aegean SECTION 1

Our Southern Aegean Sea Marine Life Database
is in five sections:

INTRODUCTION

Look into any of the tour company holiday brochures featuring the coastal resorts of Turkey and you will think that the clear vivid turquoise waters shown in the photographs are less than real. It is not until you have your first glimpse of the sea as you approach your resort that you appreciate that the colors are realistic. The waters of the Central and Southern Aegean Coast and the Turquoise Coast are relatively low in Phyphotoplankton, the first link in the marine food chain, and the reason for the exceptional clarity of the water. It is a mystery as to why the water is such a brilliant turquoise color along this part of the Turkish coast.

Despite the low level of Phyphotoplankton there are sufficient nutrients from runoff from the shore during the winter and from shallow water plant life to support reasonable levels of marine life. The marine life is varied and changes with the seasons. There are of course the resident Groupers and Moray Eels together with the numerous other 'locals' from colorful Rainbow Wrasse to an unfortunately over exploited Octopus population.

One of the obvious joys of Scuba diving and snorkeling is the plenitude and diversity of marine creatures which can be seen as soon as you enter the water. It is not always easy to determine if what you are looking at is animal, vegetable or mineral. This guide therefore includes simple explanations to assist in the identification of the various common species of marine creatures to be found in this delightful corner of the Aegean and Mediterranean seas.

CONSERVATION

At one time the sport of Scuba diving was exclusively for a privileged few and was for too many years shrouded by a mystique which made it apparently unavailable to the general public. Fortunately the more modern and realistic training programs developed by some diving organization, have opened Scuba diving to virtually anyone with the inclination and who is reasonably healthy and fit.

This has been good for the sport and the numbers of divers being qualified each year continues to rise at a steady rate. This increased participation has been beneficial to the sport in many ways including increasing the choice and availability of equipment, not to mention a reduction in cost. However as a result of this huge interest in the sport there is a very real danger that the very fragile balance which exists between the many organisms which inhabit the inshore waters of this world will be disturbed. This potential danger has already been identified by the leading Scuba diver training organizations and most have now included conservation and protection of the environment within their training programs.

PERSPECTIVE

Despite the vastness of the oceans and seas of the world, which contain an incredible one billion cubic kilometers of water, equivalent to 300 billion liters for every person on the planet, there is still a real need to preserve this vital natural resource.

Scuba diving and Snorkeling activities are generally restricted to a relatively narrow zone, usually close to the shore and rarely exceeding depths of 40 meters. However, disruption of the balance even in this narrow zone, can have a progressive effect on the natural chain which connects all living species.

It is essential therefore that everyone involved in the sport of Scuba diving, including snorkel divers, take a responsible attitude in order to retain the ecological balance in this fragile ecosystem.

COLLECTING

It is human nature to collect things of interest, and it is our curiosity and desire to understand what we see that makes us take what we cannot immediately identify for further study and identification. This, coupled with an almost innate desire just to 'own' or to have some memento of a vacation, can in a very short time denude popular dive sites of everything that does not move and virtually every sedentary organism, leaving only the most elusive and wary creatures to be glimpsed occasionally.

The use of spear guns by Scuba divers is forbidden in Turkey, as it is in most countries of the world, and although permissible when skin diving, (snorkel diving), it is definitely becoming environmentally 'unfashionable'. Most diving organizations promote the idea that if you have to shoot anything underwater then take a camera.

PRESERVATION

So some basic suggestions about how we can all help to preserve the marine environment and minimize the effect we will inevitably have. Firstly learn as much as you can about why everything is as it is. This may sound like an over simplification, but it is not as easy as it sounds. It is necessary to have an understanding of how things should be in order to ensure that you are not causing disruption. For example, if you are aware of the fact that sea urchins are plentiful and that their tests, or 'shells' appear almost daily and then their collection is unlikely to have much effect on the ecological balance. Their life and death cycle is determined by the natural order of the marine environment.

By contrast if just one common orange starfish is taken by every diver who sees one, presuming it to be dead just because it does not appear to be moving, then in a very short time there would be no more starfish in the area. In Turkey starfish provide an essential food source for the Mediterranean Triton, numerous in Turkish waters at present.

Many interesting species inhabit crevices, holes and the spaces under rocks and lifting rocks can rewarding. The many creatures to be found have deliberately chosen to live there for safety, so ensure that you turn the rocks back again. Similarly many species live under the surface of the sand such as bivalves, sand dollars and heart urchins. By sifting the sand carefully just under the surface you can often discover a wide variety of interesting marine life. Again their reason for inhabiting this environment is for safety from predators and even short exposure can be dangerous, so once examined replace the animal to its normal habitat.

End of section 1