Journal of the Black Sea/Mediterranean Environment, cilt.27, sa.1, ss.49-66, 2021 (Hakemli Dergi)
During the regularsurveys on coral monitoring for setting their developmental level, health
status and likely threats responsible for mortality, a massive mucilage phenomenon was
identified in the largest coral habitats in the Çanakkale Strait (Dardanelles) in December
2020. This study was performed to determine the effect of mucilage event on corals mainly
observed at the depth level of 39-51 m in two stations, one in the European and the other
in the Anatolian side of the strait. A massive mucilage with expanding cloud and floc types
of aggregates was detected only in the Eceabat region (European side). A false-benthos
mucilage was also identified at depths 4-20 m in the following control surveys. The current
report is of the first circalittoral observation of this damaging event in the northernmost
region of the Mediterranean Sea. Previous records of massive mucilage were reviewed and
the first deep infralittoral record of massive mucilage event in 2008 is also described.