Some predators of the jellyfish (Rhopilema nomadica) entering the Gulf of Antalya

With the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869, a connection was established between the Red Sea and the Mediterranean. Because of this connection, many organisms of Red Sea origin migrated to the Mediterranean. These migratory organisms also include fish. For this reason, we monitor and determine the number of fish originating from the Red Sea in the Gulf of Antalya. One of the fishing methods in the Gulf of Antalya is trawler fishing. One of the fish species caught during commercial trawling is horse mackerel. A small and different type of fish was found in the stomach of horse mackerel caught during trawling on October 26, 2021 in the Gulf of Antalya. During the species identification of these fish samples, which were intact in the stomach content of horse mackerel and preserved their integrity, it was determined that these fish were Bregmaceros nectabanus, which is included in the Bregmacerotidae family. With this study, the presence of B. nectabanus identified in the Gulf of Antalya was one more addition to the number of Red Sea origin fish species in the Gulf.

The Indo West Pacific opisthobranch, Hypselodoris infucata, first recorded in the Gulf of Iskenderun, Turkey, in 1999, is now reported from the Gulf of Antalya (on 13 July 2010).

The Red Sea goatfish, Parupeneus forsskali Fourmanoir & Guézé, 1976, is endemic to the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden and is a Lessepsian species that entered the East Mediterranean through the Suez Canal in the early 2000s. This study aimed to determine the changes in the feeding ecology and growth characteristics of P. forskolin distributed in the Gulf of Antalya during two seasons. Statistical analyses revealed that individuals caught in the winter season were heavier and longer than those caught in the autumn season. In autumn, they exhibited high condition with negative allometric growth, whereas in winter, they showed low condition with positive allometric growth. The dietary habits of the species were analyzed through stomach content analysis (F%, N%, W%, and IRI), which revealed a strong preference for crustaceans, particularly Mysida and Euphausiacea. Additionally, seasonal variations were observed in diet proportions and diversity. The contribution of crustaceans to the diet decreased in winter compared to autumn, while diet diversity increased. The findings from this study have the potential to serve as a valuable resource for various fields, including stock management, ecosystem conservation, and interactions between native and non-native species.

We estimate Lg wave attenuation using local and regional seismic phases in the Isparta Angle and the Anatolian Plateau (Turkey). The Isparta Angle (IA) is a tectonically active zone forming the boundary between the African Plate and the Anatolian Plateau, and is currently undergoing N–S extensional deformation. The Anatolian Plateau contains many intra-continental faults including the North Anatolian Fault Zone and the East Anatolian Fault Zone as well as the Menderes Massif. A large waveform data set was compiled from a variety of local and regional seismic networks including 121 digital seismic stations (broad-band and short period) between 1999 and 2008 spanning the IA, the Anatolian Plateau and Azerbaijan. The data set was used to determine the nature of Lg wave propagation and characterize the nature of seismic attenuation within the crust of these regions. Lg waveforms were used to calculate the frequency-dependent Lg-Q o and Lg- $$ \eta $$ . A wide range of Lg-Q o values was obtained between ~52 ± 6 and 524 ± 227. Low Lg-Q o values (~90–155) are calculated towards the north of IA, Iskenderun Gulf and its vicinity, Bingol-Karliova, Izmit and its vicinity. Lg-Q o values are especially low (<90) along the Menderes Massif and the Aksehir-Simav Fault Zones. This may be due to intrinsic attenuation of Lg associated with the partially molten crust and young volcanism. The high Lg-Q o values (~350) are probably caused by the crust not being subject to large amounts of extensional deformation like the Antalya Gulf and apparently being thick enough to support Lg propagation. Relatively higher values along the border of this subduction zone and plate boundary might be related to the Taurus Mountain belts and Bitlis-Zagros Suture Zone. The lateral frequency dependency Lg- $$ \eta $$ is also consistent with high tectonic activity in this region.

Diadema setosum, a Red Sea migrant, was first identified on the shores of the KaÅŸ Peninsula in the Mediterranean. Approximately a year after this observation, the same species was reported for the second time from Konyaaltı Beach in Antalya Bay. This sea urchin rapidly multiplied and expanded its distribution along the coasts of the Mediterranean and Aegean Seas, reaching as far as the Marmara Sea. Some individuals of this sea urchin, which expanded distribution to coastal areas posing a risk to swimmers, were observed to start dying in the summer months of 2022. Scuba diving surveys were conducted in five different areas with rocky and stony seabed structures in the Gulf of Antalya during the winter season (Cliffs, Konyaaltı Beach, Sıçan Island surroundings, Çaltıcak region, and Kemer Ağva Cape), and it was determined that 99% of the D. setosum population had died in February and March. No living individuals were encountered during scuba diving surveys conducted in the same stations in April and May. In conclusion; mass mortalities have occurred in the D. setosum population in the rocky areas of the Gulf of Antalya, including the cliffs, Konyaaltı beach, Sıçan island surroundings, Caltıcak region, and Kemer Ağva Cape. This study presents the first report on matter.Keywords: Diadema setosum; Gulf of Antalya; Sea urchin.

Toxicological risks on the human health of populations living around the Mediterranean Sea linked to the invasion of non-indigenous marine species from the Red Sea: A review

AimThis study compares the phylogeography, population structure and evolution of four butterflyfish species in the Chaetodon subgenus Corallochaetodon, with two widespread species (Indian Ocean – C. trifasciatus and Pacific Ocean – C. lunulatus), and two species that are largely restricted to the Red Sea (C. austriacus) and north‐western (NW) Indian Ocean (C. melapterus). Through extensive geographical coverage of these taxa, we seek to resolve patterns of genetic diversity within and between closely related butterflyfish species in order to illuminate biogeographical and evolutionary processes.LocationRed Sea, Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean.MethodsA total of 632 individuals from 24 locations throughout the geographical ranges of all four members of the subgenus Corallochaetodon were sequenced using a 605 bp fragment (cytochrome b) of mtDNA. In addition, 10 microsatellite loci were used to assess population structure in the two widespread species.ResultsPhylogenetic reconstruction indicates that the Pacific Ocean C. lunulatus diverged from the Indian Ocean C. trifasciatus approximately 3 Ma, while C. melapterus and C. austriacus comprise a cluster of shared haplotypes derived from C. trifasciatus within the last 0.75 Myr. The Pacific C. lunulatus had significant population structure at peripheral locations on the eastern edge of its range (French Polynesia, Johnston Atoll, Hawai'i), and a strong break between two ecoregions of the Hawaiian Archipelago. The Indian Ocean C. trifasciatus showed significant structure only at the Chagos Archipelago in the central Indian Ocean, and the two range‐restricted species showed no population structure but evidence of recent population expansion.Main conclusionsPatterns of endemism and genetic diversity in Corallochaetodon butterflyfishes have been shaped by (1) Plio‐Pleistocene sea level changes that facilitated evolutionary divergences at biogeographical barriers between Indian and Pacific Oceans, and the Indian Ocean and Red Sea, and (2) semi‐permeable oceanographic and ecological barriers working on a shorter time‐scale. The evolution of range‐restricted species (Red Sea and NW Indian Ocean) and isolated populations (Hawai'i) at peripheral biogeographical provinces indicates that these areas are evolutionary incubators for reef fishes.

The genus Chelonibia Leach, 1817, was hitherto not recorded from Pakistani waters. This genus is represented by four species and is widely distributed throughout the world, in the tropical and warmer temperate seas. The species C. patula (Ranzani) was found attached to the carapace and the chelipeds of the swimming crabs, Portunus pelagicus (L., 1758) and Charybdis hellerii (A. Milne Edwards, 1867). The sample containing these two swimming crabs was obtained from shrimp landings at Karachi fish harbour in October 1985. The shrimp catch had been brought to the fish harbour by one of the commercial trawlers which normally operate in the territorial waters of Pakistan. The known distribution of C. patula in Western Indian Ocean shows that it has only been recorded from Maharastra (west coast of India) by Wagh & Bal (1970). Its absence from Persian Gulf, according to Jones (1986), and also from the Red Sea and East Africa is worth noting and the Pakistan record of C. patula extends its range further west in the Indian Ocean. The following is a brief account of C. patula based on the present specimens. These specimens are housed in the Centre of Excellence in Marine Biology. For synonomy and detailed description Pilsbry (1916) and Stubbings (1967) should be consulted.

Two new species belonging to Syngnatidae were newly recorded in the Gulf of Antalya, Turkish Mediterranean. These are reported for the first time from the Turkish Mediterranean (Anatolian coast) and for the second time the Mediterranean. These species are Hippocampus fuscus, immigrant from the Red Sea, and Syngnathus rostellatus, immigrant from the Atlantic Ocean.

The Proceedings of Red Sea Project III held in the British Museum, London, in October 2006. Contents: 1) Environment, landscapes and archaeology of the Yemeni Tihamah (R. Neil Munro and Tony J. Wilkinson); 2) The formation of a southern Red Sea seascape in the Late Prehistoric Period: Tracing cross-Red Sea culture-contact, interaction, and maritime communities along the Tihamah coastal plain, Yemen, in the third to first millennium BC (Lamya Khalidi); 3) Products from the Read Sea at Petra in the Medieval Period (Stephan G Schmid and Jacqueline Studer); 4) Continuing studies of plants and animals and their Arabic names from the Royal Danish Expedition to the Red Sea, 1761-1763 (F. Nigel Hepper); 5) Coral reef conservation and the current status of reefs of the Ras Mohamed National Park in the northern Red Sea and Gulf of Aqabah (Steve McMellor and David J Smith); 6) How fast is fast? Technology, trade and speed under sail in the Roman Red Sea (Julian Whitewright); 7) Warships in the Red Sea, An Outstanding Phenomenon (Sarah Arenson); 8) Features of Ships and Boats in the Indian Ocean (Norbert Weismann); 9) Decorative Motifs on Red Sea Boats: Meaning and Identity (Dionisius A. Agius); 10) The Red Sea Jalbah. Local Phenomenon or Regional Prototype? (James Edgar Taylor); 11) Charting a Hazardous Sea (Sarah Searight); Red Sea Harbours, Hinterlands and Relationships in Preclassical Antiquity (Kenneth A. Kitchen); 12) Sea port to punt: new evidence from Marsa Gawasis, Red Sea (Egypt) (Kathryn A. Bard, Rodolfo Fattovich and Cheryl Ward); 13) The Arabaegypti Ichthyophagi: Cultural Connections with Egypt and the Maintenance of Identity (Ross Iain Thomas); 14) Aila and Clysma: The Rise of Northern Ports in the Red Sea in Late Antiquity (Walter Ward); 15) Shipwrecks, Coffee and Canals: the Landscapes of Suez (Janet Starkey); 16) What is the Evidence for External Trading Contacts on the East African coast in the first millennium bc? (Paul J.J. Sinclair); 17) The 'Arabians' of pre-Islamic Egypt (Tim Power); 18) Red Sea and Indian Ocean: Ports and their Hinterland (Eivind Heldaas Seland); 19) Bishops and Traders: The Role of Christianity in the Indian Ocean during the Roman Period (Roberta Tomber); 20) Arabic Sources for the Ming Voyages (Paul Lunde); 21) From the White Sea to the Red Sea: Piri Reis and the Ottoman conquest of Egypt (Paul Starkey).

Regal phylogeography: Range-wide survey of the marine angelfish Pygoplites diacanthus reveals evolutionary partitions between the Red Sea, Indian Ocean, and Pacific Ocean

This study estimated how much ballast water ships can produce in the Gulf of Antalya, an important port city in the Mediterranean. The data used in the calculation was obtained from AIS (Automatic Identification System) of the ships arriving in Antalya Bay between 2018-2021. These ships' ballast water was determined with DWT (Deadweight tons) information using the methods given in the literature. It was calculated as a percentage of DWT according to ship types. As a result of the calculation, it has been determined that three to six million metric tons of ballast water produced in four years originates from bulk cargo ships. In addition, when other ship types are included in the Gulf of Antalya, it is evaluated that 7-12 million metric tons of ballast water may be produced, posing a severe threat to the Mediterranean ecosystem.

"A total of 253 alien species belonging to 13 taxonomic groups (Phytobenthos, Foraminifera, Porifera, Cnidaria, Ctenophora, Sipuncula, Polychaeta, Arthropoda, Mollusca, Bryozoa, Echinodermata, Tunicata and Pisces) have been reported from the Aegean Sea coasts of Türkiye. Of these species, 151 are classified as established alien species, 27 as casual alien species and 75 as invasive alien species. The taxonomic group represented by the highest number of alien species in the region is Foraminifera (47 species), followed by Pisces (44 species), Mollusca (38 species), Arthropoda (36 species), Polychaeta (30 species) and Phytobenthos (28 species). The taxonomic group with the highest number of invasive alien species was Pisces (20 species), followed by Polychaeta (11 species), Mollusca (11 species), Arthropoda (10 species) and Phytobenthos (9 species). The majority of the alien species (54%) reported from the coasts of the Aegean Sea were introduced from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea via the Suez Canal. The other important vector for the alien species introduction is shipping (ballast water or hull fouling), which accounted for 41% of the total number of alien species detected in the region. The majority (54%) of the alien species found in the region were transported from the Red Sea, 11% from the Pacific Ocean and 7% from the Atlantic Ocean. Invasive alien species can overcome biotic and abiotic barriers in the new environment to which they are introduced, replacing native species, restructuring the food chain, changing habitat structure, reducing biodiversity and causing new diseases. Along the coasts of Türkiye, 105 invasive alien species were reported, of which 30 species affected habitats, 39 species affected the economy and 12 species affected human health. Among the polychaetes distributed in the Aegean Sea, one polychaete species (Eurythoe complanata), three cnidarian species (Rhopilema nomadica, Macrorhynchia philippina and Cassiopea andromeda), one echinoderm species (Diadema setosum) and seven fish species (Siganus spp., Lagocephalus spp., Torquigener hypselogeneion and Pterois miles) were reported to be harmful to humans when touched or consumed."

The distribution of reef-corals in the Indian Ocean with a historical review of its investigation

Koeda et al. (2014) published a review of fishes of the genus Pempheris of the Red Sea. They concluded that there are four species: P. adusta Bleeker, P. mangula Cuvier, P. nesogallica Cuvier, and a new species, P. tominagai. We show that the first three species they cite are not present in the Red Sea, as follows. 1) P. adusta is a western Pacific species (type locality Ambon), described only from the holotype, and without a dark border on the anal fin. Koeda et al. (2014) mistakenly apply that name to P. flavicycla which is a widespread Indian Ocean species characterized by a prominent broad black border along the anal fin. Koeda et al. (2014) also redescribe P. adusta, using Indian Ocean specimens of P. flavicycla, despite the coloration difference and a 2.5% difference in the mtDNA sequence (COI) between Indian Ocean and W. Pacific populations. 2) P. mangula is a species from the east coast of India (type locality Visakhapatnam), clearly distinct in both gill-raker counts and a 1.1% sequence divergence in COI from its Red Sea relative P. rhomboidea. Pempheris mangula is not found west of India, and Koeda et al. (2014) mistakenly use DNA from Oman and Madagascar to represent P. mangula, instead of genetic material available from the type locality. 3) Pempheris nesogallica (type locality Mauritius) is unknown from the Red Sea. Koeda et al. (2014) separate P. nesogallica from P. rhomboidea (their "P. mangula") by eye size; we fail to find any difference (and they use their purported eye-size difference to erroneously rename one of the two syntypes of P. nesogallica as "P. mangula"). 4) Their new species P. tominagai is referred to as the Indian Ocean sister species of "P. schwenkii of the Pacific"; however, the type locality of P. schwenkii is the Batu Islands off the SW coast of Sumatra in the Indian Ocean. They mistakenly include specimens of a distant South African species as paratypes of P. tominagai. We have determined that P. tominagai is a valid species endemic to the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. They misidentify one lot of P. rhomboidea in the collection of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem as their record of P. nesogallica from the Red Sea. They misidentify the specimen in their photograph of Fig. 1B as P. adusta and use it as material for their redescription of the species, but it is now shown to be a paratype of Pempheris bexillon Mooi & Randall, 2014. Additionally, they regard P. malabarica Cuvier as a junior synonym of P. molucca Cuvier, but the name P. molucca is based on a fanciful painting and is unavailable as a nomen dubium. They treat Pempheris russellii Day as a junior synonym of P. mangula; however, it is distinct in having longer pectoral fins, a larger eye, and more gill rakers. Their key to the species of Pempheris of the Red Sea is incorrect. We present a new key and conclude that only three species of Pempheris are presently known from the Red Sea: P. flavicycla, P. rhomboidea, and P. tominagai.