The Blue Breath Project, with Garanti BBVA and TURMEPA, targets environmental restoration in Marmara Sea, Lake Van, Göcek, and Saros by 2025.
With the collaboration of Garanti BBVA and TURMEPA, and under the coordination of the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change, concrete, measurable, and science-based activities have been implemented in the Blue Breath Project, which aims to be completed by 2025 in the Sea of Marmara, Lake Van, Göcek, and the Saros Gulf. The project includes a variety of activities ranging from waste cleaning to seagrass restoration, and from the protection of coral ecosystems to awareness training, all of which are ongoing simultaneously.
Since 2021, Garanti BBVA has been conducting concrete and science-based studies aimed at the protection of marine ecosystems within the scope of the Blue Breath Project in collaboration with the Marine Clean Association (TURMEPA). The activities carried out in the Sea of Marmara, Lake Van, Göcek, and the Saros Gulf have created environmental, scientific, and social impacts that contribute to the breathing of the seas.
An approach that brings together science, technology, and civil society.
Mahmut Akten, General Manager of Garanti BBVA, expressed the impact of the project achieved by 2025 with the following words: 'With Blue Breath, we aim to protect not only the present of our seas but also their future. Through the work we have done in 2025, we have achieved concrete results that contribute to the breathing of the seas. We believe that the approach that brings together science, technology, and civil society is a strong path to leave a more sustainable world for future generations. Furthermore, we will continue our efforts with the awareness that it will be critical not only to provide financing but also to steadfastly pursue projects that protect marine ecosystems and create lasting and long-term impacts.'
Şadan Kaptanoğlu, Chairman of the Board of TURMEPA, stated, 'We take one out of every two breaths thanks to the seas. This reality necessitates decisive and continuous steps to protect the seas. In collaboration with Garanti BBVA and under the coordination of the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change, we continue to produce concrete solutions under the Marmara Sea Action Plan, which we initiated in response to the mucilage crisis in 2021, guided by science.'
Over 60 tons of solid waste and 613,000 liters of liquid waste removed from the seas.
Throughout 2025, over 60 tons of solid waste and 613,000 liters of liquid waste were removed from the seas as part of the Blue Breath Project. Cleaning activities conducted in the Sea of Marmara, Lake Van, and Göcek reduced the pressures on underwater ecosystems, while conservation and monitoring efforts in the Saros Gulf and Göcek supported the continuity of biodiversity.
Oxygen Production Points in Göcek Under Protection.
As part of the Blue Breath Göcek project, coordinated by the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change, 14,000 seagrass plantings were carried out in 2025, marking these areas as 'oxygen production points' with buoy markers. These areas, confirmed to have over 70% vitality through scientific measurements, play a critical role as natural carbon sinks and oxygen sources for the seas.
Breathing New Life into Corals in Saros.
Within the scope of the Blue Breath Saros Project, ecosystem scanning and intervention activities were conducted over an area of approximately 160 hectares. Cleaning and health checks were performed on a total of 600 coral colonies in the northern and southern regions, while a 200-square-meter ghost net that severely harmed the ecosystem was removed from the sea. These interventions strengthened the access of coral and gorgonian colonies to light, their feeding capacity, and their life sustainability.
Awareness is also Spreading with Blue Breath.
The Blue Breath Project focuses not only on ecosystems but also on social awareness. In 2025, the mobile Blue Breath Education Bus and online training reached 36,800 students and 1,730 teachers. Through educational activities, environmental awareness among younger generations was strengthened, aiming for a lasting transformation in the protection of the seas.
Source: SeaNews Türkiye
