Black Sea Awareness in Action: Children Lead the Way in Beach Clean-Up Effort

This post is also available in: Türkçe (Turkish)

An environmental awareness event was held in collaboration with students from Sürmene Şehit Kaymakam Muhammet Fatih Safitürk Primary School, sparking great interest and enthusiasm among the children.

As part of the activity, the project team—Prof. Dr. Fatma Telli Karakoç, Prof. Dr. Coşkun Erüz, Prof. Dr. Hacer Sağlam, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Rafet Çağrı Öztürk, Dr. Ahmet Şahin, and Dr. Neira Purwanty Ismail—delivered informative presentations on the impact of anthropogenic litter on the Black Sea ecosystem.

Following the presentations, students took part in a beach clean-up activity, demonstrating strong engagement and awareness. The event highlighted the importance of early education in fostering a sense of environmental responsibility and in safeguarding marine ecosystems for future generations.

This awareness-raising event was part of the BlackNets Project’s “Exorcising the Black Sea’s Silent Killers” initiative. Findings show that abandoned plastic-based fishing gear made up most of the marine litter in the marine environment.

Particularly alarming are discarded or lost fishing nets—commonly known as “ghost nets”—which can linger on the seafloor for centuries without decomposing. These nets continue to trap marine organisms long after their intended use, posing a serious threat to marine biodiversity and fish populations.