New danger to underwater life ‘Covid-19 wastes’ According to a report prepared by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), plastic waste equivalent to 33,880 plastic bottles is being mixed into the Mediterranean per minute. one of the countries hit most plastic waste coming to the shores of Italy and then Turkey. The medical wastes used during the pandemic process we live in reach the seas due to the human factor and winds. While plastics and garbage in the world pose a great danger to our seas, “medical wastes”, which are newly included in these garbage, point to bigger problems and an irreversible environmental pollution. Turkish world record-holder free-diver Sahika Ercumen collects rubbish from the sea as she dives in Ortakoy coastline to observe the life and pollution in the Bosphorus in Istanbul, Turkey on June 27, 2020. Ercumen announced as “Life Below Water Advocate” of Turkey by United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), raises awareness on plastic pollution.
Sebnem Coskun was born in 1987 in Istanbul-Turkey. She started her photography career in 2008. After completing her undergraduate education, she completed her master’s degree in Marmara Fine Arts Faculty Photography Department. Master’s education is on “underwater photography and environment”. She had the chance to visit Chad, Niger, Malaysia, Thailand, Russia, Spain, Greece and many more countries. And she developed some photography projects in these countries. Since 2012, she has been developing herself in underwater photography and documentary photography. She also made social responsibility projects underwater. In recent years, she has been working on underwater medical wastes, plastic pollution, recycling, climate change and nature issues. She is a photojournalist with Anadolu News Agency, the largest in Turkey.
[ NATURE & ENVIRONMENT ] A single photograph that increases the understanding and appreciation of nature and our environment. Photographers are encouraged to explore the relationship between human and nature/environment. Studio scenes that are arranged by the photographer are not eligible. Each participant is allowed to enter up to 10 images. The images must be taken in 2019 or 2020.
Judges for Nature & Environment
