The Department of Fisheries Technology at the Faculty of Marine Sciences, Karadeniz Technical University (KTU), conducts studies focused on monitoring the health of aquatic ecosystems. The department carries out field and laboratory research on assessing biodiversity in marine and freshwater habitats, monitoring fish populations, and measuring water quality. These activities contribute to the protection of ecosystem health, the development of sustainable fisheries practices, and the establishment of a scientific data repository.
Over the past five years, faculty members have conducted several research projects addressing critical issues in marine conservation and sustainable fisheries management. Studies on microplastic pollution in the Black Sea, led by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Rafet Çağrı Öztürk, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Yahya Terzi, and Assist. Prof. Dr. Ahmet Şahin, revealed the presence of microplastics in seawater, sediment, and fish species along the Turkish coastline, highlighting the need for reducing plastic use and promoting sustainable consumption behaviors. In parallel, the EURockFish Project, supported by the EU Biodiversa+ Programme, has been monitoring fish diversity and invasive species across more than 100 underwater sites in the Mediterranean and Black Seas. The project, coordinated by the Central Fisheries Research Institute, involves underwater camera systems deployed in Demre (Antalya) and Sürmene (Trabzon) to assess biodiversity and species abundance.
Another initiative, the Broodstock Management and Egg Larvae Quality R&D Project, implemented in cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and the General Directorate of Nature Conservation and National Parks, focuses on the sustainable reproduction of native Salmo trutta macrostigma (brown trout) populations. Led by Prof. Dr. Nadir Başçınar and Prof. Dr. İlhan Altınok, the project contributes to habitat restoration and fish stock management through scientific breeding, tagging, and monitoring practices.
