Our Publications
Marmara: The Last Refuge (Documentary)
The documentary “Marmara: The Last Refuge,” created by the Marine Life Conservation Society team to mark the 100th anniversary of the Turkish Republic, follows a journey through the waters of the Marmara, Aegean, and Mediterranean Seas. It reveals the breathtaking underwater beauty of our seas and the relentless struggle for survival waged by marine life despite the damage caused by human activity.
With contributions from leading academic researchers and experienced seafarers, and sponsored by the Kariyo & Ababay Foundation with support from Mazars Denge, the film offers both scientific insight and emotional narrative on pressing issues like ghost nets, coral loss, and the search for sustainable solutions.
Marmara: The Last Refuge (Book)
Prepared as part of our "A Journey of Sustainability from the Marmara to the Mediterranean" project, this book opens the doors to a mesmerising underwater world. Combining scientific data collected from 100 different diving spots over 100 days during the 100th year of the Turkish Republic, it highlights the vital importance of the Marmara Sea —Türkiye’s most precious body of water- in a popular narrative style.
The sea is whole with its underwater and is connected to terrestrial ecosystems. With this book, we aim to demonstrate that the sea is, in many ways, a life-support system for humanity. It is designed to serve as both a basis for measures to take for a sustainable shared future and a reference resource for researchers, enthusiasts, decision-makers, and policy development.
The Princes’ Islands and the Wonders of the Underwater World (Documentary)
The Sea of Marmara is an inner sea that carries the nutrient-rich waters of the Black Sea in its upper 15 metres and the warm, salty waters of the Mediterranean below that depth. It is the only inner sea in our country and it supports many endemic species due to this unique layering.
Alas, the sea is now struggling, it is no longer able to renew or heal itself, nor provide the oxygen and nutrients it once did. For it to live again and reveal its wonders, we must give it the chance, the permission.
In this companion documentary to our book with the same title, we explore the biological and ecological significance of the Marmara Sea and the Princes’ Islands, as well as what we have lost, may lose, and what may come if we do lose them. Our wish is that those who watch this film will be moved to care for this magnificent sea as much as we do.
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The Princes’ Islands and the Wonders of the Underwater World (Book)
When we talk about diving into blue waters, what comes to mind is usually the southern seas. And of course, dive tours abroad, with its warm and clear waters, exotic creatures, and touristic sightseeing.
However, perhaps only a lucky few or the truly curious know about the richness of Istanbul's Princes’ Islands, both above and below the surface. Ask any diver who has explored the Sea of Marmara what draws them back. We can almost hear the words "dark, murky, cold" from those unfamiliar with the region.
Welcome to an immersive journey where you can explore the dive sites and marine life of the Princes’ Islands in 3D through this book! You’ll find maps and dive profiles for each site, along with QR codes that grant access to video guides and on-site footage. We hope you enjoy reading!
Symphony of the Corals (Mercan Dede)
In the third phase of the "+1 Breath for the Sea" project launched in 2022 in collaboration with Anadolu Efes, we turned our ears to the Marmara Sea —she who has long remained unheard. We recorded the sounds and images of species, from dusky groupers and lobsters to shrimp, dolphins, and even mussels. The renowned musician Mercan Dede, known for his deep passion for the sea and nature, transformed the voice of the Sea of Marmara and the marine life it hosts into a symphony. Now it is time to listen to the Marmara, and carefully heed what it says.
Ghost Fishing Report
With the Ghost Fishing report we prepared together with Arçelik, WWF-Turkey (World Wildlife Fund) and Istanbul University, we draw attention to the most lethal form of plastic waste in the seas.
Ghost fishing, which refers to fishing gear that continues to catch marine life without the fisher’s control, is one of the most serious threats to life in the water. While it causes the uncontrolled capture of numerous species such as fish, sea turtles, marine mammals and diving birds, it also physically damages the seabed and deepens the problem of plastic pollution. Experts, highlighting the need for preventative policies and practices at both national and international levels, call for the closure of purse seine fishing in the Bosphorus, based on the fact that nearly all the nets identified during dives in designated areas of the Bosphorus and the Princes’ Islands were purse seines.
Through 26 physical dives and 19 underwater drone operations carried out as part of the project, we exceeded the originally targeted impact area of 1,000 m² tenfold, identifying and removing ghost nets and other fishing gear over an area larger than 10,000 m². Based on the analysis of the collected data, we prepared this report.
Towards a Plastic-Free Future: Facts About Plastics (e-Booklet)
Plastic pollution, which grows more severe with each passing year, threatens all coastal and marine ecosystems. With the aim to raise awareness on this issue and encourage the development of solutions, the "Plastic-free Coasts, Plastic-free Waters" project was launched in the summer of 2023, in partnership with EKAD, TÜRÇEV (the Turkish Environmental Education Foundation), and the Antalya Metropolitan Municipality.
We joined the second phase of this project as a collaborator, which was supported by the Turquoise Coast Environment Fund (TCEF) through a partnership between Conservation Collective and the British music group Depeche Mode and Swiss watchmaker Hublot during their Memento Mori World Tour. One of the outputs of this project was a digital book, where you will find summarised information and key facts about plastics that everyone should know.