Our department’s research team has completed the final field study for the Interreg NEXT Black Sea Basin IASON+ project ("Invasive Alien Species Observatory and Network Development for the Assessment of Climate Change Impacts and Contextual Ecosystem Services Evaluation in Black Sea Deltaic Protected Areas"). This intensive week-long expedition marks the final field campaign conducted within the scope of the project, capping off a long-term initiative dedicated to assessing aquatic health and climate impacts in regional deltaic networks.

Since 2020, our academics have worked in the Kızılırmak Delta Protected Area to monitor aquatic Invasive Alien Species (IAS) and track key biological indicators. During this final sampling trip, the scientific team collected comprehensive samples of aquatic organisms across the delta system's diverse habitats, including freshwater and brackish lakes, the main river mouth, and adjacent coastal marine environments. The multi-habitat data gathered will support ongoing assessments of ecosystem services and the ecological footprint of invasive species across Black Sea wetlands.

The successful campaign brought together an experienced interdisciplinary research team led by Prof. Dr. Ali Muzaffer FeyzioÄŸlu, Prof. Dr. Fatma Telli Karakoç, Prof. Dr. CoÅŸkun Erüz, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Rafet ÇaÄŸrı Öztürk, and Assist. Prof. Dr. Ahmet Åžahin from our department, alongside external contributor Prof. Dr. Mehmet Aydın from Ordu University. The collected samples will now undergo lab analysis to finalize the research outcomes and management recommendations for the IASON+ project.