AN UPDATED CHECKLIST OF MARINE FLORA ON THE CONTINENTAL SHELF OF GÖKÇEADA ISLAND (NORTHERN AEGEAN SEA, TURKEY)

Year 2017, Volume: 3 Issue: 4, 171 - 187, 30.09.2017

Aysu Güreşen , Emine Şükran Okudan , Yelda Aktan , Hüseyin Erduğan , Berrin Dural Veysel Aysel

https://doi.org/10.3153/JAEFR17020

Abstract

The present paper aims to describe the marine flora
occurring on the continental shelf of Gökçeada Island (North Aegean) based on
the review of the long-term researches (1973-2016) which provided qualitative
information on many taxa including Cyanobacteria, Chlorophyta, Ochrophyta,
Rhodophyta and Tracheophyta.

Eight species (Polysiphonia brevearticulata, Ceramium codii, Gymnothamnion elegans, Spermothamnion repens, Lophosiphonia
cristata, Hydrolithon cruciatum, Leathesia marina, Caulerpa racemosa)
and one variety (Caulerpa racemosa
var. cylindracea) recorded during the
present study are the new records for Gökçeada Island. The new recorded species
belonging to Rhodophyta were found as opportunistic-filamentous and crustose
epiphytic forms on Posidonia oceanica
leaf blades during the years 2009-2016. The presence of Caulerpa racemosa, the Mediterranean invasive algae and its
dispersal around the island proves the ecological threat on the coastal
ecosystem of the island due to the touristic boat achorings and bottom
trawling.

Rhodophyta had the highest number of species dominated
the macroalgal composition with 178 species followed by the contributions of
Ochrophyta and Chlorophyta and Cyanobacteria with 78, 64 and 25 species,
respectively. As for the marine phanerogams (Tracheophyta) that contribute as
key ecosystems to the biological diversity were recorded as 1% of the
systematic groups in the region presenting three genus (Cymodocea, Posidonia, Zostera) but covering vast areas.

After all the future goals of this research are to
develop a checklist of marine flora along the littoral zones of Gökçeada Island
(North Aegean) presenting the last biodiversity situation and a detailed
herbarium collection for the museum of Istanbul University Gökçeada Marine Research
Department.

Keywords

Macroalgae, checklist, Gökçeada Island, North Aegean, Eastern Mediterranean

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