Project Life
Volunteer on Mediterranean Monk Seal conservation and marine science projects in Turkey

Below are the activities that participants are expected to get involved in:

Marine Project

• Twice a year in October and December there are field trips to monitor the breeding caves, with trips in-between to monitor the cameras. Participation is on land and boat-based for seal-watch operations to record data on the observed seals, as well as other observed species such as dolphins, sea turtles, sea birds, and also to record data on passing boats, the sea and weather conditions. So as not to disturb the seals, their in-cave behavior is investigated remotely through infrared monitors fixed in the caves, whose data is retrieved periodically. If the research team set up new cameras, the volunteers are expected to help with the installation.
• Participating in the archiving and organization of previously collected data on monk seal in-cave behavior and activities. The seals are photo-identified based on the images obtained by the remote monitors.
• Patrolling the Marine Protected Area: if illegal activities such as bottom-trawling, purse-seining, fishing with explosives, fishing in the No-Take-Area and disturbing monk seal breeding caves are spotted, then the project office is informed by provided walkie-talkies or cellular phones.
• Informing the visitors in the project area about the marine protected area, its benefits and goals, and providing brochures when applicable.
• Checking the breeding caves during the whelping season of the Cilician seal colony (August – December), and counting and identifying the number of newborn pups. Please note, it is extremely rare to see a seal, considering there are only 300 left in the whole of the Mediterranean.
• Following a brief training on the species identification and the methodology, volunteers may join the visual census of fish populations and snorkel in the protected zone and of the neighboring fished area, where the recruitment processes and diversity of the littoral zone species are monitored.
• Collecting data on the health of the shore habitat, as a supplement to the visual census data described above. The indicator in-situ experiments will be directed by the research team and may involve activities such as measuring size and timing the recovery rate of sea urchins from an up-side-down position to a normal position, etc.
• The endemic sea grass (Posidonia oceanica), which is the key species of the upper (infra) littoral zone, is monitored regularly. Shoot density, fragmentation, and overall density is measured through regular scuba dives in the selected stations. Volunteers don’t dive, but help in the separation and planting of the shoots.
• The project site is located on the north-eastern boundary of the geographical distribution of this plant. In order to understand the factors limiting growth of this precious plant further east, the Posidonia shoots collected from healthy meadows are being transplanted outside its geographical range.
• Taking regular photographs at selected points to monitor the seasonal littoral succession of different species, especially, if present, the invasion processes and the succession of the Lessepsian species, which immigrate into the Mediterranean from the Red Sea, via the Suez channel.
• Joining regular experimental fishing operations in the selected stations within the protected area, for sampling fish species, growth rates, mortality, recruitment, etc., by using a special multiple mesh-sized gill net. The catch is sorted by species first and then the names, weight and length are recorded. This information has vital importance in the management of the fish reserve and is a new application.
• Giving talks at secondary schools on the ecological and economical importance of the Mediterranean monk seal and its pristine marine ecosystem.

Co-operative project

• Monitoring the quality of the co-operative fishermen’s catch, helping to package it and sending it off to Istanbul.
• Marketing and selling the product.
• Building up relationships with the local fishing community.
• Teaching the locals how to manage their produce and eventually survive without the society.

Project life cannot be defined nor scheduled, as many factors contribute to a sudden change of plans, such as the weather, funds available, seasonal work, outside support, etc. Seals are seen but it is a very rare occurrence and a bonus! Staff and volunteers alike work extremely hard and often up to seven days a week if required, but time is taken out to visit local sights and families, watch sunsets whilst sipping wine by a lighthouse, or visit the cliffs during a full moon. You are surrounded by Turkish speakers, so inevitably you will pick up the language (yet do take a Turkish language book to speed up your learning), plus a bit of Arabic if you are working with the fishing co-operative. All the projects blend into each other and are supported by everybody.