Biodiversity analysis of marine demersal invertebrate fauna in Princess Island region

Abstract

A study for the inventory of the diversity of invertebrate species habited in the Princess Islands region, İstanbul was conducted to cover the gap between alike studies conducted all over the top biodiversity centres. The mentioned area is one of the most diverse areas in temperate waters. The biodiversity due to over population has been decreased in the area, and the study was made in comparison with the past study. Princess Islands region and Bosphorus Strait was studied in detail in 1952 by Muzaffer Demir, which was the starting point for this comperative study in the area after half a century. Between Muzaffer Demir and this study, the only study conducted over invertebrate fauna in the Sea of Marmara was from Bayram Öztürk which is very insufficient. There are two groups of islands: Habited and inhabited (see Map.3.1 and Map 3.2). The habited islands are 6 km far from the shore and domestic wastes are poured directly to the sea after a initial treatment. The inhabited islands are 12 km far from the shore and comparably have greater biodiversity than the habitat islands coasts which are being polluted both by Istanbul wastes because they are nearer and domestically. Several dives were done in various sites to observe the species in their habitats. Comparative which-and-where tables of the demersal invertebrate phyla appendix are added with a scale of abundance that will help future studies. The main concepts as the definitions, value and conservation of biodiversity are also given followed by the key notions of the current trends in conservation biology. Descriptions of the new species and keystone species with their pictures are also added.