BODRUM UNDERWATER PARK PROJECT
Sustainability Goal
The Bodrum Underwater Park was launched in 2024 as a joint project between the Bodrum Maritime Museum (affiliated with the Bodrum Municipality) and the Blue Aegean Sea Rotary Club (affiliated with the Rotary 2440th District Federation). The project is being carried out in collaboration with Dr. Mert Gökalp, known for his work in seagrass conservation, and Eco Legacy Mediterranean.
The project undertakes a mission that goes beyond offering an aesthetic experience, aiming to raise environmental awareness and support the natural balance. This inspiring initiative demonstrates how human creativity can be integrated into conservation efforts, revealing that underwater art can be not only a form of expression but also a functional tool that contributes to ecosystems.
Oxygen
Marine awareness is raised through the use of different themes in each stage. The theme for the first stage in 2024, “Oxygen,” highlighted that a large portion of the world's oxygen sources comes from the seas, particularly from seagrass meadows. In this context, it is emphasized that approximately 70% of the oxygen we breathe is provided by seagrasses.
Ayla Turan, Doğu Çankaya, Prof. Esra Sağlık, Genco Gülan, Kemal Tufan, and Mehmet Kutlu produced large-scale sculptures and installations using marble, clay, and concrete, based on the “Oxygen” theme. Kemal Tufan completed some of his works with performances conducted underwater.
STAGE 1
Tırhandils and Shipwrecks
Boats that once played an important role in the Eastern Mediterranean, local boat masters, artists, and underwater archaeology came together in the project's 2nd Stage to contribute to marine culture. This stage, supported by the French Embassy in Turkey and the French Development Agency (AFD), was cited as one of the examples of the Bodrum–Corsica collaboration within the scope of sustainable development in the Mediterranean and was featured in Dr. Mert Gökalp's documentary, East to West.
Artists Prof. Bülent Çınar, Ege Kolcu, Genco Gülan, and Assist. Prof. İrfan Aydın worked with experts in shipbuilding and underwater archaeology to produce their works using marble, clay, and wood. While the sculptures referenced the region’s maritime heritage, such as Tırhandil models and the Serçe Limanı and Uluburun shipwrecks, the Ağanlar Shipyard built a special, life-size Tırhandil model specifically for the project.
STAGE 2
Culture-Centered Partnership
An intercultural interaction network was established through the cooperation of the French Embassy, the French Cultural Institute, and the Muğla and Bodrum Municipalities. The documentary East To West, focusing on the shared experiences of Corsica (which succeeded in protecting its coasts) and Bodrum (which faces similar environmental pressures due to tourism and population growth), was filmed as part of the project's 2nd Stage.
The launching event for this stage was attended by the French Ambassador to Turkey, the French Consul General in Istanbul, the Director General of the French Institute, the Honorary Consul of France in Muğla, the Mayor of Muğla Metropolitan Municipality, the Mayor of Bodrum, the Head of the Bodrum Port Authority, and the President of the Bodrum Chamber of Shipping.
BODRUM UNDERWATER PARK PROJECT GALLERY
Underwater Performance: Posidonia Man
Posidonia Man is an artistic awareness project brought to life by scientist Mert Gökalp and performance artist Ziya Azazi to draw attention to the vitally important seagrass meadows of the Mediterranean. The Posidonia meadows, which produce oxygen, store carbon, and hold critical importance for the sustainability of the marine ecosystem, are made visible through a symbolic character in this project.
Project Posidonia Pilot Area
Project Posidonia is carrying out conservation efforts for seagrass meadows in the pilot area, led by Scientific Consultant Dr. Mert Gökalp. In the Underwater Park Project Area, uncontrolled anchoring activities in particular are causing serious destruction to the Posidonia meadows. However, Posidonia is one of the most critical components of the Mediterranean ecosystem due to its high oxygen production capacity, its ability to sequester excess carbon from the atmosphere, and its role in providing habitat and breeding grounds for many marine species. It also contributes to keeping the sea clean by supporting natural water filtration and protects the integrity of coastal ecosystems by reducing coastal erosion. For these reasons, the conservation of Posidonia meadows constitutes one of the project's core scientific focuses.
PROJECT TEAM
Project Coordinators
Selen Cambazoğlu — Director of Bodrum Maritime Museum, Archaeologist & Art Historian
Şule Kükrer — Blue Aegean Sea Rotary Club
Environmental Consultant & Visual Documentation Coordinator
Dr. Mert Gökalp — Marine Biologist
Science and Art Consultants
Dr. Baybars Sağlamtimur — Niğde Ömer Halisdemir University, Faculty of Communication, Radio-TV-Cinema
Prof. Esra Sağlık — MSKÜ Bodrum Faculty of Fine Arts, Sculpture Department
Assist. Prof. İrfan Aydın
Underwater Technical Consultants
Aşkın Cambazoğlu — Underwater Archaeologist, Owner of Sport & Technical Diving Company
Aytaç Aydın — Owner of Technical Diving Company
Kenan Doğan — Owner of Dive School
Visual Documentation Team
Dr. Baybars Sağlamtimur
Dr. Mert Gökalp
Tunç Cambazoğlu — Owner of Commercial & Sport Diving Company
Technical Diving Team
Serhan Uçtepe — Instructor, Technical Diver
Ural Erdem — Instructor, Technical Diver
Taylan Öztunçer — Technical Diver
Underwater Safety Coordinator
Tunç Cambaz
Main Dive Team
Ahmet Yaşar — Owner of Dive School
Can Gümüşsoy — Owner of Dive School
Çağdaş Oralkan — Instructor Diver
Ecrin Burgazlı — Archaeologist, Assistant Diver
Akın Pekyaman — Assistant Diver
Selen Cambazoğlu
Tourism Consultants
Cumhur Güven Taşbaşı — Former Deputy Governor of Istanbul–İzmir, Director General of Promotion at the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, District Governor of Bodrum
Yiğit Girgin — Secretary General of the Bodrum Promotion Foundation (BOTAV)