Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
REGIONAL STUDIES IN MARINE SCIENCE, cilt.89, 2025 (SCI-Expanded)
Zooplankton play a vital role as primary consumers in marine ecosystems, functioning as a crucial link between different trophic levels. The mucilage event that occurred in 2021 had detrimental effects on the Sea of Marmara, with zooplanktonic organisms also adversely impacted. This study investigated the mesozooplankton community in the Sea of Marmara following the mucilage event and examined its relationship with environmental parameters. Sampling was conducted across six stations, covering upper and lower layers, during the winter, spring, and summer of 2022. The study identified a total of 61 taxa/groups of mesozooplankton, with dominant groups including Copepoda (35 taxa), Cladocera (5 taxa), and Appendicularia (3 taxa). The total mesozooplankton abundance was the highest (5191 individuals/m3) in the upper layer during spring, whereas the lowest value (56 individuals/m3) was recorded in the lower layer in summer. Significant species identified based on their abundance and occurrence frequencies were Acartia (Acartiura) clausi Giesbrecht, 1889, Centropages typicus Kr & Oslash;yer, 1849, Paracalanus parvus (Claus, 1863), Pleopis polyphemoides (Leuckart, 1859), and Oikopleura (Vexillaria) dioica Fol, 1872. Seasonal and station-dependent species diversity was evaluated using the ShannonWeaver diversity index, values ranging from 1.46 to 3.98, with higher diversity observed in samples from the lower layer. Bray-Curtis cluster analysis highlighted distinct community structures between upper and lower layers, emphasizing seasonal variations between summer, winter and spring samples. This study provided insights into the current status of mesozooplankton in the Sea of Marmara and indicated a recovery after mucilage event that observed in 2021.