Status: ON-GOING 

Project Duration: May 2024 – May 2025 

Challenge

Karataş, a coastal town, faces environmental challenges like climate change and poor fisheries. An artificial reef project was started in partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry in 2020, but there is no monitoring of these reefs yet. A lack of monitoring makes it hard to judge the reefs’ effectiveness in ecosystem restoration, fisheries productivity, and biodiversity enhancement. Also, the region’s biodiversity and fisheries potential are low due to overfishing and human displacement from a recent earthquake.  

Solution

A systematic monitoring study of artificial reefs will be implemented to address these challenges. The study will evaluate the reefs’ contribution to ecosystem restoration, fisheries productivity, and biodiversity enhancement over a year. The project aims to solve environmental issues, focusing on climate change and fishing pressure. It seeks to enhance Karataş’s resilience to climate change, improve biodiversity, and create a better marine environment for commercial and endangered fish species. 

Key activities included:

• Underwater biodiversity surveys and video documentation

• Species identification and data analysis

• Interviews and collaboration with local fishers

• Youth engagement through storytelling and visuals

• Development of management recommendations for reef protection

Project Highlights & Early Impact

• +10 hours of underwater footage collected across reef zones

• 16 scientific dives conducted to assess reef biodiversity

• 70+ local fishers engaged through interviews, surveys, and field collaboration

• Key native species observed: white grouper (Epinephelus aeneus), greater amberjack (Seriola dumerili), and seabreams (Diplodus spp.)

• Invasive species detected early: lionfish (Pterois miles), silver-cheeked toadfish (Lagocephalus sceleratus), and red mullet

• Public awareness activities sparked local interest among youth and stakeholders in marine ecology

 

About the organisation: The Karataş Fisheries Cooperative is working towards making the fishery sustainable, ensuring the future of Karataş coasts is resistant to the climate crisis, and supporting the fishery in the region.