REVIEW ARTICLE DERLEME MAKALE AN UPDATED CHECKLIST OF MARINE FLORA ON THE CONTINENTAL SHELF OF GÖKÇEADA ISLAND (NORTHERN AEGEAN SEA, TURKEY) Aysu Güreşen1 ORCID ID: 0000-0001-9919-1545, Emine Şükran Okudan2 ORCID ID: 0000-0001-7920- 8979, Yelda Aktan1 ORCID ID: 0000-0001-5309-7238, Hüseyin Erdoğan3 ORCID ID: 0000-0002-7047-6640 , Berrin Dural4 ORCID ID: 0000-0002-9379-7922, Veysel Aysel5 ORCID ID: 0000-0003-3668-7046 ¹ Istanbul University, Faculty of Aquatic Sciences, Istanbul, Turkey ² Akdeniz University, Faculty of Aquatic Sciences and Fisheries, Dumlupınar Bulvarı, Antalya, Turkey 3 Onsekiz Mart University, Science Faculty, Biology Department, Çanakkale, Turkey 4 Ege University, Science Faculty, Biology Department, Izmir, Turkey 5 Dokuz Eylül University, Science Faculty, Biology Department, Izmir, Turkey Corresponding author: Received: 16.03.2017 Aysu GÜREŞEN, Istanbul University, Faculty of Aquatic Accepted: 26.07.2017 Sciences, Istanbul, Turkey Published online: 30.09.2017 E-mail: [email protected] Abstract: The present paper aims to describe the marine flora oc- ecological threat on the coastal ecosystem of the island curring on the continental shelf of Gökçeada Island due to the touristic boat achorings and bottom trawling. (North Aegean) based on the review of the long-term Rhodophyta had the highest number of species domi- researches (1973-2016) which provided qualitative in- nated the macroalgal composition with 178 species fol- formation on many taxa including Cyanobacteria, lowed by the contributions of Ochrophyta and Chloro- Chlorophyta, Ochrophyta, Rhodophyta and Trache- phyta and Cyanobacteria with 78, 64 and 25 species, ophyta. respectively. As for the marine phanerogams (Trache- Eight species (Polysiphonia brevearticulata, Cera- ophyta) that contribute as key ecosystems to the biolog- mium codii, Gymnothamnion elegans, Spermotham- ical diversity were recorded as 1% of the systematic nion repens, Lophosiphonia cristata, Hydrolithon cru- groups in the region presenting three genus (Cymo- ciatum, Leathesia marina, Caulerpa racemosa) and docea, Posidonia, Zostera) but covering vast areas. one variety (Caulerpa racemosa var. cylindracea) rec- After all the future goals of this research are to develop orded during the present study are the new records for a checklist of marine flora along the littoral zones of Gökçeada Island. The new recorded species belonging Gökçeada Island (North Aegean) presenting the last bi- to Rhodophyta were found as opportunistic-filamen- odiversity situation and a detailed herbarium collection tous and crustose epiphytic forms on Posidonia ocean- for the museum of Istanbul University Gökçeada Ma- ica leaf blades during the years 2009-2016. The pres- rine Research Department. ence of Caulerpa racemosa, the Mediterranean inva- Keywords: Macroalgae, checklist, Gökçeada Island, sive algae and its dispersal around the island proves the North Aegean, Eastern Mediterranean JOURNAL OF AQUACULTURE ENGINEERING AND FISHERIES RESEARCH E-ISSN 2149-0236 3(4): 171-187 (2017) doi: 10.3153/JAEFR17020 © 2015-2017 ScientificWebJournals (SWJ) 171 Journal of Aquaculture Engineering and Fisheries Research, 3(4): 171-187 (2017) Journal abbreviation: J Aquacult Eng Fish Res Introduction The North Aegean Sea representing one of the North Aegean Region is also sensitive to pres- main parts of the Eastern Mediterranean can be sures such as coastal recreational activities, defined as the convergens zone, where colder discharges of domestic wastewaters, artisanal Black Sea waters coming from the Dardanelles and commercial fishing, collection of rare spe- Strait encounter warmer waters of Mediterra- cies and invasion by alien species (Chinti- nean Sea coming to the basin (Uçkaç, 2005). roglou et al. 2005). Gökçeada, the largest island of Turkey is situ- In the Aegean Coasts of Turkey, detailed stud- ated in the North Aegean Region (40.150°N, ies on marine macrophytes had started after 25.817° E) and has a coastline of 92 km and its early 1970’s (Zeybek and Güner, 1973; Öztürk surface area is 279 km². Due to the Turkish and Güner, 1986; Cirik et al, 1990). Straits System, the region is subjected to strong As for the Gökçeada Island, the studies on ma- hydrodynamism such as currents and waves. rine flora carried out between 1973-1985 has Thus the ecologically important macroalgal been conducted by Yazıcı (1974) in Gökçeada communities vary forming new individuals ac- Fisheries and Sponge-Fishing Research De- cording to the deviations of seasonal and hy- partment (former name of Gökçeada Marine drodinamic factors. Research Department) where sea sponges were Considering Turkey’s islands with their bioge- cultivated under uncontrolled conditions. ographical features, these regions reserve sig- These studies were not published and can be nificant biological diversity and have the po- found in the libraries of Gökçeada Marine Re- tential of becoming specially protected areas search Department and Istanbul University (SPAMIs, MPAs) in the Mediterranean. Fisheries Faculty as reports and herbariums. As a part of the Eastern Mediterranean that is Zeybek et al. (1986) listed marine algae of Tur- characterized by low nutrient concentrations key belonging to four seas (Black Sea, Mar- and primary production, the North Aegean Sea mara Sea, Aegean Sea and Mediterranean Sea) is comparatively more productive than the that has been evaluated as a new record and it southern part (Siokou-Frangou et al. 2002) due had comprised the studies on Gökçeada Island. to the intensive freshwater inputs from Nestos In detailed Cirik et al.(1990) put forward the and Maritsa Rivers and Kavak River flowing presence of 115 taxa systematically in into the Saros Gulf (North Aegean). Gökçeada Island and Aysel et al. (2001) pub- Representing the features of the North Aegean, lished a checklist of marine flora in the island Gökçeada Island is also affected by the increas- based on the researches conducted from 1973 ing nutrient concentrations due to the antropo- to 2001. Afterwards Aktan & Gümüşoğlu genic pressures on the freshwaters and coastal (2014) and Güreşen et al. (2015) contributed shelves. These high concentrations of nutrients new records to the marine flora of the island deteriorate the water quality (Aktan & based on the epiphytic flora on Posidonia oce- Gümüşoğlu 2010) and alter the species compo- anica leaf blades and rhizomes. sition (Piazzi et al. 2004) in which the oppor- In this manner the main purpose of this paper tunistic species dominate. Since the island has is to present an updated list of marine flora subjected to touristic pressures in every sum- along the littoral zones of Gökçeada Island mer months, cyanobacterial mattes that acts as (North Aegean) with believing to assess the quality elements indicating high levels of nu- last situation and lead to the further ecological trients have dominated evidently on Posidonia studies that will be conducted around the re- oceanica seagrass leaves (Aktan & gion and finally to develop a detailed herbar- Gümüşoğlu, 2010, 2014). According to these ium collection with the samples collected for phenomena, the species composition can be the museum of Istanbul University Gökçeada evaluated as an indicator in the assessment of Marine Research Department. ecosystem status. 172 Journal of Aquaculture Engineering and Fisheries Research, 3(4): 171-187 (2017) Journal abbreviation: J Aquacult Eng Fish Res This study was created on the basis of literature After, Aysel et al (2001) added 256 species and review before 2001 and additional field re- 25 varieties from the island. The remaining six searches performed between 2009-2016 species (Polysiphonia brevearticulata (Figure around Gökçeada Island by Gökçeada Marine 3), Ceramium codii (Figure 4), Gymnotham- Research Department, Istanbul University nion elegans (Fig. 5), Spermothamnion repens (Figure 1). The samples have been collected (Figure 6), Lophosiphonia cristata, Hydro- from the infralittoral zones by SCUBA diving lithon cruciatum (Figure 7)) belonging to and preserved in 4% formalin for the further Rhodophyta; one species (Leathesia marina) taxonomic identifications. All samples were belonging to Ochrophyta; one species identified to species levels under the divisions (Caulerpa racemosa (Figure 8)) and one vari- of Cyanobacteria, Rhodophyta, Ochrophyta, ety (Caulerpa racemosa var. cylindracea) be- Chlorophyta and Tracheophyta and for the no- longing to Chlorophyta recorded during the menclature of the higher taxa we followed present study are the new records for Gökçeada WoRMS and AlgaeBase (Guiry and Guiry, Island. The new recorded species belonging to 2016) Rhodophyta were found as filamentous and crustose epiphytic forms on Posidonia ocean- List of the species are mainly based on litera- ica leaf blades during the years 2009-2015. ture review, a total of 349 species and 22 vari- eties belonging to five divisions are known Rhodophyta had the highest number of species from the Gökçeada Island. The species list of dominated the macroalgal composition with each divisio and classis are presented in Table 178 species followed by the contributions of 1. Among these 83 species had been firstly re- Ochrophyta and Chlorophyta, Cyanobacteria ported from the island by Yazıcı (1974) that and Tracheophyta with 78, 64, 25 and four spe- contributed to the marine flora with two spe- cies, respectively (Figure 2). cies from Cyanobacteria; 36 species from Considering the percentages, Rhodophyta con- Rhodophyta; 26 species from Ochrophyta; 19 stitutes