Assessment of bathing water quality in the Sea of Marmara (2022-2024) and recommendations

Sibel Zeki

doi:10.12714/egejfas.42.2.05

TR EN

Marmara Denizi'nde yüzme suyu kalitesinin değerlendirilmesi (2022-2024) ve öneriler

Öz

Türkiye'de yarı kapalı bir iç deniz olan Marmara Denizi, antropojenik baskılardan giderek daha fazla etkilenen doğal olarak hassas bir ekosisteme sahiptir. Bu çalışma, İstanbul ve Çanakkale Boğazlarını da kapsayacak şekilde Marmara Denizi’nde yüzme suyu kalitesini değerlendirmiş ve izleme sonuçlarının yaygınlaştırılması için öneriler sunmuştur. Türkiye Sağlık Bakanlığı tarafından izlenen 176 yüzme alanının verileri, birbirini takip eden üç yüzme sezonu (2022-2024) boyunca analiz edilmiştir. Sonuçlarımız, izlenen plajların %66'sının 2024 yılında yüzme suyu kalitesi açısından mükemmel olarak sınıflandırıldığını ve bu oranın Avrupa Birliği ortalamasından daha düşük olduğunu göstermektedir. Ayrıca, bu plajların sadece %24'ü Mavi Bayrak sertifikası almıştır. Mekânsal analiz, iller arasında belirgin farklılıklar olduğunu ortaya koymuştur. Balıkesir ve Çanakkale en yüksek yüzme suyu kalitesini sergilerken, Yalova ve Bursa yüzme sularının yaklaşık dörtte birinin kötü kalite olarak sınıflandırılmasıyla en kötü koşulları kaydetmiştir. Bu bulgular, özellikle düşük sınıflandırmaya sahip illerde yüzme suyu kalitesini iyileştirmek ve Türkiye'nin yüzme suyu kalitesini AB ile daha uyumlu hale getirmek için hedefe yönelik müdahalelere duyulan ihtiyacı göstermektedir. Buna ek olarak, çalışmamız izleme sonuçlarının kamuoyuna daha iyi duyurulmasının önemini vurgulamaktadır. Politika yapıcıları ve kamuoyunu yüzme suyu kalitesi hakkında daha iyi bilgilendirmek için, plajların kapatılmasına ilişkin veriler de dahil olmak üzere, kapsamlı ulusal ve bölgesel raporların hazırlanması önerilmektedir. Bu tür uygulamalar sadece halk sağlığını korumak için değil, aynı zamanda hedefe yönelik müdahaleleri kolaylaştırmak, sürdürülebilir plaj yönetimini teşvik etmek ve turizm gelişimini desteklemek için de çok önemlidir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

Assessment of bathing water quality in the Sea of Marmara (2022-2024) and recommendations

Abstract

The Sea of Marmara, a semi-enclosed inland sea in Türkiye, has a naturally sensitive ecosystem increasingly impacted by anthropogenic pressures. This study evaluated the bathing water quality along the Sea of Marmara, including the Straits of İstanbul and Çanakkale, and provided recommendations for enhancing the dissemination of monitoring results. Bathing water quality data from 176 sites, monitored by the Turkish Ministry of Health, were analyzed over three consecutive bathing seasons (2022-2024). The results indicate that in 2024, 66% of the monitored beaches were classified as excellent, a proportion lower than the European Union average. Furthermore, only 24% of those beaches received the Blue Flag certification. Spatial analysis revealed distinct provincial disparities, with Balıkesir and Çanakkale exhibiting the highest bathing water quality, whereas Yalova and Bursa recorded the poorest conditions, with roughly a quarter of their bathing waters classified as poor quality. These findings underscore the need for targeted interventions to improve bathing water quality, particularly in provinces with lower classifications, and to align Türkiye’s bathing water standards more closely with EU benchmarks. In addition, the study emphasizes the importance of improving public access to monitoring results. Developing comprehensive national and regional reports, including data on beach closures, is recommended to enhance public awareness and policymaking. Such implementations are crucial for not only protecting public health but also facilitating targeted interventions, promoting sustainable beach management, and fostering tourism development.

Keywords

Supporting Institution

This study did not receive any financial support.

Ethical Statement

No specific ethical approval was necessary for this study.

Thanks

The author would like to thank Zeynep Akdoğan for her contribution to data acquisition, as well as Prof. Dr. Nazli Demirel and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Fuat Dursun for their valuable feedback on this paper.

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Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Hydrobiology , Environmental Management (Other) , Aquaculture and Fisheries (Other)

Journal Section

Research Article

Authors

Sibel Zeki ^*
0000-0002-9001-4996
Türkiye

Early Pub Date

June 14, 2025

Publication Date

June 15, 2025

Submission Date

March 2, 2025

Acceptance Date

April 7, 2025

Published in Issue

Year 2025 Volume: 42 Number: 2

DOI

https://doi.org/10.12714/egejfas.42.2.05

IZ

https://izlik.org/JA58UX97WN

Cite

RIS / Bibtex

APA

Zeki, S. (2025). Assessment of bathing water quality in the Sea of Marmara (2022-2024) and recommendations. Ege Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, 42(2), 131-137. https://doi.org/10.12714/egejfas.42.2.05