Within the scope of the “One Step to Water, a Door to Life” social responsibility project carried out by the Marine and Aquatic Sciences Application and Research Center (DENAM), a visit to the Aqua Vega Aquarium was organized on 9 July 2025 together with the young people receiving education at the Ankara Branch of the Foundation for the Education and Protection of Children with Intellectual Disabilities (ZİÇEV), during which underwater life was explored.

On behalf of DENAM, the trip was attended by our Center Director Prof. Dr. Lale Balas, Deputy Director Prof. Dr. Asu İnan, Advisory Board Member Prof. Dr. Can Balas, and Research Assistant Eray Eser. On behalf of ZİÇEV, General Director Begüm Turan, Social and Sports Affairs Coordinator Osman Akdemir, and ZİÇEV instructors also participated.

The activities carried out during the trip were designed as “experiential learning,” aiming to enrich students’ learning processes and enhance their awareness of the sea and the environment. Along the tunnel aquarium route, students observed visually immersive sections of marine ecosystems and the organisms within “ecosystem islands.” Within the context of human impacts on marine ecosystems, our students shared reflections emphasizing the individual and societal benefits of “sea-friendly” behaviors.

Aligned with ZİÇEV’s individualized education goals and activating multiple sensory channels, the “Discovering the Underwater World” activity—implemented under our “One Step to Water, a Door to Life” social responsibility project—concluded with lunch and an ice-cream celebration