Izmit Gulf Digital Twin project launched to monitor water quality

Kocaeli Metropolitan Municipality and the Middle East Technical University (METU) Marine Sciences Institute are collaborating on the ‘Izmit Gulf Digital Twin Project’. This initiative aims to create a comprehensive digital model of the gulf’s hydrodynamic and ecological structure to monitor water quality and predict pollution risks.

Fieldwork conducted using the ‘Bilim-2 Research Vessel’ involved collecting physical, chemical, and biological samples across 27 stations. Using a ‘Scanfish’ device, researchers performed high-resolution measurements over a 50-nautical-mile stretch, analyzing parameters such as temperature, salinity, depth, dissolved oxygen, chlorophyll, and turbidity.

The project, which is expected to last approximately two years, will integrate historical and real-time data into a web-based Geographic Information System. This digital representation is intended to support decision-makers in planning environmental interventions and developing scientific strategies for a cleaner and healthier Izmit Gulf.