Çetin Keskin

Biodiversity of the northern Aegean Sea and southern part of the Sea of Marmara, Turkey

Two marine areas (the northern Aegean Sea and southern part of the Sea of Marmara, Turkey) which have different trophic and hydrodynamic characteristics were compared regarding diversities of bacteria, phytoplankton, zooplankton, benthos, fish and cetaceans. During the study period (2006–2007), a total of 27 taxa of aerobic heterotrophic mesophilic bacteria including ten bacterial classes were reported for the first time from both seas. A total of 103 taxa from seven algal classes were determined. Copepod species in the northern Aegean Sea and southern part of the Sea of Marmara were recorded as 44 and 27, respectively. A total of 523 underwater photographs were taken at ten stations and the benthic organism diversity were examined for the first time using the photo-quadrat technique. A total of 72 fish belonging to 36 families, were determined. During the study, a total of 1548 nautical miles of survey effort were conducted for cetacean observation. Living individuals of the Stenella coeruleoalba (striped dolphin) were recorded for the first time. This study is intended to be the first detailed description of the diversity of bacteria, phytoplankton, zooplankton, benthos, fish and cetaceans and comparison of two different marine environments in order to put forth the situation of the ecosystem as it is today.

The fishfauna of Gökçeada Island, NE Aegean Sea, Tlirkey

Abstract The Turkish Island of Gokceada is located in the northeastern Aegean Sea. In this preliminary study, six collecting stations, at depths 5–15 were sampled. A total of 76 species were collected by trammel and gill nets (59 species) or by trawls (17 species). At each station and during each season the Shannon‐Weaver Diversity index and Simpson Dominance index were calculated. These indices were compared with their mean values for each station. The similarity among the stations was estimated Sorensons (1948) formula. Similarity index, stations I and III showed the highest similarity (80%), and stations IV‐VI (44%) and V‐VI (45%) showed the lowest similarity.

The marine fisheries in Bulgaria's Exclusive Economic Zone, 1950-2013

The aim of this study is to reconstruct the total historic catch of Bulgarian marine fisheries in their Exclusive Economic Zone for the time period 1950-2013, including unreported landings, discards, recreational and subsistence catches from the ecosystem. The landings data officially reported by Bulgaria to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations for the Mediterranean and Black Seas (FAO Area 37) were revised in line with all available information. The reconstructed total catch for 1950-2013 was 1.7 times the (adjusted) baseline data reported by Bulgaria to FAO and 1.5 times the unadjusted data as reported by FAO. This study revealed major deficiencies which exist in the officially reported Bulgarian catch data, foremost being the large amount of unreported industrial catches, especially for the last two decades. Furthermore, the exclusion of some fisheries sectors, notably the absence of data on the subsistence and recreational fisheries in reported data are also noteworthy.

EASTERNMOST RECORD OF THE LANCET FISH, NOTOSCOPELUS KROYERI (ACTINOPTERYGII: MYCTOPHIFORMES: MYCTOPHIDAE), IN THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA

One specimen of lancet fish, Notoscopelus kroyeri (Malm, 1861), was collected in March 2007 by commercial bottom trawl in the Aegean Sea. This record consists the easternmost record of lancet fish in the Mediterranean Sea. Morphometric and meristic characteristics of this species are given.