innovation: Supporting and Strengthening the Mediterranean Basin Innovation Ecosystem in Türkiye' with the support of Mersin Metropolitan Municipality at the municipality's Mercan 100th Year Climate and Environment Science Centre. More than 110 participants – academics, the Ministry of Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change, Mersin and Hatay metropolitan municipalities, the Çukurova Development Agency, the Antalya Chamber of Commerce, the Chamber of Environmental Engineers, the private sector and project representatives – discussed collaborative, innovative solutions to prevent and remove pollution of the Mediterranean, in support of the EU Mission 'Restore our Ocean and Waters'. Sessions covered the needs and opportunities for applying such solutions in Türkiye, the identification and reduction of pollutants, and policy dialogue between decision-makers and researchers (İHA, 31 January 2025).