In the first week of September, the CREAF team carried out an intensive soil sampling campaign in the Gediz Delta, a key protected area in the Izmir region, as part of the CARDIMED project. The campaign was strategically timed to coincide with the annual low of the water table, providing a critical snapshot of baseline conditions before implementing a planned Nature-Based Solution (NbS).
The upcoming NbS aims to combat the ongoing salinization of the delta’s aquifer, which is increasingly affected by marine intrusion. The solution involves the reuse of previously treated urban wastewater to inject freshwater into the aquifer via a network of channels extending from the treatment plant to the coastal strip.
To support the project, the CREAF team established a salinity transect based on indicator plant communities, identifying nine sites with decreasing salinity levels. At each site, four sampling points were set up, where multiple soil cores were collected to characterize physicochemical and biological properties, including prokaryotes, fungi, protists, nematodes, and soil microarthropods. Analyses will examine the relationships between soil composition, vegetation cover, and salinity levels.
The field campaign was demanding due to extremely high temperatures and the occasional overhead presence of Turkish Air Force trainees conducting maneuvers. Despite these challenges, the CREAF team received invaluable support from engineers of the project’s Turkish partner team.
This baseline assessment represents a crucial step in understanding the Gediz Delta’s complex ecosystem and lays the foundation for the successful implementation of sustainable, nature-based interventions to restore freshwater balance in this vital coastal area.
