Yalcin Savas

Experienced in coastal and marine conservation, protected area management, fisheries, planning-conducting-managing field research, and public awareness activities, project designing and management, the Mediterranean Monk Seal and the seagrass Posidonia oceanica, and photography. Co-founder and researcher in AFAG (Mediterranean Seal Research Group) since 1987. Pioneer member, researcher, and board member in SAD (Underwater Research Society) since 1994. Chairperson of SAD for the 13th term (2020-2022). Awardee in three Henry Ford Nature Conservation Awards together with his colleagues.

I graduated from high school in 1983 and then attended ITU Ocean Engineering and METU Geological Engineering departments until 1992. I have been active in the marine and coastal conservation field since 1987 and was appointed as project executant for Turkey’s first seal&sea&coastal conservation project in 1993 by WWF International and the Turkish Ministry for the Environment. Since then I have been active in this field. I have worked a lot with artisanal fishermen as one of the most ignored and vulnerable communities. They have an excellent potential for conservation of the coastal biodiversity. Their life depends on this.

In my photography, I mainly...