A Holistic Framework for the Protection and Management of Seagrass Meadows as Natural Assets of the Sea of Marmara

ABSTRACT Seagrass meadows in the Sea of Marmara (SoM) are under unprecedented ecological stress due to cumulative anthropogenic pressures and climate‐driven changes, exacerbated by recent large‐scale disturbances such as the 2021 mucilage event. Their degradation threatens biodiversity, coastal stability and the broader ecological integrity of the semienclosed SoM ecosystem. This study provides the first Marmara‐specific synthesis that integrates ecological status, postdisturbance dynamics, governance structures and management challenges into a unified holistic framework. The proposed framework is structured around five interdependent pillars: ecological resilience and restoration, governance and policy effectiveness, monitoring and technological tools, stakeholder engagement and sustainable financing mechanisms. Existing policies and conservation initiatives are critically evaluated in terms of implementation gaps and enforcement limitations, and good international practices are assessed for their transferability to the Marmara context. By aligning local strategies with regional and global environmental commitments, the framework offers a science‐based and context‐sensitive pathway for strengthening seagrass conservation in the SoM. The approach provides a replicable model for other semienclosed marine ecosystems facing comparable socioecological pressures.