ÖZGÜR YILMAZ, SİNAN MAVRUK, Gökhan GÖKÇE

Artificial seagrass experiments in the Northeast Mediterranean

Seagrasses provide important nursery grounds, shelter and natural habitats for juvenile fish. In this study, we evaluated if artificially created seagrass areas can play the same role as the natural seagrass (NS) habitats. The study was carried out in three different stations on the coast of Yumurtalık, Adana, selected according to the seagrass areas. Artificial seagrass (AS) was made of polypropylene ribbon and fixed on the ground in the designated areas with a depth of 0.5 m on average. Sampling was carried out with a beach seine net once a week at stations between 28 April 2016 and 11 August 2016. Sampled fish were identified to the lowest possible taxonomic level. Based on our results, the fish abundance and species richness of NS and AS habitats were not statistically different, whereas the both parameters were significantly lower in sandy (S) habitats (p<0.001). Moreover, the species composition of NS and AS habitats was found to be similar each other, whereas the composition was significantly different in S habitats. This study, conducted in the Northeast Mediterranean, shows that AS habitats effect the distribution of juvenile fish.

Kuzeydoğu Akdeniz'de yapay deniz çayırı denemeleri

Deniz çayırları yavru balıklar için barınak, stoğa katılma ve doğal yaşam alanları sağlar. Bu çalışmada, yapay olarak oluşturulmuş deniz çayırı alanlarının doğal deniz çayırı (NS) habitatlarıyla aynı rolü oynayıp oynayamayacağı değerlendirilmiştir. Çalışma Adana, Yumurtalık kıyısında deniz çayırı alanlarına göre seçilen üç farklı istasyonda gerçekleştirilmiştir. Yapay deniz çayırı (AS) polipropilen şeritten yapılmıştır ve belirlenen alanlarda ortalama 0,5 m derinliğe sahip zemine sabitlenmiştir. Örnekleme 28 Nisan 2016 ile 11 Ağustos 2016 tarihleri arasında istasyonlarda haftada bir ığrıp ile gerçekleştirilmiştir. Örneklenen balıklar mümkün olan en düşük taksonomik seviyede tespit edilmiştir. Sonuçlarımıza göre, NS ve AS habitatlarının balık bolluğu ve tür zenginliği istatistiksel olarak farklı değildir. Fakat her iki parametre de kumlu (S) habitatlarda daha düşük bulunmuştur (p <0,001). NS ve AS habitatlarının tür kompozisyonu birbirine benzerken, S habitatlarında önemli ölçüde farklı bulunmuştur. Kuzeydoğu Akdeniz'de yapılan bu çalışma, AS habitatlarının yavru balıkların dağılımını etkilediğini göstermektedir.

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