The “IK-IZ” project, initiated by TÜBİTAK MAM, aims to monitor the water quality in İzmit Bay and its surrounding streams seasonally, to monitor the effects on the ecosystem with scientific data and to prevent pollution.

TÜBİTAK Marmara Research Center (MAM) initiated the “Monitoring of İzmit Bay Water Quality and Terrestrial Inputs and Development of Recommendations for Prevention of Pollution (IK-IZ)” project to monitor the water quality of İzmit Bay and prevent pollution. Within the scope of the project, it is planned to monitor the surface water quality in the Gulf and some streams flowing into the Gulf within the framework of the Surface Water Quality Regulation.

In the project, the physical, chemical and biological parameters of the Gulf will be monitored seasonally through field sampling and the data obtained will be compared with previous years and will form the basis for water quality assessments. The data base will be used for integrated water quality assessments and ecosystem models. In this way, the effects of domestic and industrial changes on the water quality and ecosystem of the Gulf will be monitored in a cause-effect relationship and necessary measures will be planned in the light of scientific data.

The project will also investigate extreme situations such as mucilage, algae and plankton overgrowth and their causes, while monitoring the flow regime of the gulf, the state of garbage reaching the shores and the pollution loads carried by the streams. The findings will be evaluated within the framework of the Water Pollution Control Regulation and will enable practitioners and decision-makers planning investments to continuously assess the situation.

The project aims to contribute to the protection and sustainable use of İzmit Bay and to determine the adequacy of the measures to be taken. These studies carried out by TÜBİTAK MAM continue to contribute to environmental monitoring and assessment processes on a scientific basis.