Investigation of seabed features, holocene seismic stratigraphy, recent tectonics and oceanography of Çeşme Ildır bay and Eğriliman strait

Coastal areas around the world encompass diverse and productive environments, including highly complex ecosystems. These areas are extremely valuable for their natural, social, environmental and economic benefits. In spite of all of its importance, the lack of information of the geomorphological, sedimentological and geochemical features, oceanographic modeling, the marine habitat distribution and biodiversity of the seabed structure of the coastal areas in Turkey is an undeniable fact. Within the scope of this thesis, geological and geophysical researches were carried out in Ildır Bay and its surroundings which is located on the Karaburun Peninsula in the Aegean Sea. During the data collection process of the study, multi-beam echosounder, sub bottom profiler, side scanning sonar, acoustic doppler current profile (ADCP), seawater environmental parameter measurement (CTD), sediment sampling and gravity core studies were carried out in the 0-85 m depth range in Ildır Bay, which has a marine area of approximately 193 km2 and a coastline of 68 km. In addition, in order to determine the amount of pollution in Ildır Bay and its effect on the habitat, particle size, element, organic carbon, carbonate distributions in surface sediment samples were determined. In addition, the obtained heavy metal data were evaluated by geo-statistical methods such as enrichment factor (EF) and geoaccumulation (Igeo) and element interactions on the sea floor. In conclusion, the compilation of all the acquired data, comments and results developed original area maps on the morphological structure of the sea floor, marine habitat and surface geological structures, geochemical and oceanographic evaluations and sedimentological features due to sea level rise after the last glacial period, current seafloor circulation and sediment storage centers in the Ildır Bay, which were then presented to earth and marine scientists.