Blue Breath Cleans 280 Tons of Marine Waste and Revives Historic Seagrass Meadows in Turkey

Blue Breath Cleans 280 Tons of Marine Waste and Revives Historic Seagrass Meadows in Turkey

(IN BRIEF) Launched in 2021 by Garanti BBVA and DenizTemiz Derneği/TURMEPA, the Blue Breath project has spent four years tackling pollution and restoring coastal ecosystems across Turkey. Teams have extracted 280 tons of trash and 650 000 liters of liquid waste, while seagrass replanting in Göcek achieved a 70 percent vitality rate. Groundbreaking research dated a 2 000-year-old seagrass meadow, and a detailed habitat map of Saros Gulf identified 382 species. An Education Bus initiative further raised awareness, involving 100 000 children and educating 5 000 students on sustainable marine practices.

(PRESS RELEASE) BILBAO / ISTANBUL, 17-Jun-2025 — /EuropaWire/ — Since its inception in 2021, the Blue Breath initiative—spearheaded by Garanti BBVA alongside DenizTemiz Derneği/TURMEPA—has been safeguarding Turkey’s marine environments through hands-on clean-up operations, educational outreach, and a suite of conservation activities. Over four years, the program has mobilized diverse partners to remove debris from coasts and waterways, restore vital habitats, and cultivate public stewardship of the sea.

To date, Blue Breath teams have hauled away 280 tons of solid litter and evacuated 650 000 liters of liquid pollutants from Turkish waters. In Göcek, they replanted seagrass beds, achieving a 70 percent survival rate, thereby bolstering underwater oxygen production and locking away carbon. Pioneering research under the project dated a seagrass meadow at some 2 000 years old, and experts charted a Saros Gulf habitat map documenting 382 distinct marine species.

Complementing field efforts, the Blue Breath Education Bus traversed the nation, delivering interactive sessions on marine conservation, zero-waste practices and sustainable water use. Through these mobile classrooms, the project engaged 100 000 children and directly reached 5 000 students in structured marine-protection workshops.

SOURCE: Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria, S.A.