Bodrum Underwater Park Project
The Bodrum Underwater Park was established in 2024 as a joint project of the Bodrum Maritime Museum, affiliated with the Bodrum Municipality, and the Blue Aegean Sea Rotary Club, affiliated with the Rotary District 2440 Federation. The project is being carried out in collaboration with Dr. Mert Gökalp, known for his work in protecting seagrass meadows, and Ecolegacy Mediterranean.
Oxygen
Each stage uses different themes to raise awareness about the sea. The first stage theme in 2024, "Oxygen," highlighted that a large portion of the world's oxygen sources come from the seas, particularly seagrass meadows. In this context, it was emphasized that approximately 70% of the oxygen we breathe is provided by seagrass meadows. Ayla Turan, Doğu Çankaya, Prof. Esra Sağlık, Genco Gülan, Kemal Tufan, and Mehmet Kutlu created large-scale sculptures and installations using marble, clay, and concrete, based on the "Oxygen" theme. Kemal Tufan completed some of his works with underwater performances.
STAGE 1
Sustainability Goal
The project goes beyond offering an aesthetic experience, undertaking a mission to raise environmental awareness and support the natural balance. Demonstrating how human creativity can be incorporated into environmental protection efforts, this inspiring initiative reveals that underwater art can be not only a form of expression but also a functional tool contributing to ecosystems.
Tirhandils and Shipwrecks
Boats that once played a significant role in the Eastern Mediterranean, local boat builders, artists, and underwater archaeology came together in the second phase of the project to contribute to maritime culture. Supported by the French Embassy in Turkey and the French Development Agency, this phase was presented as an example of Bodrum-Corsica cooperation within the framework of sustainable development in the Mediterranean and featured in Dr. Mert Gökalp's documentary "East to West."
Artists Prof. Bülent Çınar, Ege Kolcu, Genco Gülan, and Assoc. Prof. İrfan Aydın collaborated with experts in boat building and underwater archaeology, creating their works using marble, clay, and wood. The sculptures reference the region's maritime heritage, such as tırhandil models and the Serçe Limanı and Uluburun shipwrecks, while Ağanlar Shipyard constructed a custom-built, life-size tırhandil model for the project.
STAGE 2
Culture-Centered Partnership
The French Embassy, the French Cultural Institute, and the municipalities of Muğla and Bodrum have collaborated to create an intercultural interaction network. The documentary "East To West," focusing on the shared experiences of Corsica, which has managed to preserve its coastline, and Bodrum, which faces similar environmental pressures due to tourism and population growth, was filmed as part of the second phase of the project.
The launch event for this phase was attended by the French Ambassador to Turkey, the French Consul 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 Port Authority Head of Bodrum, and the President of the Bodrum Chamber of Maritime Commerce.
Underwater Performance: Posidonia Man
Posidonia Man is an artistic awareness project created by scientist Mert Gökalp and performance artist Ziya Azazi to draw attention to the vital seagrass meadows of the Mediterranean.
Posidonia meadows, which produce oxygen, sequester carbon, and are critically important for the sustainability of the marine ecosystem, are made visible through a symbolic character in this project.
Project Posidonia: Pilot Region
Project Posidonia, under the leadership of Scientific Advisor Dr. Mert Gökalp, is conducting studies aimed at protecting seagrass meadows in the pilot area. In the Underwater Park Project Area, uncontrolled anchoring activities are causing significant damage to Posidonia meadows.
The protection of Posidonia meadows is one of the project's fundamental scientific focuses.
Adaboğazı
Aquarium Bay
Underwater Park Project Area
Görecek Island
We protect our bays with ecological vault systems.
To halt the damage traditional anchoring causes to the seabed, we are guiding dive boats, day trip boats, and private yachts towards an innovative solution.
In sensitive marine areas, we are completely eliminating the destructive effects of anchoring by enabling boats to use ecological/next-generation mooring systems.
This pioneering practice will not only protect nature but will also create a regional model and a source of awareness for determining the sustainable boat capacity of bays.
