Cesme Marina Announces Environmental Initiative 'The Squid Project'

Camper & Nicholsons Cesme Marina in Turkey is continuing its efforts towards helping the environment by pioneering a new ecological approach to better protecting the oceans and caring for subaquatic eco-systems.

Due to pollution and improper hunting methods in the waters Izmir Metropolitan Municipality started ‘The Squid Project’ in order to increase the population of squid in Turkey, with a focus on the populations in and around Izmir and Cesme. This project aims to increase the number of squid by 1.5 million and to continue the breeding of squid for at least another year.

Ready for the 2019 year, Cesme Marina staff members have prepared 2 squid nests and positioned them in the marina by a diver. The nests will be monitored in 3 months, when it is anticipated that the squid will have used the prepared nests to lay down their eggs. This is an initiative that encourages aquatic life in the marina and promotes the growth of squid populations in the sea.

Cesme Marina, continues to invest heavily in the environment, supporting various eco-friendly projects, including:

The award-winning Olive Oil Project – helping sustain the olive trees around the marina, providing guests with a delicious organic olive oil product. The Olive Oil Project at Cesme Marina has gained international recognition at the House of Commons in London, and at the Green Awards in Antalya, Turkey.

The Mussel Project – helping plant several mussel beds within the marina and monitoring the cleanliness of the water in the marina. The mussels naturally cleanse the water therefore creating a natural eco-friendly habitat in the marina, encouraging more marine life.

The Squid Project - ready for the 2019 year, Cesme Marina staff members have prepared 2 squid nests and positioned them in the marina by a diver. The nests will be monitored in 3 months, when it is anticipated that the squid will have used the prepared nests to lay down their eggs. This is an initiative helping encourage aquatic life in the marina and promotes the growth of squid populations in the sea.

Can Akaltan, General Manager of Cesme Marina comments: “Cesme Marina is committed to creating a better aquatic environment. With the support from our customers, and staff at the marina, plus the exceptional efforts in creating eco-friendly initiatives at Izmir Metropolitan Municipality, we are delighted to support the projects and further the Cesme Marina ecological identity at being in the forefront of helping fight aquatic pollution!”

Can continues, “The projects that Izmir Metropolitan Municipality create are opportunities that all marinas in and around Turkey can profit from and in principal develop to aid their own eco-friendly marina efforts. We are promoting a wonderful initiative to help clean the oceans.”

More About Squid in the World's Oceans: Did you know…?*

Squids belong to a group of mollusks called cephalopods of the order Teuthida, which includes about 800 species. Cephalopods appeared on Earth several million years before primitive fish, and despite their short life spans, they have a thriving population.

Squids Have Arms and Tentacles

Like all cephalopods, a squid’s body features a distinct head, and the right side of its body mirrors the left half, a feature scientists call bilateral symmetry. All squids have a mantle or a soft exterior membrane that encloses the gills, and arms and tentacles. Squids have short life spans and teuthologists--the marine biologists who study them--are still learning about their life cycles, focusing especially on the giant Humboldt and colossal squids.

Weeds of the Seas

Squids usually live from three to five years. Scientists call this quick life history “r-selection,” with the r signifying extreme reproduction and growth. In life history terms, cephalopods are the weeds of the seas and they have the potential to out-reproduce fish and mammal populations. Despite overfishing and climate change, there may be more squids now than any time in history.

11 Pounds of Eggs

Squids usually spawn in groups and females release up to 11 pounds of eggs. Most squids lay their eggs in masses on the sea floor, but some carry a clutch of eggs in their arms to guard them. Adult squids don't live long after mating.

Baby Stages

Baby squids hatch as larvae and grow into maturity in about three to five years. Marine biologists believe that short finned squids don't live any longer than 12-18 months. Spawning females release about 100,000 eggs, and most hatch in about two weeks. The hatchlings progress first to the larval, next to the juvenile and then to the squid stage.

Water Quality

Squid species are common all over the world in such numbers that there is a thriving squid fishing industry. Squid numbers are a good indicator of water quality, because squids leave polluted water to congregate in cleaner water. Their abundant numbers are also important to the balance of the ecosystem, since predators like sperm whales, sea birds and seals depend on them for food.

*More About Squid in the World's Oceans: Did you know…? Sourced from www.sciencing.com

**Image credits: All courtesy of Camper & Nicholsons Marinas.