Species of Ceramiales (rhodophyta= red algae) from the Sea of Marmara

Macroalgae are among the important components of marine biodiversity. In this study, species of the order Ceramiales from the Sea of Marmara were investigated. The samplings were taken in May 2015, November 2015, June 2016, November 2016 and February 2017 at 25 stations in the Sea of Marmara (İntepe, Çanakkale, Eceabat, Gelibolu, Şarköy, Tekirdağ, Marmara Ereğlisi, Silivri, Büyükçekmece, Küçükçekmece, Haliç, Üsküdar, Adalar, Hereke, Kocaeli, Yalova, Armutlu, Gemlik, Mudanya, Susurluk-Boğaz, Bandırma, Erdek, Paşalimanı-Marmara Adası, Karabiga and Lapseki). Sampling processes have been carried out at between 0-5m depth. In addition, scuba diving has been carried out around Büyük Ada and Tavşan Ada (Neandros) in the sea of Marmara. As a result of sampling, the highest number of taxa was found in May 2015 (55 taxa) and the lowest in February 2017 (22 taxa). In each station, pH, temperature, dissolved oxygen, turbidite, conductivity and salinity were measured from surface water in the field. In addition, water samples were put in polyethylene bottles and transferred to the laboratory for determining phosphate and ammonium nitrogen amounts. As a result of the measurements, the surface waters of the Sea of Marmara, the maximum pH value was 8,91 (Silivri), the minimum value was 7.91 (Haliç); the maximum temperature value was 27.5 oC (Kocaeli), the minumum temperature value was 5,9 oC (Gelibolu); the maximum dissolved oxygen value 12.12 mg/L (Silivri), the minimum dissolved oxygen value was 3.71 mg/L (Şarköy); the maximum turbidite value was 53.1 mg/L (Kocaeli); the maximum conductivity value was 4.71 µS (Intepe), the minimum conductivity value was 2.12 µS (Gemlik); the maximum salinity value was 29.4‰ (Intepe), the minimum salinity value was 13.1‰ (K.Çekmece); the maximum phosphate value was 0.333 mg/L (Paşalimanı-Marmara Adası), the minimum phosphate value was 0.001 mg/L (Armutlu); the maximum ammonium nitrogen value was 2.019 mg/L (Silivri), the minimum amonium nitrogen value was 0.002 mg/L (Mudanya). As a result of the investigations, a total of 80 taxa (at species and subspecies levels) belonging to the order Ceramiales were determined in at 25 stations in the Sea of Marmara. The algae specimens were stored in polyethylene bottles by fixing with 4-5% formaldehyde and herbariums. Among the species, Antithamnion hubbsii E.Y.Dawson, Polysiphonia kampsaxii Børgesen and Polysiphonia morrowii Harvey are alien species. Antithamnion hubbsii E.Y.Dawson is a new record for the marine flora of Turkeyand the Eastern Mediterranean. Phylogenetic analysis of some species identified were carried out. The relationships between the physico-chemical features of waters and the species distributions were assessed by using some statistical analyses.