Professor Şükrü Turan Beşiktepe is a Physical Oceanographer and head of the Marine Sciences Department at Dokuz Eylül University, Türkiye. He received his Ph.D. from the Middle East Technical University (METU) in 1991 and subsequently served on the faculty of the METU Institute of Marine Sciences, where he was promoted to Associate Professor and later appointed Director (2002–2007). He has also held international research positions, including collaborations at Harvard University and leadership of the Modeling and Simulation Group at the NATO Undersea Research Laboratory (Italy).
His research integrates observations, satellite remote sensing, and numerical modeling to improve predictive understanding of physical–biogeochemical processes in semi-enclosed seas, particularly the Black Sea, Mediterranean Sea, and Sea of Marmara, supporting science-based marine sustainability and SDG 14 implementation.