A "Marmara Sea Workshop" was held on 12 December 2017 at TÜBİTAK MAM Gebze Campus in order to share the results of the Marmara Sea monitoring studies and marine pressures with the beneficiaries and stakeholders of the Marmara Sea within the scope of the "Integrated Marine Pollution Monitoring Work (DBKI)" for the period 2017-2019, which is carried out by the Ministry of Environment and Urbanization (MoEU) and coordinated by TÜBİTAK Marmara Research Center (MAM).

The workshop was held with over 90 expert participants from various public institutions and organizations and universities. The opening speeches of the workshop were delivered by Soner Olgun, Head of Laboratory Measurement and Monitoring Department of the General Directorate of EIA, Permit and Inspection of the MoEU and Haldun Karan, Assist. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Haldun Karan, Director of TÜBİTAK MAM Environment and Cleaner Production Institute (ÇTÜE).

In the workshop; presentations on the Turkish Straits System, ongoing modeling studies specific to the Marmara Sea (MARMOD Project), Historical Change of Macroflora Species Diversity in the Marmara Sea, Macrozoobenthic Coastal and Deep Sea characteristics, Current Eutrophication Status, Pollutants and Marine Litter were made by the experts of the subject and information about the studies carried out by other institutions were shared. The current Draft Circular for the preparation of Marine Litter Action Plans and the National Action Plan for Land Based Pollutants were presented by the experts of the Ministry.

In the workshop, the hydrodynamic and ecosystem characteristics of the Marmara Sea, pressures and pollution status were discussed and the necessity of multidimensional studies for the protection of the Marmara Sea was revealed.