Nazlı Demirel

Nazlı Demirel is a Professor of Marine Science at Istanbul University. Her work focuses on marine ecosystems, fisheries, biodiversity change, and environmental governance, with a strong background in field-based marine research and ecosystem assessment. For more than two decades, she has worked on the ecological impact of fishing, marine ecosystem change, and biodiversity loss across the Black Sea, the Sea of Marmara, and the Mediterranean. Her scientific experience is increasingly connected to international science-policy processes. She currently contributes to major international assessment processes, including the IPCC Seventh Assessment Cycle and IPBES thematic assessments.  

Her current work brings marine science into closer dialogue with climate policy, biodiversity governance, and ecosystem-based adaptation. Through the Mercator-IPC Fellowship, she aims to strengthen the intersection of marine knowledge, public policy, and climate governance in Türkiye and the wider Mediterranean context. 

Integrating Marine Ecosystems into Climate Mitigation and Adaptation Policies in Türkiye 

This project examines how marine ecosystems can be more effectively integrated into Türkiye’s climate mitigation and adaptation policies. While Türkiye has strengthened its climate policy framework through its updated Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), National Adaptation Plan (NAP), and Long-Term Climate Strategy, marine ecosystems remain only partially reflected in national climate governance. Marine habitats and resources are usually addressed separately through biodiversity conservation, fisheries, marine pollution, coastal planning, or blue economy policies rather than as a coherent component of climate action. 

The project will examine how marine ecosystems contribute to climate resilience, carbon storage, coastal protection, biodiversity conservation, and ecosystem-based adaptation while also considering governance challenges linked to offshore renewable energy, aquaculture, and coastal infrastructure. The project will develop a policy-oriented marine climate roadmap for Türkiye, which holds relevance for future discussions on NDCs, NAPs, and National Biodiversity Action Plans and Strategies. The project will bring together marine scientists, climate policy experts, legal scholars, economists, civil society actors, and decision-makers to support more integrated marine climate governance.