GTU To Contribute to the Sustainability of the Black Sea Basin via SturNet

November 14, 2024 – GTU Office of Press and Public Relations

The "Network for the Preservation of Sturgeon and for the Sustainability of the Black Sea Basin Ecosystem" (SturNet Project), led by Prof. Elif Damla Arısan from the Biotechnology Institute of Gebze Technical University (GTU), receives support from the European Union.

With the support of the European Union, the SturNet project aims to protect the unique ecosystem of the Black Sea Basin, with a particular focus on sturgeon species that are facing the threat of extinction. The project, which is a collaborative effort between scientists and NGOs from Bulgaria, Greece, Moldova, Türkiye, Ukraine, and Romania, is conducting an extensive study to determine the spawning areas and periods of sturgeon fish. The data collected from the project will be used to create a digital map, improving the understanding of the fish's life cycle and making conservation efforts more effective.

The SturNet project is focused on the sustainable management of sturgeon populations and the protection of the biodiversity of the Black Sea. It is considered one of the significant steps taken to preserve the rich underwater world of the Black Sea.

The project will involve collaboration among GTU and various institutions, including the Protection of Biodiversity in Bulgaria Foundation (OBB), Bulgaria; Aristoteleio Panepistimio Thessalonikis – Eidikos Logariasmos Kondilion Erevnas (AUTH), Greece; Ecological Counseling Center Cahul (ECC CAHUL), Moldova; Institute of Market & Economic & Ecological Researches of the National Academy of Sciences Ukraine (IMEER), Ukraine; and National Research and Development Institute for Marine Geology and Geoecology- NIRD GeoEcoMar, Constanta Branch (GeoEcoMar), Romania.