In a bid to bolster environmental awareness and promote the preservation of the Mediterranean monk seal and marine ecosystems, the "Mediterranean Monk Seal Monitoring and Awareness Project" has been recently launched in Türkiye's bustling tourist destination Muğla. This ambitious project seeks to educate primary and secondary school students, as well as children staying in hotels, on the significance of safeguarding Mediterranean monk seals, seagrass meadows and the broader marine ecosystem.
The project, initially conceived in February and now in the implementation phase, is part of the "TUI Sea the Change" program, a collaboration between the Mediterranean Conservation Association and the TUI Care Foundation. With a comprehensive approach, it aims to reach a total of 600 students in three primary schools and three secondary schools located in Muğla's Ortaca district. These students will undergo awareness training, using engaging tools such as game cards, artistic activities and animated films. The project also involves field studies to provide hands-on experiences for the children.
Notably, the project extends its reach to children staying in hotels throughout Muğla, allowing them to access this essential training, promoting a wider understanding of the Mediterranean monk seal and marine ecosystem preservation.
The project's primary objective is to gather crucial data regarding Mediterranean monk seals and seagrass meadows through monitoring studies, with a projected completion date in early 2025.
Ezgi Saydam, the Mediterranean Conservation Association's Mediterranean Monk Seal program coordinator and marine biologist, emphasized the urgency of the project, citing that there are only around 800 Mediterranean monk seals worldwide, making their survival perilously uncertain. Türkiye is home to approximately 100 of these individuals, adding to the country's critical role in their conservation.
Saydam underscored the Mediterranean monk seal's importance as an indicator of marine ecosystem health and the need for continued conservation efforts. The project aims to gain a deeper understanding of the seals' use of caves and identify individuals who inhabit these spaces. Furthermore, it includes awareness-raising activities to mitigate human pressures, a significant threat to the species.
Elaborating on the educational aspect of the project, Saydam explained: "We plan to make informative presentations and play card games in local schools so that children can have fun and learn. We have also prepared a very nice animation and aim to reach more people by showing it in both hotels and schools. We will go to hotels and do water sports, diving and more, aiming to meet with the departments and provide information about Mediterranean monk seals and how sensitive the species is to human pressure. We will explain what behaviors they should not engage in."
The project will also emphasize the critical role of seagrass meadows, in addition to Mediterranean monk seals. Educational efforts will encompass both primary and secondary school visits, where education-based awareness activities on seals, their habitats, the Mediterranean ecosystem and seagrass meadows will be conducted. The program employs game-based tools and aims to raise general awareness while fostering respect for marine life and habitats.
The initiative extends beyond education, as it has established a goodwill agreement with tour boats in the region to further protect Mediterranean monk seals. The project marks a significant step toward educating the younger generation and the wider community on the importance of preserving marine ecosystems and their inhabitants.