Turkiye Seagrass Screening and Panel
Monday 6th October 2025.
We were thrilled to attend the screening of EasttoWest Mediterranean on Monday evening, hosted by our very own Turquoise Coast Environment Foundation (TCEF) and in partnership with Everyman.
The beautiful EasttoWest Mediterranean film is a crucial piece of storytelling, capturing passionate local efforts to protect endangered seagrass in Bodrum, Turkey. These meadows are critically under threat from coastal development, climate change, pollution and anchor damage. This documentary is a must-see– it shows the importance of Posidonia as a keystone species, in keeping our seas bioabundant and clear, while supporting fisheries and locking up carbon. It is an evocative showcase of community action stories, illustrating the need for scientists, artists, politicians, NGOs, businesses all to work together to enable change. And chiming with our vision at CC, it highlights the importance of regional, cross-border knowledge-sharing to replicate the solutions that work best.
What an evening it was. With a lively and well-informed panel comprising of the film’s director Mert Gokalp (marine biologist), George Duffield (Conservation Collective Trustee and Co-Founder and Trustee of Blue Marine Foundation), Ergem Senyuva (TCEF Steering Committee and Co-Founder, Turkiye Mozaik Foundation) and Sofia Blount (Chair of Blue Legal advisory group, Blue Marine Foundation). The audience was in for a real treat.
George began by emphasising that the crisis in the ocean is the world’s most solvable problem. It’s not rocket science – it can be fixed, and in doing so, we can address food security, biodiversity, economic prosperity and carbon sequestration all at the same time. He emphasised how relatively inexpensive such protection would be – and in fact, how the real cost would be NOT protecting our seas. As he put it ‘if we save the seas, the seas will save us.’
George urged those in the room to support Conservation Collective’s network to roll out anchoring systems and enforcement patrols across all the Mediterranean’s most precious areas to protect those places they know and love dearly.
Mert, the film’s director and Bodrum-based marine biologist, has seen on the ground the growing pressures placed on the Mediterranean from an ever-expanding tourism industry. He believes in the power of effective Marine Protected Areas and the urgency of converting this growing movement of Posidonia awareness into real protection.
Ergem talked about the huge potential of business in supporting conservation efforts, utilising the growing demand for sustainable experiences in the tourism sector. The time for true collaboration between NGOs and hospitality industry is now.
Sofia Blount reminded us of the power of public pressure, campaigning and local press to influence politicians, citing her involved two year research in the Balearics and the challenges of enforcement she witnessed there.
With a highly engaged audience asking some pertinent questions, the panel was a brilliant end to evening. We moved back out into the lobby, enjoying more drinks and some nibbles, able to continue discussions, make connections and together make plans for a brighter future for seagrass.
If you’d like to support the vital work of protecting seagrass at the grassroots, here are 3 ways:
~ Discover CC’s new seagrass portfolio here
~ Support Turquoise Coast Environment Fund on their mission to protect coastal ecosystems here
~ Donate to Devon Environment Fund’s live Crowdfunder to protect seagrass meadows in Brixham here
Watch EasttoWest Mediterranean here: