Vol.27 – 2021 – No.3 – Journal of the Black Sea / Mediterranean Environment

COMMENTS ON: Okudan, E.Ş., Dural, B., Erdugan, H., Aktan, Y., Demir, V., Aysel, V. (2021) New record of the benthic marine mucilage aggregates Phaeocystis giraudii from Turkish Eastern Mediterranean Sea. [J. Black Sea/Mediterranean Environment 27(2): 124-139]

Neslihan Balkis-Ozdelice, Turgay Durmus, Muharrem Balci

ORCID IDs: N.B.O. 0000-0001-8030-7480; T.D. 0000-0002-8242-1823; M.B. 0000-0001-9373-6647

Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Istanbul University, Vezneciler, Istanbul, TURKEY

References

Balkis-Ozdelice, N., Durmus, T., Balci, M. (2021) A preliminary study on the intense pelagic and benthic mucilage phenomenon observed in the Sea of Marmara. International Journal of Environment and Geoinformatics 8(4): 414-422.

Demir, V. (2011) Marine Biological Diversity Assessment for Marine Conservation Planning in Antalya-Kas Using Decision. PhD Thesis, Istanbul University, Institute of Marine Sciences and Management, Turkey (in Turkish).

Okudan, E.Ş., Dural, B., Erdugan, H., Aktan, Y., Demir, V., Aysel, V. (2021) New record of the benthic marine mucilage aggregates Phaeocystis giraudii from Turkish Eastern Mediterranean Sea. J. Black Sea/Mediterranean Environment 27(2): 124-139.

On the presence of Lophotus lacepede Giorna, 1809 in the Greek waters (eastern Mediterranean Sea)

**On the presence of Lophotus lacepede Giorna, 1809 in the Greek waters (eastern Mediterranean Sea)**

Vasileios Minasidis, Alexandros Kaminas

ORCID IDs: V.M. 0000-0001-8888-7520; A.K. 0000-0002-7928-651X

Department of Animal Production, Fisheries & Aquaculture, University of Patras, Nea Ktiria, 30200, Mesolongi, GREECE
iSea, Environmental Organization for the Preservation of the Aquatic Ecosystems, Kritis 12, 54645, Thessaloniki, GREECE
Department of Marine Sciences, University of the Aegean, University Hill, 81100, Mytilene, GREECE

Abstract

Crested oarfish Lophotus lacepede Giorna, 1809, is widely distributed in the mesopelagic zone and sometimes are accidentally collected as bycatch in commercial fishing practices. In this study, we add yet another record of this bathypelagic species in the Greek Seas, while the documented occurrence of the species is also reviewed for the entirety of the Mediterranean Sea. Furthermore, the results point to the species being much more common in the area than previously hypothesized.

Keywords: Rare species, Lophotidae, mesopelagic zone, bycatch

References

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Photographic documentation of tope shark, Galeorhinus galeus (Linnaeus, 1758), in the Istanbul Strait: Reoccurrence of a rare shark in troubled waters

Hakan Kabasakal, Kenan Fuat Türetken

ORCID ID: 0000-0001-8189-9748

Ichthyological Research Society, Tantavi mahallesi, Menteşoğlu caddesi, İdil apt., No: 30, D: 4, TR-34764 Ümraniye, İstanbul, TURKEY

Abstract

On 6 June 2021, a specimen of Galeorhinus galeus (Linnaeus, 1758), was sighted off Balat coast (Golden Horn, Istanbul Strait, Turkey). In the current IUCN Red List assessment of G. galeus, it is considered as a “Critically Endangered” species in the Mediterranean Sea. In accordance with the current fisheries law numbered 1380, G. galeus is under full protection in Turkish seas. Although the present encounter of tope shark in the Golden Horn confirmed the current existence of G. galeus in the Marmara Sea, one of the main threats to the sharks’ survival in this marine region is habitat degradation. A non-invasive and non-destructive method for data collection, legitimating the reasonable use of alternative source of data, like video footage recorded by citizen scientists, is urgently needed for the research of endangered shark species such as G. galeus.

Keywords: Tope shark, Galeorhinus, Triakidae, Marmara, Istanbul, conservation

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First record of pearlfish (Carapus acus) in the western Algerian coast

First record of **pearlfish (Carapus acus) in the western Algerian coast**

Karim Mezali, Ihcene Khodja

ORCID IDs: K.M. 0000-0002-7222-9002; I.K. 0000-0003-3905-974X

Protection, Valorization of Coastal Marine Resources and Molecular Systematics Laboratory, Department of Marine Science and Aquaculture, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Life, Abdelhamid Ibn Badis University – Mostaganem, PO Box 227, Route nationale N° 11, Kharrouba, 27000, Mostaganem, ALGERIA

Abstract

Commensalism between the pearlfish Carapus acus and the holothurian Parastichopus regalis is one of the most common associations between vertebrate and an invertebrate in the Mediterranean Sea. Seven individuals of Carapus acus were found inside the Parastichopus regalis coelomic cavity at three stations off the western Algerian coast with a depth of between 53 and 117 m. The wet weight of these individuals varied from 1.24 to 4.11 g and the total length from 12.30 to 16.60 cm. These values and other morphometric characteristics of C. acus individuals were compared with those reported on the Tunisian and Moroccan coasts.

Keywords: Carapidae, Stichopodidae, commensalism, morphometrics, Algeria

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Determination of selected steroid compounds in sediment samples from Golden Horn Estuary (the Sea of Marmara, Turkey) using LC-ESI/MS-MS

Duygu Aydoğan, Türkan Yurdun

ORCID IDs: D.A. 0000-0003-2663-3001; T.Y. 0000-0002-2554-1204

Department of Environmental Sciences, Institute of Pure and Applied Sciences, Marmara University, Istanbul, TURKEY
Department of Pharmaceutical Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Marmara University, Istanbul, TURKEY

Abstract

One of the most important areas where environmental pollution creates concern is aquatic environments. Steroids have the potential to disrupt the physiological function of hormones by interfering with the endocrine system. In our study, analysis of 31 selected human/animal, plant, natural and synthetic hormone-steroids was performed with Liquid Chromatography Electrospray Ionization Tandem Mass Spectrometry (LC-ESI/MS-MS) device after the extraction of sediment samples from 15 stations in Istanbul Golden Horn with acidic methanol in an ultrasonic bath. Among the physiologically active estrogens used in birth control pills, equilin (54.46-2201.00 ng/g), estriol (2265.13 ng/g only in H1 sediment sample), mestranol (82.34-335.82 ng/g); from progestogens progesterone (1.59-6.03 ng/g), pregnenolone (44.19-1704.54 ng/g), levonorgestrel (1.55-7.78 ng/g); androgens 4-androstenedione (19.91-22.71 ng/g), androsterone (72.66-467.56 ng/g), testosterone (12.54-16.19 ng/g); cholestanone (157.57-1163.07 ng/g), coprostanol+epicoprostanol (42.82-103.26 ng/g) from human and animal wastes, and campesterol (143.86-1423.94 ng/g) from phytosterols were detected. As a result of the analysis, steroids were found in all sediment samples. Coprostanol+epicoprostanol and cholestanone, which are biomarkers of fecal contamination, are present in all of the sediment samples. Our study is the first to evaluate the presence of possible steroid hormones that pose a risk to organisms and ecosystem health in Golden Horn sediments.

Keywords: Estuarine system, hormones, sediment, LC-ESI/MS-MS, steroid, endocrine disrupting

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A suggestion to improve navigational safety in the Strait of Istanbul (Bosphorus): Patrol tugs

Gizem Kodak, Cahit İstikbal

ORCID IDs: G.K. 0000-0002-1845-7901; C.İ. 0000-0002-5020-1025

Istanbul Technical University, Eurasia Institute of Earth Sciences, Climate and Marine Sciences Department, 34469, Maslak / Istanbul, TURKEY
University of Kyrenia, Faculty of Maritime Studies, Maritime Transportation Management Engineering Department, Kyrenia, NORTHERN CYPRUS
Maritime Transportation and Management Engineer and Chief Pilot, Republic of Turkey Ministry of Transport Maritime Affairs and Communications, Directorate General of Coastal Safety, Istanbul, TURKEY

Abstract

The Strait of Istanbul, which connects the Black Sea countries and the rest of the world, is the second busiest waterway in the world. In addition to intensive maritime traffic, the increased risk of accidents is alarming, given the environmental factors that complicate the navigation of the vessels. Historical data and literature review have shown that there is room for improvement with regard to measures taken to ensure the safe navigation in order to prevent accidents in the Strait of Istanbul. In this respect, determining the characteristics of past maritime accidents and identifying risky areas is vital to improve the level of safety. In this study, the temporal and spatial profile of maritime accidents that occurred in the Strait of Istanbul in the 2006-2015 period have been examined simultaneously with the variables of hourly wind speed and wind direction in the region. Results that were obtained indicate that accidents impending to happen can be prevented in the Strait of Istanbul if the patrol tugs take action when the ships were experiencing breakdown and/or navigational difficulties. The effectiveness, response time and response options of the proposed patrol tugboats were evaluated in two different scenarios where ship and currents are parallel and anti-parallel.

Keywords: Maritime policy, safety navigation, patrol tugs

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Chapters from the life story of common angel shark, Squatina squatina, from Turkish waters: a historical, ethnoichthyological and contemporary approach to a little-known shark species

**Chapters from the life story of common angel shark, Squatina squatina, from Turkish waters: a historical, ethnoichthyological and contemporary approach to a little-known shark species**

Hakan Kabasakal

ORCID ID: 0000-0001-8189-9748

Ichthyological Research Society, Tantavi mah., Menteşoğlu cad., İdil ap., No: 30, D: 4, 34764 Ümraniye, İstanbul, TURKEY

Abstract

This is a case study of integrating historical data, folk knowledge and contemporary survey findings to provide a better understanding of a little-known shark species, Squatina squatina, of which our current knowledge is mostly based on opportunistic research on sporadic specimens. Collected data show the beginning of a clear decline of the species in the 1960s and early 1970s, particularly in the Sea of Marmara. However, there are a substantial number of reports that the species aggregates seasonally, especially in winter, in certain regions (hot spots) along the Turkish coast. Large (>200 cm TL) specimens of S. squatina also occurred in Turkish waters until the early 1980s. Squatina squatina is a critically endangered shark. Its seasonal aggregations may result in the perception of “false abundance” in the mindset of fishermen or divers, which may trigger the fishery of the common angel shark. Therefore, effective conservation of angel sharks clearly demands an integrated management plan, including a fishing ban and habitat protection, where the angel sharks are known to aggregate seasonally.

Keywords: Chondrichthyans, Squatinidae, aggregations, hot spots, conservation, management

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Stranding records of sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) on the Turkish coast in 2019-2020 with a note on the opportunistic sampling of stomach content

Stranding records of sperm whale **(Physeter macrocephalus) on the Turkish coast in 2019-2020 with a note on the opportunistic sampling of stomach content**

Arda M. Tonay, Ayaka A. Öztürk, Alp Salman, Ayhan Dede, Işıl Aytemiz Danyer, Erdem Danyer, Bayram Öztürk

ORCID IDs: A.M.T. 0000-0003-2718-9328; A.A.Ö. 0000-0003-2281-7372; A.S. 0000-0002-2853-6507; A.D. 0000-0002-7712-615X;
I.A.D. 0000-0003-4658-1819; E.D. 0000-0002-7922-7384; B.Ö. 0000-0001-7844-2448

Faculty of Aquatic Sciences, Istanbul University, Ordu Cad. No: 8, 34470, Fatih, Istanbul, TURKEY
Turkish Marine Research Foundation (TUDAV), P.O. Box: 10, Beykoz, Istanbul, TURKEY
Faculty of Fisheries, Ege University, Erzene Mah., 35100 Bornova, İzmir, TURKEY
Veterinary Control Central Research Institute, 06020, Etlik, Ankara, TURKEY

Abstract

Three sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) strandings are reported from the Turkish Mediterranean coast between 2019 and 2020. The first individual was a juvenile found in July 2019 near Fethiye, in the west. The second individual, a neonate, stranded in Adana in the east, on 10 August 2020. The third case, a sub-adult/adult, stranded on the beach of Antalya, in the west on 14 August 2020. It was buried on the beach and excavated about two months later. During the excavation, a hard plastic food container was found, which contained cephalopod beaks and other plastics providing an opportunity for partial stomach content analysis. A total of 60 lower beaks were identified belonging to eight species. Umbrella squid Histioteuthis bonnellii was dominant, representing 30% of beaks encountered. Dry total weight of four plastics (hard plastic container, nylon bag, 1.5L PET bottle and packaging item) was 197.2 g. This opportunistic sampling allowed us to collect information on the stomach contents of this creature, which is rarely stranded on the Turkish and eastern Mediterranean coasts. Dietary studies on stranded marine animals are of great importance in monitoring environmental plastic levels and impacts on wildlife in this region. In the last 50 years, six sperm whales stranded on the Turkish coasts, five of them in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, which implies that this area is probably close to sperm whale habitats. Improvement of the stranding network as well as surveys for the distribution and abundance of this species to elaborate and implement effective conservation measures are recommended.

Keywords: Sperm whale, cetacean stranding, stomach content, plastics, eastern Mediterranean Sea, Levantine Sea

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