We owe 3 out of every 2 breaths we take to our seas. Coral reefs, which host approximately 25% of marine creatures, are in danger of extinction. Aware of this danger, Anadolu Efes became the voice of corals on June 8, Marmara Sea Day. This year, sea and nature-friendly musician Mercan Dede drew attention to the corals in the Sea of ​​Marmara with her work Symphony of Corals, within the scope of the "+1 Breath to the Sea" project, which has been carried out with the Association for the Protection of Marine Life for two years.

The Marmara Sea, the apple of the eye of Turkey, the only country in the world with its own inland sea, is a vital biological corridor between the Black Sea, the Aegean and the Mediterranean. A transformation project was launched by Anadolu Efes in order to support the development of biodiversity in the Marmara Sea and raise awareness. In cooperation with Anadolu Efes and the Association for the Protection of Marine Life (DYKD), in 2022 +1 Breath to the Sea project was implemented. The project aims to protect corals, which are described as the rainforests of the seas and are in danger of extinction, and to enrich the underwater life and biodiversity in the Marmara Sea.

In the first phase of +1 Breath to the Sea, divers transplanted corals that were separated from their natural habitat and damaged to the area off Tavşan Island in the Marmara Sea, which has been declared a sensitive area to be strictly protected, and created new coral gardens. In the second phase of the project, a camera system was installed 7 meters below the sea to monitor and record live 24/30 the development of the transplanted corals and their impact. In the third phase, it is time to listen to the voice of biodiversity in the Marmara Sea. The voices of living things were recorded with the sound recorders placed underwater by divers. These sounds were analyzed by sociologist İpek Oskay, an eco-acoustic expert and sound designer. Sea and nature-friendly musician Mercan Dede was inspired by these recordings. “Symphony of Corals” He brought his work to life. Within the scope of the project, 840 hours of audio and 155 minutes of video recording have been recorded so far.

“We Became a Voice for the Corals in the Marmara Sea with Our Passion for Blue”

Onur Altürk, Beer Group President and Anadolu Efes CEO, “As a Turkish company that was born in Anatolia 55 years ago and has reached more than 70 countries today, we focus on contributing to these lands, our seas, and the ecosystem we live in. We turned our passion for blue into value with a project that will improve the marine ecosystem. We took action for the Marmara Sea together with DYKD. In the third phase of our project, we crossed paths with nature-friendly musician Mercan Dede. Inspired by the sounds and images recorded in the Marmara Sea, he transformed his passion for nature and the seas into a magnificent work and became the voice of Marmara.” He made a statement.

Stating that they keep sustainability at the center of their business model, Altürk said, “Biodiversity forms the basis of our sustainability strategy and was one of the prominent areas in our prioritization analysis, which we updated by taking the opinions of our stakeholders. Thereupon, we turned our passion for blue into a work that will improve the marine ecosystem and started the +1 Breath to the Sea project with DYKD. “With this project, we aim to contribute to the underwater life and biodiversity in the Marmara Sea and raise awareness.” said.

“Corals, Amazon Forests of the Seas”

Volkan Narcı, President of the Association for the Protection of Marine Life He stated that they are working to protect the rich ecosystem of the Marmara Sea and that they played an important role in declaring Tavşan Island as a "sensitive area to be strictly protected". Narcı said, “After the coral transplantation we carried out in the first phase of the project, we can monitor the coral garden live 7/24, thanks to our underwater monitoring system, as well as observation dives. This is a first in Turkey. With this project, we are working with Anadolu Efes to increase awareness of the marine ecosystem while supporting the development of biodiversity. "We will also conduct an academic study in the coming period on the contribution of the coral gardens we created within the scope of our project with Anadolu Efes to biodiversity." said.

“I was inspired by the sounds and images of the Marmara Sea in my work Symphony of Corals”

Musician Mercan DedeExpressing his satisfaction for his contribution to the project, he shared the following: “The human-induced climate crisis threatens our present and future generations. Our seas and their ecosystem carriers, corals, are of great importance. That's why I find this project that supports biodiversity very valuable. I was very excited when Anadolu Efes came to me with this project. In order to make the voice of the Marmara Sea heard, I created the work 'Symphony of Corals', inspired by the sounds and images of many sea creatures such as whales, lobsters, shrimps, dolphins and mussels. The kaleidoscope-style images in the video represent how even the smallest act of kindness done in one part of the world can significantly impact or transform a different ecosystem. We say 'Coral is life'. We are grateful to Anadolu Efes, the architect of the project, the Marine Life Conservation Association and everyone who contributed.”

You can click on the link to get more information about the project and listen to the Symphony of Corals. https://youtu.be/j5RkG9bWkVA?si=fGq0e74Ef02Z9fzX

Source: HORECA Trend and Anadolu Efes