Anchoring Damage on Seagrass Meadows (Posidonia oceanica(L.) Delile) in Fethiye-Göcek Specially Protected Area (Eastern Mediterranean Sea, Turkey)

Abstract This paper deals with six crustacean species associated with Posidonia oceanica (Linnaeus) Delile, 1813 meadows along the Aegean coasts of Turkey: Caprella tavolarensis, Eriopisella ruffoi, Iphimedia vicina, Astacilla mediterranea, Apseudopsis minimus and Macropodia deflexa. Apseudopsis minimus is a new record for the Turkish coast of the Aegean Sea, the other five species are new records for the eastern Mediterranean. Brief descriptions of the species and their morphological and ecological characteristics are given.

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Sipunculans from the coast of northern Cyprus (eastern Mediterranean Sea)

Zootaxa ◽

10.11646/zootaxa.1077.1.1 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 1077 (1) ◽

pp. 1 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

S. AÇIK ◽

G. V. MURINA ◽

M. E. ÇINAR ◽

Z. ERGEN

Keyword(s):

Quantitative Analysis ◽

Mediterranean Sea ◽

Eastern Mediterranean ◽

Posidonia Oceanica ◽

Species Assemblages ◽

Benthic Habitats ◽

Eastern Mediterranean Sea ◽

Northern Cyprus ◽

Major Species ◽

First Time

The present study deals with the species of Sipuncula collected from northern Cyprus in 1997 and 1998 by RV K. Piri Reis at depths ranging from 0 to 600 m. Faunistic analysis of the material yielded a total of 6 species and 5 subspecies belonging to four families Golfingiidae, Phascolionidae, Phascolosomatidae, and Aspidosiphonidae, of which four species (Nephasoma (Nephasoma) constrictum, Phascolosoma (Phascolosoma) scolops, P. (P.) agassizii agassizii and P. (P.) stephensoni) are reported for the first time from the eastern Mediterranean. Among the habitats sampled, Posidonia oceanica and mud were represented by the highest number of species (6 species), followed by rocks (5 species) and Cystoseira crinita (5 species). Quantitative analysis of shallow-water benthic habitats indicated that sipunculan density in the area ranged from 25 individuals m-2 to 350 individuals m-2. According to the MDS analysis, there are two major species assemblages in the area, mainly structured by the types of habitats and depth.

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Ecological characteristics of the invasive pufferfish Lagocephalus sceleratus (Gmelin, 1789) in the eastern Mediterranean Sea – a case study from Rhodes

Mediterranean Marine Science ◽

10.12681/mms.364 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 14 (2) ◽

pp. 251 ◽

Cited By ~ 19

Author(s):

S. KALOGIROU

Keyword(s):

Mediterranean Sea ◽

Early Life ◽

Eastern Mediterranean ◽

Life Stages ◽

Early Life Stages ◽

Coastal Habitats ◽

Eastern Mediterranean Sea ◽

Seagrass Meadows ◽

Societal Impacts ◽

Lagocephalus Sceleratus

In this study, the ecological and societal impact of the invasive pufferfish Lagocephalus sceleratus on coastal habitats of an area of the eastern Mediterranean Sea (Rhodes Island) was investigated. Seasonal quantitative samplings in two common coastal habitats were used to investigate habitat use of different life-stages. Sandy areas were found to be highly important for the early life stages of L. sceleratus. In contrast, Posidonia oceanica habitats were mainly preferred by larger (> 29 cm) reproductive adults, not exceeding 64 cm. Lagocephalus sceleratus was found to feed on invertebrates and fish while size classification revealed a tendency for a diet shift with increased size. During early life stages, L. sceleratus inhabits sandy bottoms where it feeds on various invertebrates. The predominant molluscan species found in the diet of larger (> 20 cm) L. sceleratus individuals were the economically important Sepia officinalis and Octopus vulgaris. The size at which 50% of individuals reach maturity was estimated to 19 cm. With increased size, habitat shift to seagrass meadows most possibly occurs to meet both the increased demand in prey availability and requirement of appropriate spawning ground. Condition factor of L. sceleratus showed significantly higher values during summer than all other seasons and this was attributed to spawning season and increase in feeding. Societal impacts were alarming due to increased public attention concerning its lethal effects (presence of tetrodotoxin), if consumed. Its high abundance in the coastal fish communities of the studied area combined with ecological and societal impacts, clearly classify L. sceleratus a pest for fisheries and potential threat for biodiversity.

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The Sensitivity of Middle East Precipitation and Cloud Forecasts to Changes in Eastern Mediterranean Sea Surface Temperatures

10.21236/ada207864 ◽

1989 ◽

Author(s):

Stephen Brenner

Keyword(s):

Middle East ◽

Mediterranean Sea ◽

Eastern Mediterranean ◽

Sea Surface ◽

Sea Surface Temperatures ◽

Eastern Mediterranean Sea ◽

Surface Temperatures

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Comparison of Hydrocarbon-Degrading Consortia from Surface and Deep Waters of the Eastern Mediterranean Sea: Characterization and Degradation Potential

Energies ◽

10.3390/en14082246 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 14 (8) ◽

pp. 2246

Author(s):

Georgia Charalampous ◽

Efsevia Fragkou ◽

Konstantinos A. Kormas ◽

Alexandre B. De Menezes ◽

Paraskevi N. Polymenakou ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mediterranean Sea ◽

Oil Spills ◽

Eastern Mediterranean ◽

Sole Source ◽

Eastern Mediterranean Sea ◽

Deep Waters ◽

Degradation Rates ◽

Polycyclic Aromatic ◽

Set Up

The diversity and degradation capacity of hydrocarbon-degrading consortia from surface and deep waters of the Eastern Mediterranean Sea were studied in time-series experiments. Microcosms were set up in ONR7a medium at in situ temperatures of 25 °C and 14 °C for the Surface and Deep consortia, respectively, and crude oil as the sole source of carbon. The Deep consortium was additionally investigated at 25 °C to allow the direct comparison of the degradation rates to the Surface consortium. In total, ~50% of the alkanes and ~15% of the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons were degraded in all treatments by Day 24. Approximately ~95% of the total biodegradation by the Deep consortium took place within 6 days regardless of temperature, whereas comparable levels of degradation were reached on Day 12 by the Surface consortium. Both consortia were dominated by well-known hydrocarbon-degrading taxa. Temperature played a significant role in shaping the Deep consortia communities with Pseudomonas and Pseudoalteromonas dominating at 25 °C and Alcanivorax at 14 °C. Overall, the Deep consortium showed a higher efficiency for hydrocarbon degradation within the first week following contamination, which is critical in the case of oil spills, and thus merits further investigation for its exploitation in bioremediation technologies tailored to the Eastern Mediterranean Sea.

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