50 new boat-mooring buoys protect native seagrass from invasive sea grapes in Ayvalık Islands Nature Park

Ayvalık, 10 October 2024 – Sea grapes sound innocent enough, but in the Mediterranean Sea they are an invasive species that disrupts native biodiversity and poses a particular threat to Neptune seagrass, known as the “lungs of the sea” for its ability to generate oxygen and create friendly underwater habitats. Sea grapes are able to gain a foothold when boat anchors drag across the sea bottom, tearing up native seagrass. 

To address this threat, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) today formally launched a five-ton system of 50 vaulted buoys that have been installed at the Ayvalık Islands Nature Park as part of a broader marine area management plan designed to combat a wide range of invasive alien species. Boaters are now being encouraged to tie up at the buoys rather than anchoring their boats in the seagrass.

“Healthy ecosystems maintain a delicate balance that can be disrupted, with disastrous consequences, by invasive species like the sea grapes,” said UNDP Resident Representative Louisa Vinton. “Our efforts in Ayvalık and other marine areas are aimed at restoring the natural balance in a sustainable way.” 

“This boat-mooring system is a model practice in terms of protecting marine biodiversity and ensuring sustainable marine tourism,” said General Director of Nature Conservation and National Parks Kadir Çokçetin. “Thanks to this new system, we aim to reduce the seagrass destruction in the area by 50 percent.”

Ayvalık Islands Nature Park covers 19 islands with a total area of ​​17,950 hectares. The biggest threat to the park’s rich biological diversity are sea grapes (Caulerpa cylindracea), which colonize areas where Neptune seagrass (Posidonia oceanica) has been destroyed. Through photosynthesis, each square meter of Nepture seagrass can generate ten liters of oxygen per day, making it a rich benefactor for fish stocks and other marine life. This is why fighting the spread of sea grapes is of such importance. 

Advocacy plays a crucial role in ecosystem protection. UNDP is working to inform local residents, civil society organizations and relevant institutions about the importance of Neptune seagrass and the damage caused by sea grapes. Information materials, billboards and posters have been used to raise awareness. 

The work in Ayvalık is part of a larger project, “Marine Invasive Alien Species” (MarIAS), that UNDP is implementing in partnership with the General Directorate of Nature Conservation and National Parks of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MoAF), with US$3.3 million in funding from the Global Environment Facility (GEF). The initiative aims to increase the resilience of marine and coastal ecosystems through strengthened capacities and investments in the prevention, detection, control and management of invasive alien species. The MoAF sees invasive alien species as one of the principal threats to marine biodiversity; 105 of 539 marine alien species found on Turkish coasts are deemed invasive.

The project is working in one pilot region from each of the seas surrounding Türkiye: in addition to Ayvalık Islands Nature Park, these are İğneada Longoz Forests National Park in Kırklareli, Southern Marmara Islands in Balıkesir and Samandağ in Hatay. UNDP is working with the Nature Research Society to prepare and implement management plans for invasive alien species in these four pilot regions.

For more information: Esra Özçeşmeci, Communications Associate for UNDP in Türkiye, esra.ozcesmeci@undp.org