Page 252 - 7. State Of Environment Report Of Türkiye

As a result of the studies carried out so far, 236 species/subspecies of fish taxa belonging to 26
families have been identified in freshwater ecosystems. The most common species found in our
wetlands are trout, horned pike, crane, carp, black trout, mullet, rudd, pike perch and freshwater
perch. Due to its location on bird migration routes, Türkiye is a key country for many bird species.
It is known that there are approximately 482 bird species in Türkiye. Storks, flamingos, spoonbil-
ls, stilts, avocets, cranes, and herons and ducks are the bird species commonly seen in Türkiye’s
wetlands.

F.1.1.6. Coastal and Marine Ecosystems

The fact that the seas surrounding Türkiye, including the Black Sea, Marmara, Aegean and Eas-
tern Mediterranean, have different characteristics from each other has led to the differentiation
of the biological resources they harbour. The Mediterranean Sea, which has the highest salinity
and temperature ratio among the seas of Türkiye, is the region with the richest biological di-
versity. After the opening of the Suez Canal, many species belonging to the Indo-Pacific region
migrated from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean and settled in this region. As a result of mig-
ration, 26 species settled in this region. There are 388 species of fish in the Turkish waters of
the Mediterranean, 389 species in the Aegean Sea, 249 species in the Sea of Marmara and 151
species in the Black Sea.

The Black Sea is the world’s largest enclosed sea and the most isolated from the oceans. There
are 151 fish, 1.619 fungi, algae and higher aquatic plants and 1983 invertebrate species in the
Black Sea. Fish species such as sturgeon, which are important both in terms of biodiversity and
economic value, and 3 marine mammal species live in the Black Sea. There are 6 seagrass spe-
cies, which are the spawning grounds of 34 fish, although their area is decreasing (Zostera mari-
na, Z. Noltii, Potamogeton pectinatus, Ruppia maritima, R. Spiralis and Zannichellia major).

The Turkish Straits System, consisting of the Istanbul and Dardanelles Straits and the Sea of Mar-
mara, is an inland marine system that provides water transport between the Aegean Basin of
the Eastern Mediterranean and the Black Sea and serves as a biological corridor for fish species
such as bonito, mendregal, bluefish, etc. It has been observed that the surface of the Marmara
Sea is under the influence of the Black Sea waters coming through the Bosphorus. The deeper
areas of the Sea of Marmara contain Aegean-Mediterranean waters and harbour more than 400
species of benthic organisms. The Sea of Marmara is a spawning ground for many pelagic fish
species. Gerardia savaglia, a coral species, still survives at a depth of 30 m.

Coastal ecosystems are very special ecosystems as they are important abrupt transition zones
(econton) where marine and terrestrial ecosystems intersect. Coastal ecosystems constitute
4.1% of the terrestrial resources that make up the country’s surface area. The fact that the way
the mountains descend to the sea and the coastal topography are different from each other
in the coastal regions of Türkiye has led to the emergence of various coastal ecosystems such
as dunes, caves, deltas, lagoons, fishponds, and calcareous terraces that differ according to the
regions.

Among all these coasts, especially the coastal areas in the Eastern Mediterranean region are rich
ecosystems with very high flora and fauna diversity. Along the Turkish coast, there are thousan-
ds of sea caves with very different geological structures and harbouring many fish species and
other marine creatures. Some of these caves have been identified as shelter and breeding areas
for the Mediterranean monk seal. There are approximately 3,000 species on our coasts. Medi-
terranean monk seal, sea turtle, seagrasses, seabirds are among the most important species of
coastal biodiversity.

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