Sessile fouling organisms and environmental parameters in the marinas of the Turkish Aegean coast

Abstract

<span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height: 115%;font-family:" times="" new="" roman";mso-fareast-font-family:"times="" roman";="" color:black;mso-ansi-language:en-in;mso-fareast-language:en-in;mso-bidi-language:="" hi"="" lang="EN-IN">Results of salinity, temperature, <i>p</i>H, dissolved oxygen <span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:" times="" new="" roman";="" mso-fareast-font-family:hiddenhorzocr;color:black;mso-ansi-language:en-in;="" mso-fareast-language:en-in;mso-bidi-language:hi"="" lang="EN-IN">(DO), <span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:" times="" new="" roman";="" mso-fareast-font-family:"times="" roman";color:black;mso-ansi-language:en-in;="" mso-fareast-language:en-in;mso-bidi-language:hi"="" lang="EN-IN">total inorganic nitrogen, orthophosphate phosphorus and reactive silica were investigated in relation to the fouling organisms settled in the different marinas of the Eastern Aegean coast. Water samples were taken 3 m below the surface and from bottom. Seasonal changes in sessile macrobenthic groups settled on test panels were studied during 1993- 1994. Fifty-five sessile macrofouling organisms belonging to 8 different groups prevailing at the study sites were identified. In the more stressed marinas, the covering values of dominant groups were found to be notably different. Some pollution resistant species such as <i>Hydroides elegans, Balanus eburneus, Balanus</i> <i>amphitrite, Bugula stolonifera, Bugula neritina </i>and <i>Ciona intestinalis </i>were predominantly present. The early coloni sers as well as rapidly breeding opportunistic species were dominantly present at the sites enriched by organic pollutants. </span></span></span>