The Struggle for Life: Pinna nobilis in the Marmara Sea (Turkey)
-
-
[1] Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University, Turkey
-
- Localización: Thalassas: An international journal of marine sciences, ISSN 0212-5919, Vol. 38, Nº. 2 (October 2022), 2022, págs. 1199-1212
- Idioma: inglés
- Texto completo no disponible (Saber más ...)
-
Resumen
Pinna nobilis is a critically endangered marine species in the Mediterranean Sea and therefore determining the spatial distribution of the fan mussel population is of great importance for the conservation and sustainability of remaining populations. This study was carried out to determine the spatial and bathymetric distribution, density, and size structure of the P. nobilis population along the coasts of Kapıdağ Peninsula in the Marmara Sea, Turkey. Underwater observations were performed between July 2021 and August 2021. Snorkeling and SCUBA diving were conducted in randomly selected 22 stations along the peninsula. P. nobilis individuals (both dead and alive) were observed at 10 out of 22 stations in the study area. During the underwater observations, a total of 604 P. nobilis individuals, 389 of which were alive, were counted. The total length of P. nobilis varied between 14.92–51.47 cm and 24.27–58.89 cm for alive and dead individuals, respectively. The mean population density of P. nobilis ranged between 4.9 ind./100 m2 and 27.0 ind./100 m2 in the study area. During the study period, mass mortality (100%) was observed in only one station while a 100% survival was observed in another station. Furthermore, the mucilage event was observed during the underwater observations. Five mucilage types were detected along the coasts of the peninsula during the study period. The mucilage event could influence the densities and percentage of alive and dead individuals of the P. nobilis populations along the coasts of Kapıdağ Peninsula in the Marmara Sea. Moreover, the spatial and bathymetric distribution of the P. nobilis population may have been affected by the northeast wind, as there was no specimen at the stations located in the northern part of the peninsula, where the northeast wind is dominant. This paper fills an important gap and provides significant knowledge on the distribution of P. nobilis along the coasts of Kapıdağ Peninsula in the Marmara Sea which is greatly affected by the mucilage event.
