Restoration of Urban-Coastal Ecosystems in Mersin

The Mersin Metropolitan Municipality is part of the Turkish Mediterranean Hub, established in Mersin to support the goals of the Horizon Europe “Mission Restore our Oceans and Waters” within the BlueMissionMed project. In this regard, this partnership can be extended at the regional level on the whole Mediterranean. It has actively contributed to the health of the ocean and seas since 2016 with several projects such as;

The Marine Biodiversity Awareness Project; Mersin Metropolitan Municipality and the Middle East Technical University (METU) Institute of Marine Sciences (IMS) collaborated to provide practical training, to raise awareness among secondary school students about the effects of climate change on marine life, and the preservation of seas along the coasts of Mersin. As part of the Awareness Raising Project citizen science activities, education activities for students (practical, visual), monitoring of Toxic Sea Anemones, and Sea Observations (Physical and Biological Measurements) were held., 1831 students and 101 teachers from 89 secondary schools were trained between years of 2016-2021.

The Clean Mediterranean Project; The project was completed with the coordination of Mersin Metropolitan Municipality. Mersin was in collaboration with the Adana, Hatay, and Antalya Metropolitan Municipalities with the scientific support of the Middle East Technical University Institute of Marine Sciences (METU IMS), and conducted joint efforts to identify and address the causes of pollution in the Turkish Mediterranean Sea.

The Clean Mediterranean Project has aimed at identifying pollution sources adversely affecting sea tourism. Within the scope of the project sampling, analysis (Physical, Chemical and Biological Measurements), and evaluation methods are carried out. Along Mersin's coasts Marine Field Surveys (at 18 Stations) and Terrestrial Input Studies (at 9 Stations) were held. The project provided concrete results. In 2023, ecosystem-based monitoring and management plan for the clean Mediterranean was published in 2023.

‘’We are Leaving Artificial Reefs to the Sea for the Future’’ Project; Artificial reefs frequently serve as breeding habitats for invertebrates such as algae and mussels, allowing fish communities to feed, shelter, and reproduce. Moreover, artificial reefs prevent drag net usage. In 2023, 14 artificial reefs were deployed at several points of Mersin coast. This activity funded entirely by Mersin Metropolitan Municipality, and the reefs will be deployed along the entire 321 km coastline for an observation period of the next 18 months.

Upcoming Projects;

- Mersin Metropolitan Municipality is planning to apply for Interreg Next-Med on coastal protection and restoration of the Goksu Delta.

- To protect the health of the Mediterranean Sea, Mersin Wastewater Project II is about to start to renew wastewater treatment plants in 13 districts within the body of Mersin Water and Sewerage Administration (MESKİ) with 35 million EURs credit taken from EBRD in the first quarter of 2024. MESKİ is an affiliated entity of Mersin Metropolitan Municipality.