Located at the northern tip of Bodrum, Küdür Peninsula received the status of a first-degree conservation site in 1998 with the contributions of tourism and local environmental teams and organizations such as the Underwater Research Association (SAD) Yal?kavak Environment Platform. Thanks to these and similar conservation efforts and objections, Bodrum Islands and the Akyarlar and Adabo?az? areas have partially escaped from the construction pressure. Despite this protection, the occupation of special coastal areas by summer villas and holiday villages and their spread over the years continues. The private charters and recreational boating practices continue to escalate on a yearly basis which brings additional pressure on the seagrass ecosystems. These areas are natural habitats such as Mediterranean monk seals, monumental species such as seahorses, critically endangered species such as sand shark, angelshark, violin and stingrays, and seabirds. The island/peninsula ecosystems that

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consist of cliffs and the natural beach and coves surrounding them provide life for all these sensitive creatures. In these ecosystems, Posidonia oceanica seagrass habitats provide shelter and nutrition, secure habitat protection, prevent erosion on the coasts, meet the oxygen needs of the ecosystem, and take part in the critical life cycles of living things such as reproduction and development. In addition to the benefits of seagrass meadows to the ecosystem, how special they are is also understood by the emergence of their role in reducing climate change and the CO2 rates they hold in their roots and leaves. Recent scientific studies have determined that the 15-kilometer-long seagrass meadows on Formentera Island may be two hundred thousand years old, and it is possible that the Posidonia meadows on our coasts are also of this age. Even if we consider this reason alone, these ancient creatures need to be protected. Sensitive species and the entire marine ecosystem need protected habitats free from human pressure in order to continue their generations in a healthy way. Küdür Peninsula and the Salih Islands of Güvercinlik, Little Rabbit Islands, Small and Big Tile Islands, Çatalada, Karg? Island - Akyarlar Peninsula & Aspat, Ortakent Island & Adabo?az? Peninsula, Karaada and around Bodrum are the last critical shelters of these species. The effective protection of Bodrum coasts lies in determining the areas covered by seagrass areas and the diversity of species they contain and creating protection zones that are minimally affected by tourism activities in these wildlife habitats. In this context, the aim of the project is the management plan prepared jointly by the local people and official parties of the seagrass meadows in the sensitive and urgently protected marine ancient production basin, which has been identified as the Küdür Peninsula 1st Degree Natural Protected Site and the Mediterranean Monk Seal Conservation Area. to contribute to its protection through official statutes.

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