Research Article

Plankton Community Structure Under Moon Jellyfish (Aurelia aurita) Blooms in the Anthropogenically Stressed Coastal Waters of the Sea of Marmara

Volume: 41 Number: 1 January 20, 2026
EN

Plankton Community Structure Under Moon Jellyfish (Aurelia aurita) Blooms in the Anthropogenically Stressed Coastal Waters of the Sea of Marmara

Abstract

Seasonal sampling between June and November 2023 revealed that Aurelia aurita was the only bloom-forming jellyfish species, exhibiting consistently high abundance at Izmit Bay stations throughout most of the sampling period, and reaching notably high biomass levels between August and October. Phytoplankton composition was dominated by diatoms, particularly Leptocylindrus minimus, and showed high dinoflagellate diversity (Prorocentrum micans, Gonyaulax fragilis), with seasonal peaks driven by temperature and nutrient availability. Zooplankton community dynamics in the Sea of Marmara were shaped by strong seasonal forcing and episodic jellyfish occurrences, promoting a shift toward small filter-feeding taxa such as Cladocera and Appendicularia. Periodic increases in meroplanktonic larvae, particularly Bivalvia and Polychaeta, reflected active benthic recruitment and localized nutrient enrichment in coastal areas (especially at stations M1 and M2). It was determined that C/N ratio of particulate matter (PM) mostly varied between 10-12. This result shows that the source of PM is phytoplankton and therefore the primary production periods. Additionally, the isolation of certain pathogenic bacterial species exclusively from Aurelia aurita specimens suggests that A. aurita may act as a temporary microhabitat for specific bacterial taxa. These findings highlight the critical need for long-term, multi-parameter monitoring of biological and physicochemical factors to improve our understanding and predictive capacity of future dynamics of plankton communities in the sensitive coastal ecosystem of the Sea of Marmara, especially under jellyfish pressure.

Keywords

References

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Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Ecology (Other)

Journal Section

Research Article

Publication Date

January 20, 2026

Submission Date

July 19, 2025

Acceptance Date

October 27, 2025

Published in Issue

Year 1970 Volume: 41 Number: 1

APA
İşinibilir, M., Uçan, H. A., Karakulak, F. S., Altuğ, G., Çağlar, N., Aktan, Y., Çiftçi Türetken, P. S., & Uzer, U. (2026). Plankton Community Structure Under Moon Jellyfish (Aurelia aurita) Blooms in the Anthropogenically Stressed Coastal Waters of the Sea of Marmara. Aquatic Sciences and Engineering, 41(1), 1-23. https://doi.org/10.26650/ASE.2026.1746407
AMA
1.İşinibilir M, Uçan HA, Karakulak FS, et al. Plankton Community Structure Under Moon Jellyfish (Aurelia aurita) Blooms in the Anthropogenically Stressed Coastal Waters of the Sea of Marmara. Aqua Sci Eng. 2026;41(1):1-23. doi:10.26650/ASE.2026.1746407
Chicago
İşinibilir, Melek, H. Abdullah Uçan, Firdes Saadet Karakulak, et al. 2026. “Plankton Community Structure Under Moon Jellyfish (Aurelia Aurita) Blooms in the Anthropogenically Stressed Coastal Waters of the Sea of Marmara”. Aquatic Sciences and Engineering 41 (1): 1-23. https://doi.org/10.26650/ASE.2026.1746407.
EndNote
İşinibilir M, Uçan HA, Karakulak FS, Altuğ G, Çağlar N, Aktan Y, Çiftçi Türetken PS, Uzer U (January 1, 2026) Plankton Community Structure Under Moon Jellyfish (Aurelia aurita) Blooms in the Anthropogenically Stressed Coastal Waters of the Sea of Marmara. Aquatic Sciences and Engineering 41 1 1–23.
IEEE
[1]M. İşinibilir et al., “Plankton Community Structure Under Moon Jellyfish (Aurelia aurita) Blooms in the Anthropogenically Stressed Coastal Waters of the Sea of Marmara”, Aqua Sci Eng, vol. 41, no. 1, pp. 1–23, Jan. 2026, doi: 10.26650/ASE.2026.1746407.
ISNAD
İşinibilir, Melek - Uçan, H. Abdullah - Karakulak, Firdes Saadet - Altuğ, Gülşen - Çağlar, Nuray - Aktan, Yelda - Çiftçi Türetken, Pelin Saliha - Uzer, Uğur. “Plankton Community Structure Under Moon Jellyfish (Aurelia Aurita) Blooms in the Anthropogenically Stressed Coastal Waters of the Sea of Marmara”. Aquatic Sciences and Engineering 41/1 (January 1, 2026): 1-23. https://doi.org/10.26650/ASE.2026.1746407.
JAMA
1.İşinibilir M, Uçan HA, Karakulak FS, Altuğ G, Çağlar N, Aktan Y, Çiftçi Türetken PS, Uzer U. Plankton Community Structure Under Moon Jellyfish (Aurelia aurita) Blooms in the Anthropogenically Stressed Coastal Waters of the Sea of Marmara. Aqua Sci Eng. 2026;41:1–23.
MLA
İşinibilir, Melek, et al. “Plankton Community Structure Under Moon Jellyfish (Aurelia Aurita) Blooms in the Anthropogenically Stressed Coastal Waters of the Sea of Marmara”. Aquatic Sciences and Engineering, vol. 41, no. 1, Jan. 2026, pp. 1-23, doi:10.26650/ASE.2026.1746407.
Vancouver
1.Melek İşinibilir, H. Abdullah Uçan, Firdes Saadet Karakulak, Gülşen Altuğ, Nuray Çağlar, Yelda Aktan, Pelin Saliha Çiftçi Türetken, Uğur Uzer. Plankton Community Structure Under Moon Jellyfish (Aurelia aurita) Blooms in the Anthropogenically Stressed Coastal Waters of the Sea of Marmara. Aqua Sci Eng. 2026 Jan. 1;41(1):1-23. doi:10.26650/ASE.2026.1746407

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