The Marmara Sea Action Plan Scientific and Technical Committee, which was established to carry out efforts to combat mucilage within the scope of the Marmara Sea Protection Action Plan, held its first meeting on June 29, 2021 at TÜBİTAK Marmara Research Center (MAM).
In the joint press statement made by the Union of Marmara Municipalities and Kocaeli Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Assoc. Dr. Tahir Büyükakın and TÜBİTAK President Prof. Dr. Hasan Mandal before the meeting, it was stated that many issues, especially the effects of mucilage on the Marmara Sea and public health, will be discussed.
Speaking at the press conference, Mayor of the Union of Marmara Municipalities and Kocaeli Metropolitan Municipality Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tahir Büyükakın said: "In the past days, we shared our Scientific and Technical Board with our esteemed press members. At this meeting, we announced to you that our Scientific and Technical Board will convene and start working. In fact, in the studies carried out so far, it was a decision taken in the first article of the 22-point Action Plan announced so far. The establishment of a Science and Technical Board within the Union of Marmara Municipalities and the presence of the chairman and members of this board in the board was a decision included in the first article of the Action Plan. There are also members among us in the coordination board announced with the Presidential Decree. Reports will be made to the Coordination Board regarding the work carried out by the Science and Technical Board, both with the members there and with the fact that the President of TÜBİTAK is also a member there. Our first meeting is taking place today. As the President of the Union of Marmara Municipalities, I am here to explain the expectations to the Science and Technical Committee. They will then carry out their own work separately. Our board will be chaired by Hasan Mandal, President of TÜBİTAK."
Prof. Dr. Hasan Mandal, President of TÜBİTAK, stated that they will start working as 21 researchers and scientists, that they are aware of the importance and urgency of the issue, and that they will try to formulate opinions and solutions with a science-based approach.
Stating that competent scientists from different disciplines will work in the board, TÜBİTAK President Prof. Dr. Hasan Mandal said, "We are together with scientists who will support this issue at the point of physics, chemistry and biology at the point of environmental science, marine and water sciences technologies and basic science."
The process will be handled in all its dimensions
Stating that they are approaching the issue on a scientific basis and that they will address the fight against mucilage with all its issues, Mandal said: "While this committee is doing its own work, we will receive contributions from competent researchers in other committees in Turkey, but also from all individuals who have an opinion on this issue. This issue we are facing is an issue that we all know as sea slobber, but we will be at a broader point of view. I think that we can realize this with the work of researchers and scientists in different disciplines, rather than this being a problem that can only be solved today. We will be at the point of addressing the process in all its dimensions."
Stating that the current situation, needs analysis and solution proposals on the subject will be reported quickly, Prof. Dr. Hasan Mandal, President of TÜBİTAK, said: "We will also be presenting a realistic road map. We expect this to raise awareness in our society on climate change at all age levels. We will also be at the point of confirming that if the solution point of every issue is science-based, these solutions will be permanent, not temporary."
It is planned to contribute to other seas in our country and climate change policies
Stating that they aim to contribute to Turkey's other seas and Turkey's climate change policies, Prof. Dr. Hasan Mandal, President of TÜBİTAK, said: "We plan to contribute not only to mucilage, but also to other seas of our country and our country's climate change policies. Our Coordination Board meets once a month. We will report our work here," he said.
