Research Information System
III. DENİZ BİLİMLERİ KONFERANSI, İzmir, Turkey, 9 - 12 May 2018, pp.87-88, (Summary Text)
The order Scleractinia belonging to the class Anthozoa represents one of the significant indicator biome of the seas and oceans. Coral reef ecosystems found only in the trophical zones, Mediterranean hard coral facies, gorgonians, antipatharians and cold-water coral habitats are capable of constituting complex life forms on the sea floor. It is known that these species having influence over the increase of benthos biodiversity support adaptations of the other marine animals such as feeding, sheltering and breeding. Although there are also some locations and hard coral biodiversity hotspots in Marmara Sea that has been the center of attention in recent years, unfortunately they have not been discovered to date. Therefore the scientific data with regard to the Turkish coral literature have been scarce and unimproved. In this study, the research data 2016-2017 of the TUBITAK-supported KUZEYADA marine surveys which is the first hard coral public project are presented. A total of 66 stations covering the marine ecosystem of Karabiga coasts, Mola Islands, Kapıdağ Peninsula, Mavriya (Karayer) Islands and Bozcaada - deep water zone pilot regions on transit shipping line included - was investigated by using the technical diving and Scuba methods on a depth basis 0-60 m. Manta-tow, quadrat ve transect-quadrat methos were performed in situ. Within this scope, 4 colonial (Hoplangia durotrix, Cladocora caespitosa, Polycyathus muellerae, Madracis pharensis) and 5 solitary hard coral (Leptopsammia pruvoti, Paracyathus pulchellus, Caryophyllia smithii, Caryophyllia inornata, Balanophyllia europaea) were determined, 2 of which are the first record for the Sea of Marmara, while all specimens are new contributions to Bozcaada and Karayer Islands Fauna. Additionally the depth-based distributional maps, regional coral facies features, ecological and morphological characters with the differences in species taxonomy are presented. In solitary species, the highest value of dominance was found in L. pruvoti (66.6% - 14808 ind/m2) with the lowest value in P. pulchellus (0.63% - 128 ind/m2), while the maximum value was in H. durotrix (66.21% - 35675 col/m2) and the minimum value in P. muellerae'de (0.13% - 3 colonies) for the colonial corals. There have been explored two different colonial types of H. durotrix in Marmara Sea. The dispersed colony type which observed intensely such as to form facies on the rock surface is detected for the first time in the region. Besides, three soft coral species are newly reported from this region as well (E. couchii, S. roseum, A. partenopea) and It was also specified that the IUCN endangered species-Cladocora caespitosa colony site found during the surveys carried out in Bozcaada Island-İncirliada location, is a special reef that should be described as a limited bioherm. This station character shares similarities to the two foremost reefs occurred in the Mediterranean Sea (Mljet National Park, Columbretes Islands) in terms of colony type (444 successive-mounding colonies/m2). It is suggested that the reef site must be evaluated under the status of marine protected area because of the successive-colony type, massiveness and intensive distribution of colonies and an urgent strategic plan must be developed against the illegal fishing activities. It is thought that the research results will be a key reference to the studies on Turkish coral fauna which is likely to be carried out in the coming years.
Keywords: Scleractinia, Hard coral, Taxonomy, Ecology, Marmara Sea.