%20(1).png)
ABOUT OUR TEAM
The Marmara Project began with two friends and a simple realization:
Most people couldn’t point to the Marmara Sea on a map.
How could a sea once at the crossroads of empires,where trade, innovation, and entire civilizations moved, fade so quietly from global memory?
That silence became our starting point.
In August 2022, we stepped onto the shoreline with curiosity and determination
We hosted beach cleanups, talked with coastal communities, walked the piers of Istanbul and Bursa, and slowly gathered people who felt the same pull toward this overlooked sea.
By 2023, that spark had grown into a grassroots movement.
Since then, our journey has carried the name “Marmara” from Turkey’s beaches to international platforms like COP, National Geographic, EarthEcho Internationa, Sustainable Ocean Alliance and events across Europe and the United States. Each step isn’t just visibility; it’s restoration.
It’s reminding the world that the Sea of Marmara still matters.
OUR STEADY JOURNEY
From Plan to Action
The Movement Began
2022
We started raising awareness on social media platforms
The Project Took Shape
2023
Through grant programs, we began participating in global events
Award Winning Short film
2024
With the help of TSFF, our short film was awarded internationally
National Geographic
2025
Through the NGS YE Program, we launched the first phase of MARTI
Monitor Water Ambassador
2026
The second phase of MARTI began with EarthEcho partners
MEET THE TEAM
The Voices Behind the Project
Storyteller and Filmmaker
Dahlia is a co-founder of The Marmara Project and a National Geographic Young Explorer whose work brings together marine conservation, filmmaking, writing, and community engagement
Youth Engagement Specialist
Arya Yurdacan is an ecopreneur and youth advocate whose work explores how entrepreneurship, innovation, and youth leadership can support healthier seas and a more sustainable blue economy.
Marine Policy Specialist
Ela Gökçiğdem is a co-founder of The Marmara Project whose work brings together marine policy, innovation, and new approaches to strengthening our relationship with the sea.
Strategy and Implementation
Filiz is a culture and heritage specialist who advises on strategy, policy, and implementation. She helps connect our work with SDGs, cultural heritage, and the needs of communities across Türkiye.
Scientific Advisor
With a background in microbiology and algal research, Sadaqah helps strengthen the project’s scientific approach and make marine science more accessible to wider audiences.
Climate Resilience
As an urban planner, hydrologist, and National Geographic Explorer, Sera Tolgay advises The Marmara Project on resilient coastal communities, hydrology, and nature-based solutions.