Garanti BBVA’s marine protection program removes 280 tons of waste and trains over 100,000 students
The Blue Breath project was launched in 2021 by Garanti BBVA in collaboration with DenizTemiz Derneği/TURMEPA to protect Turkish marine ecosystems. Over the past four years, Blue Breath has worked with a variety of stakeholders to carry out clean-up projects, training sessions, and other environmental protection initiatives.
The success of the program speaks for itself. Blue Breath has removed 280 tons of solid waste and 650,000 liters of liquid waste from bodies of water across the country. The project also planted seagrass in Göcek to support underwater oxygen production and carbon sequestration, achieving a vitality rate of 70 percent. Furthermore, for the first time, research for the project determined the age of a seagrass meadow, estimated to be 2,000 years old, and a habitat map was created for Saros Gulf with 382 different species.
Blue Breath also toured across the country in its Education Bus, hosting a variety of activities to raise environmental awareness among children. A total of 100,000 students and 5,000 students participated in the sessions related to marine protection, zero waste and the sustainable use of water resources.