Vol.26 – 2020 – No.1

Introductory pages

Observations on the flowering and fruit developments in Halophila stipulacea (Hydrocharitaceae) in the Aegean Sea (Turkey)
Berrin Dural, Emine Şükran Okudan, Nilsun Demir, Ayhan Şenkardeşler, Hüseyin Erduğan, Veysel Aysel

Chemical composition of the essential oil of sea fennel seed (Crithmum maritimum L.) from Turkey
Funda Turan, M. Kemal Sangun, Ayşegül Ergenler

Preliminary results of cetacean sightings in the eastern Mediterranean Sea of Turkey
Aylin Akkaya, Patrick Lyne, Xenia Schulz, Tim Awbery, Svenja Capitain, Blanca Ferriz Rosell, Belen Yıldırım, Cansu İlkılınç, Julieta Vigliano Relva, Harry Clark, Liam van Walsum, Jonathan Gordon

A new non-destructive method for the assessment of the ecological status of coastal waters by using marine macrophytes
Ergün Taşkın

Sea turtles and sharks bycatch in Greece: Fishers’ and stakeholders’ knowledge
Eleana Touloupaki, Nikolaos Doumpas, Dimitrios Bouziotis, Vicky Rae, Dimitrios K. Moutopoulos, Ioannis Giovos

Spatial and temporal variations of anchovy eggs and larvae, Engraulis encrasicolus (Linnaeus, 1758), around Gökçeada Island, North Aegean Sea
İsmail Burak Daban, Ahsen Yüksek, Aytaç Altın

First record of loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta) nesting in the Algerian coast (southwestern Mediterranean)
Mouloud Benabdi, Alae Eddine Belmahi

First sighting of false killer whales (Pseudorca crassidens) in the northern Aegean Sea
Ayhan Dede, Arda M. Tonay, Onur Gönülal, Ayaka Amaha Öztürk

Genetic confirmation of the first Mediterranean record of Holacanthus africanus Cadenat, 1951
Alan Deidun, Teresa Maggio, Luca Castriota, Manuela Falautano, Giulio Franzitta

New record of the bignose shark, Carcharhinus altimus (Springer, 1950) (Carcharhiniformes: Carcharhinidae), in Turkish waters
Cemal Turan, Mahmut İğde, Aysegul Ergenler, Deniz Ayas

First record of the diamondback puffer, Lagocephalus guentheri Miranda Ribeiro, 1915, from Libyan waters
Sara A.A. Al Mabruk, Abdallah M. A. Belhassan, Jamila Rizgalla, Ioannis Giovos

First record of the diamondback puffer, Lagocephalus guentheri Miranda Ribeiro, 1915, from Libyan waters

Sara A.A. Al Mabruk, Abdallah M. A. Belhassan, Jamila Rizgalla, Ioannis Giovos

Zoology Department, Faculty of Science, Omar Al-Mukhtar University, Bayda, LIBYA
Marine Sciences Department, Faculty of Science, Omar Al-Mukhtar University, Bayda, LIBYA
Department of Aquaculture, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Tripoli, Tripoli, LIBYA
iSea, Environmental Organization for the Preservation of the Aquatic Ecosystems, Thessaloniki, GREECE

ORCID IDs: S.A.A.A.M. 0000-0003-0754-4951; A.M.A.B. 0000-0003-0656-4088; J.R. 0000-0002-5699-5321; I.G. 0000-0001-5733-0092

Abstract

Two specimens of the diamondback puffer, Lagocephalus guentheri, were caught at the “Ras Alteen” coast East of Libya. This is the first record of the species from the Libyan waters, increasing the number of Lessepsian migrants that belong to the Tetraodontidae family within the Libya up to four species.

Keywords: Diamondback, Lagocephalus guentheri, Lessepsian migrants, Libyan water, Mediterranean

References

Akyol, O., Aydın, I. (2016) A new record of Lagocephalus guentheri (Tetraodontiformes: Tetraodontidae) from the north-eastern Aegean Sea. Zoology in the Middle East 62(3): 271-273.

Al-Mabruk, S., Stoilas, V., Kleitou, P., Giovos, L. (2018) The first record of Torquigener flavimaculosus (Tetraodontiformes: Tetraodontidae) from Libya. International Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Studies 6(4): 449-450.

Al Mabruk, S. A., Rizgalla, J. (2019) First record of lionfish (Scorpaenidae: Pterois) from Libyan waters. J Black Sea/Medit Environ 25(1): 108-114.

Ben-Abdallah, A., Al-Turky, A., Nafti, A., Shakman, E. (2011) A new record of a Lessepsian fish, Lagocephalus suezensis (Actinopterygii: Tetraodontiformes: Tetraodontidae), in the South Mediterranean (Libyan coast). Acta Ichthyologica et Piscatoria 41(1): 71.

Ben-Tuvia, A. (1953) Mediterranean fishes of Israel. Bulletin of the Sea Fisheries Research Station 8: 1-40.

Charfi-Cheikhrouha, F. (2004) Premières observations de quatre espèces de poissons allochtones à Rafraf (Nord-Est de la Tunisie). Bulletin de l’Institut National des Sciences et Technologies de la Mer de Salammbô 31: 115-117.

Erguden, D., Kabaklı, F., Uyan, A., Doğdu, S. A., Karan, S., Gurlek, M., Turan, C. (2017) New record of diamondback puffer Lagocephalus guentheri Miranda Ribeiro, 1915 from the North-eastern Mediterranean, Turkey. Natural and Engineering Sciences 2(3): 67-73.

Farrag, M., El-Haweet, A.A., Moustafa, M.A. (2016) Occurrence of puffer fishes (Tetraodontidae) in the eastern Mediterranean, Egyptian coast-filling in the gap. BioInvasions Record 5(1): 47-54.

Froese, R., Pauly, D. (Eds.) (2017) FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication. www.fishbase.org, version (Accessed 02/2017).

Kacem-Snoussi, A., Ben Abdallah, R. A., El Turky, A. A., Ben Moussa, N. M. (2009) Guide to Bony Fishes in Libyan Waters. Marine Research Center, Tripoli, Libya (in Arabic).

Katsanevakis, S., Zenetos, A., Belchior, C., Cardoso, A. C. (2013) Invading European seas: assessing pathways of introduction of marine aliens. Ocean & Coastal Management 76: 64-74.

‏Karahan, A., Douek, J., Paz, G., Stern, N., Kideys, A. E., Shaish, L., Rinkevich, B. (2017) Employing DNA barcoding as taxonomy and conservation tools for fish species censuses at the southeastern Mediterranean, a hot-spot area for biological invasion. Journal for Nature Conservation 36: 1-9.

Kleitou, P., Giovos, I., Tiralongo, F., Doumpas, N., Bernardi, G. (2019) Westernmost record of the diamondback puffer, Lagocephalus guentheri (Tetraodontiformes: Tetraodontidae) in the Mediterranean Sea: First record from Greek waters. Journal of Applied Ichthyology 35(2): 576-579.

Kosswig, C. (1950) Erythraische Fische im Mittelmeer und an der Grenze der agais. Syllegomena Biolgica. Festschrift Kleinschmidt Akademic Verlag, Leipzig, Germany, pp. 203-212

Matsuura, K.., Golani, D., Bogorodsky, S.V. (2011) The first record of Lagocephalus guentheri Miranda Ribeiro, 1915 from the Red Sea with notes on previous records of L. lunaris (Actinopterygii, Tetraodontiformes, Tetraodontidae). Bulletin of the National Museum of Nature and Science, Series A 37(3): 163-169.

Osca, D., Tanduo, V., Tiralongo, F., Giovos, I., Almabruk, S. A., Crocetta, F., Rizgalla, J. (2020) The Indo-Pacific Sergeant Abudefduf vaigiensis (Quoy & Gaimard, 1825) (Perciformes: Pomacentridae) in Libya, South-Central Mediterranean Sea. Journal of Marine Science and Engineering 8(1): 14.

Rizgalla, J., Bron, J.E., Crocetta, F., Shinn, A.P., Almabruk, S.A. (2019a) First record of Aplysia dactylomela Rang, 1828 (Mollusca: Gastropoda) in Libyan coastal waters. Bio Invasions Records 8(1): 80-86.

Rizgalla, J., Fridman, S., Ben Abdallah, A., Bron, J.E., Shinn, A.P. (2018) First record of the non-native sea snail Haminoea cyanomarginata Heller & Thompson, 1983 (Gastropoda: Haminoeidae) in the Southern Mediterranean Sea. Bio Invasions Records 7(4): 411-414.

Rizgalla, J., Shinn, A.P., Crocetta, F. (2019b) First documented record of the invasive cockle Fulvia fragilis (Forsskål in Niebuhr, 1775) (Mollusca: Bivalvia: Cardiidae) in Libya. Bio Invasions Records 8(2): 314-319.

Shakman, E.A., Abdalha, A.B., Thala, F., Al-Faturi, A., Bariche, M. (2017) First records of seven marine organisms of different origins from Libya (Mediterranean Sea). Bio Invasions Records 6(4): 377-382.

Tuncer, S., Aslan Cihangir, H., Billeceoglu, M. (2008) First record of the Lessepsian migrant Lagocephalus spadiceus (Tetraodontidae) in the Sea of Marmara. Cybium 32(4): 347-348.

 

New record of the bignose shark, Carcharhinus altimus (Springer, 1950) (Carcharhiniformes: Carcharhinidae), in Turkish waters

Cemal Turan, Mahmut İğde, Aysegul Ergenler, Deniz Ayas

Faculty of Marine Sciences and Technology, Iskenderun Technical University, Iskenderun, Hatay, TURKEY
Faculty of Fisheries, Mersin University, Yenişehir Campus, Mersin, TURKEY

ORCID IDs: C.T. 0000-0001-9584-0261; M.İ. 0000-0003-4288-8995; A.E. 0000-0001-9186-3909, D.A. 0000-0001-6762-6284

Abstract

A young male bignose shark, Carcharhinus altimus, was caught with a trammel net at a depth of 20 m from the northeastern Mediterranean Sea (Iskenderun Bay- Samandağ coast). The total length of the individual was 68.0 cm and the weight was 3100 g. This is a new record of C. altimus in Turkish coasts.

Keywords: Carcharhinus altimus, bignose shark, record, Iskenderun Bay, northeastern Mediterranean

References

Ayas, D., Ciftci, N., Yalcin, E., Akbora, H. D., Bakan, M., Erguden, D. (2020) First record of the big nose shark, Carcharhinus altimus (Springer, 1950) from Mersin bay. International Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Studies 8(2): 132-136

Başusta, N., Erdem, Ü. (2000) A Study on the pelagic and demersal fishes of İskenderun Bay. Turk J Zool 24: 1-19 (in Turkish).

Bradai, M.N., Saidi, B., Enajjar, S., (2012) Elasmobranchs of the Mediterranean and Black sea: status, ecology and biology. Bibliographic analysis. Studies and Reviews. General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean. No. 91. Rome, FAO, 103 pp.

Compagno, L.J.V. (1984) FAO Species Catalogue. Vol. 4. Sharks of the World. An annotated and illustrated catalogue of shark species known to date. Part 2 – Carcharhiniformes. FAO Fish Synop, Rome 125(4/2): 251-655.

Compagno, L.J.V., Niem, V.H. (1998) Carcharhinidae. Requiem sharks. In: FAO Identification Guide for Fishery Purposes. The Living Marine Resources of the Western Central Pacific (eds., Carpenter, K.E., NiemV. H.) FAO, Rome. pp 1312-1360.

Cortés, E. (1999) Standardized diet compositions and trophic levels of sharks. ICES Journal of Marine Science 56(5): 707-717.

Dulvy, N.K., Allen, D.J., Ralph, G.M., Walls, R.H.L. (2016) The conservation status of Sharks, Rays and Chimaeras in the Mediterranean Sea (Brochure). IUCN, Malaga, Spain.

Golani, D. (1996) The marine ichthyofauna of the eastern Levant – history, inventory and characterization. Israel Journal of Zoology 42: 15-55.

Grace, M. (2001) Field Guide to Requiem Sharks (Elasmobranchiomorphi: Carcharhinidae) of the Western North Atlantic, U.S. Dep. Commer., NOAA Tech. Rep. NMFS 153, 32 p.

Hemida, F., Labidi, N. (2001) Notes on the Carcharinids of the Algerian basin.  Proceedings of the 4th meeting of the European Elasmobranch Association (eds., Vacchi, M., La Mesa, G., Serena, F., Séret, B.) Livorno, Italy. pp 192-193.

Kabasakal, H., Karhan, S. Ü., Sakınan, S. (2017) Review of the distribution of large sharks in the seas of Turkey (Eastern Mediterranean). Cah Biol Mar 58: 219-228.

Mancini, P.L., Pillans, R.D., Amorim, A.F., Gonzalez, M. Anderson, C. (2015) Carcharhinus altimus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2015: e.T161564A48941657. (accessed on 11 March 2020)

Mancusi, C., Baino, R., Barone, M., Vacchi, M., Gil de Sola, L., Morey, G., Bradai, M.N., Kallianotis, A., Soldo, A., Hemida, F., Saad, A.A., Dimech, M., Peristeraki, P., Bariche, M., Clò, S., De Sabata, E., Castellano, L., Garibaldi, F., Lanteri, L., Tinti, F., Pais, A., Sperone, E., Micarelli, P., Poisson, F., Carlucci, R., Bottaro, M., Cebrian, D., Fortuna, C., Seret, B., Ferretti, F., El-Far, A., Saygu, I., Shakman, E.A., Bartolí, A., Guallart, J., Damalas, D., Megalofonou, P., Notarbartolo di Sciara, G., Follesa, M.C., Cannas, R., Colombo, S., Kabasakal, H., Zava, B., Cavlan, G., Jung, A., Serena, F. (2014) MEDLEM database, a data collection on large elasmobranchs in the Mediterranean basin. In: Programm and Poster Abstracts of Shark International, 2-6 June 2014, Durban, South Africa. 50 pp.

Moreno, J.A., Hoyos, A. (1983) Première capture en eaux espagnoles et en Mediterranee de Carcharhinus altimus (S. Springer, 1950). Cybium 7: 65-70.

Serena, F. (2005) FAO Identification Guide for Fishery Purposes. Field identification guide to the sharks and Rays of the Mediterranean and Black Sea. FAO, Rome 97 p.

Sperone, E., Parise, G., Leone, A., Milazzo, C., Circosta, V., Santoro, G., Paolillo, G., Micarelli, P., Tripepi, S. (2012) Spatiotemporal patterns of distribution of large predatory sharks in Calabria (central Mediterranean, southern Italy). Acta Adriatica 53: 13-24.

Stevens, J.D., Bonfil, R., Dulvy, N.K., Walker, P.A. (2000) The effects of fishing on sharks, rays, and chimaeras (chondrichthyans), and the implications for marine ecosystems. ICES Journal of Marine Science 57(3): 476-494.

Yaglioglu, D., Deniz, T., Gurlek, M., Erguden, D., Turan, C. (2015) Elasmobranch bycatch in a bottom trawl fishery in the Iskenderun Bay, northeastern Mediterranean. Cahiers de Biologie Marine 56: 237-243.

Genetic confirmation of the first Mediterranean record of Holacanthus africanus Cadenat, 1951

Alan Deidun, Teresa Maggio, Luca Castriota,  Manuela Falautano, Giulio Franzitta

Department of Geosciences, University of Malta, Msida MSD 2080, MALTA
ISPRA (Istituto Superiore per la Protezione e la Ricerca Ambientale), Lungomare Cristoforo Colombo 4521 (Ex Complesso Roosevelt), 90149 Palermo, ITALY
Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121 Naples, ITALY

ORCID IDs: A.D. 0000-0002-6919-5374; T.M. 0000-0003-1832-4161; L.C. 0000-0002-3349-9501; M.F. 0000-0001-7844-665X; G.F. 0000-0003-4162-3506

Abstract

The first Mediterranean record of the pomacanthid Holacanthus africanus, caught within the Maltese waters, was assigned based on morphological and meristic characters. However, molecular and genetic analyses are required to confirm the taxonomic determination and avoid misidentification given the abundance of closely-related Pomacanthidae species and the biogeographic significance of this record for the Mediterranean. At the species level, the analyzed specimens gave a 99.7% identity match with H. africanus. This study represents yet another example of molecular analyses supplementing the conclusions of conventional morphological identification exercises.

Keywords: Guinea angelfish, taxonomic identification, genetic analyses

References

Alva-Campbell, Y., Floeter, S.R., Robertson, D.R., Bellwood, D.R., Bernardi, G. (2010) Molecular phylogenetics and evolution of Holacanthus angelfishes (Pomacanthidae). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 56: 456-461.

Bailly, N. (2016) Pomacanthidae. In: The Living Marine Resources of the Eastern Central Atlantic, (eds., Carpenter, K.E., De Angelis, N.), Volume 4: Bony Fishes Part 2 (Perciformes to Tetradontiformes) and Sea Turtles. FAO Species Identification Guide for Fishery Purposes, FAO, Rome, pp. 2674-2679.

Cristescu, M.E. (2015) Genetic reconstructions of invasion history. Molecular Ecology 24: 2212-2225.

Deidun, A., Castriota, L., Falautano, M., Maggio, T. (2017) Yet another angelfish species for the Mediterranean – the first record of Holacanthus africanus Cadenat, 1951 from Maltese waters, central Mediterranean. Bioinvasions Records 6: 373-376.

Hamner, R.M., Freshwater, D.W., Whitfield, P.E. (2007) Mitochondrial cytochrome b analysis reveals two invasive lionfish species with strong founder effects in the western Atlantic. Journal of Fish Biology 71: 214-222.

Kimura, M. (1980) A simple method for estimating evolutionary rates of base substitutions through comparative studies of nucleotide sequences. Journal of Molecular Evolution 16: 111-120.

Lee, W.J., Conroy, J., Howell, W.H., Kocher, T.D. (1995) Structure and evolution of teleost mitochondrial control regions. Journal of Molecular Evolution 41: 54.

Palumbi, S.R., Martin, A.P., Romano, S.L., McMillan, W.O., Stice, L., Grabowsky, C. (1991) The simple fool’s guide to PCR. Special Publication of the Dept. of Zoology, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, U.S.A.

Ratnasingham, S., Hebert, P.D. (2007) BOLD: The Barcode of Life Data System (http://www. barcodinglife. org). Molecular Ecology Notes 7: 355-364.

Shen, K.N., Chen, C.H., Hsiao, C.D. (2016) Complete mitogenomes of Guinean angelfish (Holacanthus africanus) and rock beauty (Holacanthus tricolor) (Teleostei: Pomacanthidae). Mitochondrial DNA Part A 27: 2769-2770.

Tamura, K., Stecher, G., Peterson, D., Filipski, A., Kumar, S. (2013) Phylogenetic and molecular evolutionary analyses were conducted using MEGA version 6. Molecular Biology and Evolution 30: 2725-2729.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

First sighting of false killer whales (Pseudorca crassidens) in the northern Aegean Sea

Ayhan Dede, Arda M. Tonay, Onur Gönülal, Ayaka Amaha Öztürk

Faculty of Aquatic Sciences, Istanbul University, Ordu Cad. No: 8, 34134, Fatih, Istanbul, TURKEY
Turkish Marine Research Foundation (TUDAV), P.O. Box: 10, 34820, Beykoz, Istanbul, TURKEY

ORCID IDs: A.D. 0000-0002-7712-615X; A.M.T. 0000-0003-2718-9328; O.G. 0000-0002-5559-3953; A.A.Ö. 0000-0003-2281-7372

Abstract

A sighting of a group of false killer whale (Pseudorca crassidens) was reported for the first time in the northern Aegean Sea. It was also the first reported sighting in 25 years for the Aegean Sea. Eight individuals in total were recorded in a footage taken by a local fisherman. During the hauling of the handline, it was observed that one juvenile came to the line to play with it. The information of such sightings of rare species is valuable to understand the regional biodiversity.

Key words: False killer whale, Pseudorca crassidens, northern Aegean Sea

References

Baird, R.W. (2009) False killer whale Pseudorca crassidens. In: Encyclopedia of Marine Mammals. (eds., Perrin, W.F., Würsig, B., Thewissen, G.M.) Second edition, Academic Press, pp. 405-406.

Baird, R.W. (2018) Pseudorca crassidens (errata version published in 2019). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2018: e.T18596A145357488. (Accessed on 2 February 2020.)

Bearzi, G. (2002) Interactions between cetacean and fisheries in the Mediterranean Sea. In: Cetaceans of the Mediterranean and Black Seas: State of Knowledge and Conservation Strategies. (ed. Notarbartolo di Sciara, G.), A report to the ACCOBAMS Secretariat, Monaco, February 2002. Section 9, 20p.

Crofts, S., Martien, K. K., Robertson, K. M., Stanworth, A., Massam, S., Weir, C. R. (2019) First record of false killer whales (Pseudorca crassidens) in the Falkland Islands (Malvinas). Polar Biology 42(10): 1923-1929.

Frantzis, A., Alexiadou, P., Paximadis, G., Politi, E., Gannier, A., Corsini-Foka, M. (2003) Current knowledge of the cetacean fauna of the Greek Seas. Journal of Cetacean Research and Management 5(3): 219-232.

Jefferson, T.A., Webber, M.A., Pitman, R.L. (2015) Marine Mammals of the World: A Comprehensive Guide to Their Identification. Second edition. Academic Press, Elsevier. 613p.

Notarbartolo di Sciara, G., Birkun, A., Jr. (2010) Conserving Whales, Dolphins and Porpoises in the Mediterranean and Black Seas: an ACCOBAMS Status Report. ACCOBAMS, Monaco, 212p.

Öztürk, B., Öztürk, A.A. (1998) Cetacean strandings in the Aegean coasts of Turkey. Rapp Comm Int Expl Sci Mer Médit 35: 476-477.

Reeves, R., Notarbartolo di Sciara, G. (2006) The Status and Distribution of Cetaceans in the Black Sea and Mediterranean Sea. IUCN Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation, Malaga, Spain. 137 p.

Ryan, C., Romagosa, M., Boisseau, O., Cucknell, A-C., Frantzis, A., Moscrop, A., McLanaghan, R. (2013) Cruise Report for a Visual and Acoustic Survey for Marine Mammals of the Aegean Sea and Levantine Sea, Eastern Mediterranean Conducted from R/V Song of the Whale, July to September 2013. Marine Conservation Research International, UK, 26p.

First record of loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta) nesting in the Algerian coast (southwestern Mediterranean)

Mouloud Benabdi, Alae Eddine Belmahi

Laboratory of Environmental Monitoring Network, Faculty of SNV, Oran1 University, Oran, ALGERIA

ORCID IDs: M.B. 0000-0003-3770-1874; A.E.B. 0000-0003-1869-6635

Abstract

A hatchling of loggerhead turtle, Caretta caretta, was accidentally discovered on the beach of Tamanart “Skikda” in the eastern zone of Algeria on August 11, 2017. Here we report the first confirmed occurrence of nesting activity in the Mediterranean coast of Algeria.

Keywords: Algerian coast, loggerhead turtle, nesting activities

References

Aguilar, R., Mas, J., Pastor, X. (1992) Impact of Spanish swordfish longline fisheries on the loggerhead sea turtle Caretta caretta population in the western Mediterranean. In: Proceedings of the 12th Annual Workshop on Sea Turtle Biology and Conservation. NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS- SRFSC-361 (eds., Richardson J.I., Richardson, T.R.). 274 pp.

Bentivegna, F., Rasotto, M.B., De Lucia, G.A., Esecci, E., Massaro, G., Panzera, S., Caputo, C., Carlino, P., Treglia, G., Hochscheid, S. (2010) Loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta) nests at high latitudes in Italy: a call for vigilance in the Western Mediterranean. Chelonian Conservation and Biology 9(2): 283-289.

Bentivegna, F., Treglia, G., Hochscheid, S. (2005) The first report of a loggerhead turtle Caretta caretta nest on the central Tyrrhenian coast (western Mediterranean). JMBA2–Biodiversity Records 5143: 1-3.

Bradai, M.N., Karaa, S. (2017) Première mention de la nidification de la tortue caouanne Caretta caretta sur la plage zouaraa (Nord de la Tunisie). Bulletin de l’Institut National des Sciences et Technologies de la Mer de Salammbô 44: 203-206.

Carreras, C., Pascual, M., Tomás, J., Marco, A., Hochscheid, S., Castillo, J., Gozalbes, P., Parga, M., Piovano, S., Cardona, L. (2018) Sporadic nesting reveals long distance colonization in the philopatric loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta). Scientific Reports 8: 1435.

Casale, P., Margaritoulis, D. (Eds.) (2010) Sea Turtles in the Mediterranean: Distribution, Threats and Conservation Priorities. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland.

Delaugerre, M., Cesarini, C. (2004) Confirmed nesting of the loggerhead turtle in Corsica. Marine Turtle Newsletter 104: 12.

Laurent, L. (1990) Les tortues marines en Algérie et au Maroc (Méditerranée). Bulletin de la société herpétologique de France 55: 1-23.

Laurent, L., Nouira, S., Bradai, M.N., Lescure, J. (1993) Tortues marines en Tunisie, Algérie et Maroc méditerranéen. Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF) International Project N°3937, 44 pp.

Llorente, G.A., Mcarretero, M.A., Pascual. X., Perez, A. (1993) New record of a nesting loggerhead turtle Caretta caretta in western Mediterranean. British Herpetological Society Bulletin 42: 14-17.

Margaritoulis, D., Argano, R., Baran, I., Bentivegna, F., Bradai, N., Camiñas, J., Casale, P., De Metrio, G., Demetropoulos, A., Gerosa, G. (2003) Loggerhead turtles in the Mediterranean Sea: Present knowledge and conservation perspectives. In: Loggerhead Sea Turtles (eds., Bolten A.B., Witherington, B.E.) Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington DC, pp. 175-198.

Millot, C. (1999) Circulation in the western Mediterranean Sea. Journal of Marine Systems 20: 423-442.

Pike, D.A. (2013) Climate influences the global distribution of sea turtle nesting. Global Ecology and Biogeography 22: 555-566.

Revelles, M., Camiñas, J.A., Cardona, L., Parga, M.L, Tomas, J., Aguilar, A., Alegre, F., Raga, J.A., Bertolero, A., Oliver, G. (2008) Tagging reveals limited exchange of immature loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) between regions in the western Mediterranean. Scientia Marina 72(3): 511-518.

Sénégas, J.B., Hochscheid, S., Groul, J.L., Lagarrigue, B., Bentivegna, F. (2009) Discovery of the northernmost loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) nest. Marine Biodiversity Records 2: 1-4.

Tomás, J., Eymar, J., Crespo, J.L., Revuelta, O., Esteban, J.A., García-Párraga, D., Domènech, F. (2015) Nesting out of range: the loggerhead sea turtle nests again in Spain. In: Proceedings of 35th Annual Symposium on Sea Turtle Biology and Conservation (eds., Kaska, Y., Sonmez, B., Turkecan, O., Sezgin, C.) Turkey.

Tomás, J., Gazo, M., Álvarez, C.A., Gozalbes, P., Perdiguero, D., Raga, J.A., Alegre, F.N. (2008) Is the Spanish coast within the regular nesting range of the Mediterranean loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta)?. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 88(7): 1509-1512.

Tomas, J., Mons, J.L., Martin, J.J., Bellido, J.J., Castillo, J.J. (2002) Study of the first reported nest of loggerhead sea turtle, Caretta caretta, in the Spanish Mediterranean coast. Journal of the Marine Biological Association United Kingdom 82: 1005-1007.

Wyneken, J. (2001) The Anatomy of Sea Turtles. U.S. Department of Commerce NOAA Technical Memorandum, NMFS-SEFSC-470.

Spatial and temporal variations of anchovy eggs and larvae, Engraulis encrasicolus (Linnaeus, 1758), around Gökçeada Island, North Aegean Sea

İsmail Burak Daban, Ahsen Yüksek, Aytaç Altın

Faculty of Fisheries Science and Technology, Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University, Çanakkale, TURKEY
Department of Marine Biology, Institute of Marine Sciences and Management, İstanbul University, Istanbul, TURKEY
Fisheries Department, School of Applied Sciences at Gökçeada, Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University, Çanakkale, TURKEY

ORCID IDs: İ.B.D. 0000-0002-2973-5698; A.Y. 0000-0003-3004-7443; A.A. 0000-0002-0327-6665

Abstract

This study describes the spatio-temporal distribution patterns of anchovy eggs and larvae around Gökçeada Island in the North Aegean Sea. Monthly vertical samplings were performed at nine stations in one year period between June 2013 and May 2014. In total, 306 eggs, 198 prelarvae and 248 postlarvae were sampled. It was observed that spawning season of anchovy was between May and October, whereas spawning took place at 15.9 °C and peaked at 20.8-23.2 °C in June and August. Total egg biomass was determined as 1199.8 ind/m² and mean egg biomass was 33.5 ind/m². Total prelarvae and postlarvae biomass were detected as 776.2 ind/m² and 972.2 ind/m², respectively. Maximum abundance of prelarvae and postlarvae were seen in August (540 n/m²) and September (492 n/km²), respectively. Total mortality of eggs was detected as 12.4%, highest mortality was observed in July (30.9%) and majority of mortality realized in gastrula stage (stage 3) (85%). It was understood that the eggs were concentrated in the east and the larvae in the South as strong north winds and currents effected their distribution.

Keywords: Anchovy, fish eggs, fish larvae, spawning, North Aegean Sea

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Sea turtles and sharks bycatch in Greece: Fishers’ and stakeholders’ knowledge

Eleana Touloupaki, Nikolaos Doumpas, Dimitrios Bouziotis, Vicky Rae, Dimitrios K. Moutopoulos, Ioannis Giovos

MEDASSET-Mediterranean Association to Save the Sea Turtles, Athens, GREECE
iSea, Environmental Organisation for the Preservation of the Aquatic Systems, Thessaloniki, GREECE
Department of Animal Production, Fisheries & Aquaculture, University of Patras, Mesolonghi, GREECE

ORCID IDs: E.T. 0000-0002-4020-4900; N.D. 0000-0002-6713-325X; D.B. 0000-0002-9250-2133; V.R. 0000-0002-6248-1749; D.K.M. 0000-0001-5873-9893; I.G. 0000-0001-5733-0092

Abstract

One of the biggest threats facing vulnerable marine megafauna is their interaction with fisheries. Numerous studies have typically been confined to single taxa, however, the risk applies mutually to the majority of vulnerable marine megafauna. Using a bottom-up approach to utilize fishers and fisheries stakeholders’ knowledge and perceptions of incidental capture for two vulnerable megafauna taxa, sea turtles and sharks, five important ports of Greece accounting 65% of the country’s fishing fleet were surveyed. All respondents interacted with at least one of the megafauna species (dolphins, monk seals, sea turtles, elasmobranchs and sea birds), declared that they commonly bycatch them and were well-aware only of sea turtles conservation, knowledge and handling releasing techniques as opposed to sharks. The statements provided by the administration authorities revealed that a great number of employees were familiar with the species under protection, the biodiversity sustainability and the in-force legislation, whereas a vast majority of them were not aware of bycatch incidents, a fact that strongly indicated the lack of mutual communication among professionals and stakeholders.

 Keywords: Marine megafauna, fisheries interaction, Mediterranean

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A new non-destructive method for the assessment of the ecological status of coastal waters by using marine macrophytes

Ergün Taşkın

Department of Biology, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Manisa Celal Bayar University, Muradiye, Yunusemre, 45140, Manisa, TURKEY

ORCID ID: 0000-0003-0531-4546

Abstract

The EU Water Framework Directive (WFD 2000/60/EC) declared the benthic macrophytes (macroalgae and angiosperms) as biological quality elements to assess the ecological status of coastal and transitional waters. In the present paper, Benthic Ecological Assessment Rapid Index (BEARI) is proposed as a new non-destructive method to assess the ecological quality of coastal waters. The data was obtained by photographic sampling at 9 different sites in the Sea of Marmara (3 sites) and the coasts of Aegean Sea (6 sites) of Turkey. Macrophytes were classified into two benthic ecological groups: BEGI (late-successional taxa) and BEGII (tolerant and opportunistic taxa). By this new non-destructive method, it was found out that 3 sites had “high” ecological quality, 3 sites “good” quality, 1 site “moderate” quality, and 2 sites “bad” quality. The relationship between the pressure index MA-LUSI and new index (BEARI) was also tested and a strong negative correlation was found.

Keywords: Angiosperms, BEARI, ecological status, MA-LUSI, marine algae

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Preliminary results of cetacean sightings in the eastern Mediterranean Sea of Turkey

Aylin Akkaya, Patrick Lyne, Xenia Schulz, Tim Awbery, Svenja Capitain, Blanca Ferriz Rosell, Belen Yıldırım, Cansu İlkılınç, Julieta Vigliano Relva, Harry Clark, Liam van Walsum, Jonathan Gordon

DMAD-Marine Mammals Research Association, Antalya, TURKEY
Doğal Hayatı Koruma Vakfı WWF-Turkey, Istanbul, TURKEY
Sea Mammal Research Unit, University of St. Andrews, Scotland, UNITED KINGDOM

ORCID IDs: A.A. 0000-0002-0414-770X; P.L. 0000-0002-8326-5180; X.S. 0000-0002-6925-2252; T.A. 0000-0003-4338-8351; S.C. 0000-0003-0815-2394; B.F.R. 0000-0002-1461-7787; B.Y. 0000-0002-4768-0213; C.İ. 0000-0001-5024-2751; J.V.R. 0000-0003-0631-840X; H.C. 0000-0002-5609-9164; L.V.W. 0000-0002-3650-9947; J.G. 0000-0002-5474-9899

Abstract

Lack of baseline knowledge is often the principal conservation barrier, especially if the species of concern shows steady decline. The primary goal of the current project is to fill the knowledge gaps in understudied cetacean populations through dedicated visual and acoustic surveys in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea of Turkey. The surveys were conducted over six seasons, following 4384.76 km in 49 days between April 2018 and July 2019. Cetaceans were detected on 39 days (146 sightings), with the highest sightings belonging to delphinids (bottlenose, common and unidentified dolphins) followed by sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) and a single acoustic detection of a beaked whale. Fethiye Canyon held the highest cetacean concentration and thus is identified as an “important habitat”. Reported encounter rates were higher than previous studies, with 2.78 and 0.55 groups/100 km for delphinids and sperm whales, respectively. Despite the lack of significant variation in cetacean presence due to season and diurnal effects, there was a noticeable increase in summer sightings for sperm whales, where they were encountered as solitary individuals and social units with calves. The current research presented the first seasonal survey results of the Turkish Mediterranean and underlines the importance of local research efforts for valid conclusions in an understudied environment that holds not only unrecognized cetacean habitats but also a wide range of human pressures.

Keywords: Sperm whales, delphinids, acoustic, encounter rates, distribution, eastern Mediterranean Sea

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