14.5.4. Collaboration for shared aquatic ecosystems

In 2025, METU collaborated with local authorities and the community to maintain Lakes Eymir and Mogan, which METU shares with the people of Ankara.

Eymir–Mogan monitoring with the State Hydraulic Works

In June 2025, METU EKOSAM and the State Hydraulic Works (DSİ) 5th Regional Directorate carried out joint fieldwork to develop a monitoring programme for Lakes Eymir and Mogan. They visited the main inflow and outflow points – Yavrucuk, the floodgate, Çölovası, Sukesen and the Lake Mogan water-level station at Atatürk Coastal Park – and agreed actions to control and improve water flow between the lakes.

Community involvement

Residents and visitors take part in looking after the lakes through events such as the annual Plogging clean-up around Lake Eymir and the Tür Say! citizen-science species count, whose 2025 edition on the METU campus on 25 May 2025 was open to anyone.

https://kampus.metu.edu.tr/en/node/200

Mersin coast: monitoring with Mersin Metropolitan Municipality

The Mediterranean coast at Erdemli, home to METU's Institute of Marine Sciences, is shared with the people of Mersin. In 2025, METU CLIMATE and the Department of Environmental Protection and Control of Mersin Metropolitan Municipality started a joint study to monitor marine pollution along the Mersin coast and the effect of climate change, and METU CLIMATE works with the Mersin City Council's City and Sea Commission

.https://iklim.metu.edu.tr/sites/iklim.metu.edu.tr/files/birim_faaliyet_raporu_ocak_2025_0426.pdf

Mersin: Mediterranean pollution workshop with the municipality (16 January 2025)

METU's Institute of Marine Sciences and Mersin Metropolitan Municipality jointly held the HUBs4Innovation workshop at the municipality's climate and environment science centre, where more than 110 participants from local and national government, business and research discussed how to prevent and remove pollution from the shared Mediterranean coast.

https://ims.metu.edu.tr/tr/slayt/hubs4innovation-turkiye-hubinda-akdeniz-havzasi-inovasyon-ekosistemini-destekleme-ve

Süleymanlı Plateau Lake with Buldan Municipality (September 2025)

In September 2025, at the invitation of Buldan Municipality (Denizli), METU biologists and students carried out fieldwork at Süleymanlı Plateau Lake, which the municipality is working to restore after seven years of clean-up. The lake is home to endemic species and many migratory birds; the team took samples at different points of the lake, and the results will guide the next steps in restoring it. The mayor, who joined the fieldwork, said the study would help protect the lake's natural values for future generations.

https://basinda.metu.edu.tr/images/basin/2082206493_1.jpg