Kaynak Deniz Mağarası'nın (Mersin, Türkiye) Biyoçeşitlilik Değerlendirmesi: Doğu Akdeniz Deniz Mağarası Ekosistemlerinin Korunmasına Yönelik Bir Temel Çalışma

Year 2026, Volume: 19 Issue: 1, 33 - 45, 16.02.2026

Alper Evcen , H. Abdullah Uçan , Bülent Gözcelioğlu

https://doi.org/10.46309/biodicon.2026.1735320

https://izlik.org/JA53TE82CS

Abstract

Sea caves are exceptional yet highly vulnerable marine habitats, harboring rich and specialized biodiversity. Recognized as priority habitats under the EU Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC) and the Barcelona Convention, they play a critical role in supporting unique species assemblages. Despite their ecological importance and widespread presence throughout the Mediterranean, quantitative data on the biodiversity and ecological functioning of sea caves particularly in the Eastern Mediterranean remain scarce. This study aims to document the biodiversity of Kaynak Sea Cave, located in the Aydıncık district of Mersin (Türkiye), and to contribute to a scientific framework for the conservation of sensitive species and key habitats in the region. Biodiversity assessments were conducted through scuba diving surveys and photographic documentation by experienced divers. A total of 119 species belonging to 12 major taxonomic groups (Phaeophyceae, Rhodophyta, Chlorophyta, Porifera, Cnidaria, Polychaeta, Crustacea, Mollusca, Bryozoa, Echinodermata, Tunicata, Pisces) were identified from photographic records. However, it is presumed that the actual species richness is significantly higher. This baseline inventory underscores the ecological value of Kaynak Cave and highlights the need for future comprehensive studies focusing on cryptic fauna, soft-bottom habitats, and seasonal-spatial dynamics of benthic communities.

Keywords

deniz mağarası , Doğu Akdeniz , biyoçeşitlilik , bentik topluluklar , koruma , Türk kıyıları , Porifera , habitat hassasiyeti , su altı izleme

Biodiversity assessment of Kaynak Sa Cave (Mersin, Türkiye): a baseline study for the conservation of eastern mediterranean marine cave ecosystems

https://izlik.org/JA53TE82CS

Abstract

Sea caves are exceptional yet highly vulnerable marine habitats, harboring rich and specialized biodiversity. Recognized as priority habitats under the EU Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC) and the Barcelona Convention, they play a critical role in supporting unique species assemblages. Despite their ecological importance and widespread presence throughout the Mediterranean, quantitative data on the biodiversity and ecological functioning of sea caves particularly in the Eastern Mediterranean remain scarce. This study aims to document the biodiversity of Kaynak Sea Cave, located in the Aydıncık district of Mersin (Türkiye), and to contribute to a scientific framework for the conservation of sensitive species and key habitats in the region. Biodiversity assessments were conducted through scuba diving surveys and photographic documentation by experienced divers. A total of 119 species belonging to 12 major taxonomic groups (Phaeophyceae, Rhodophyta, Chlorophyta, Porifera, Cnidaria, Polychaeta, Crustacea, Mollusca, Bryozoa, Echinodermata, Tunicata, Pisces) were identified from photographic records. However, it is presumed that the actual species richness is significantly higher. This baseline inventory underscores the ecological value of Kaynak Cave and highlights the need for future comprehensive studies focusing on cryptic fauna, soft-bottom habitats, and seasonal-spatial dynamics of benthic communities.

Keywords

marine cave , Eastern Mediterranean , biodiversity , benthic communities , Porifera , habitat vulnerability , underwater monitoring

References

• [1] Hiscock, K. & Breckels, M. (2007). Marine Biodiversity Hotspots in the UK: A report identifying and protecting areas for marine biodiversity. UK: WWF. 116 p.
• [2] Hofrichter, R. (2002). Das Mittelmeer. Fauna, Flora, Ökologie. Band I: Allgemeiner Teil. Heidelberg, Berlin: Spektrum Akademischer Verlag.
• [3] Giakoumi, S., Sini, M., Gerovasileiou, V., Mazor, T., Beher, J., Possingham, H. P., Abdulla, A., Ertan, M., Dendrinos, P., Gucu, A. C., Karamanlidis, A. A., Rodic, P., Panayotidis, P., Taskin, E., Jaklin, A., Voultsiadou, E., Webster, C., Zenetos, A. & Katsanevakis, S. (2013). Ecoregion-based conservation planning in the Mediterranean: dealing with large-scale heterogeneity. PLoS ONE, 8(10), e76449. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0076449
• [4] Gerovasileiou, V. & Bianchi, C. N. (2021). Mediterranean marine caves: A synthesis of current knowledge. Oceanography and Marine Biology, 59, 1–87. https://doi.org/10.1201/9781003138846-1
• [5] Cicogna, F., Bianchi, C. N., Ferrari, G. & Forti, P. (Eds.). (2003). Le Grotte Marine: Cinquant’Anni di Ricerca in Italia. Rome: Ministero dell’Ambiente e della Tutela del Territorio.
• [6] Martí, R., Uriz, M. J., Ballesteros, E. & Turon, X. (2004). Benthic assemblages in two Mediterranean caves: species diversity and coverage as a function of abiotic parameters and geographic distance. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, 84(3), 557–572. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0025315404009680h
• [7] Gerovasileiou, V., Chintiroglou, C., Vafidis, D., Koutsoubas, D., Sini, M., Dailianis, T. & Voultsiadou, E. (2015). Census of biodiversity in marine caves of the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Mediterranean Marine Science, 16(1), 245–265. https://doi.org/10.12681/mms.1060
• [8] Harmelin, J. G. (1985). Les grottes sous-marines obscures: un milieu extrême et un remarquable biotope refuge. Téthys, 11, 214–229.
• [9] Gerovasileiou, V., Voultsiadou, E., Issaris, Y. & Zenetos, A. (2016). Alien biodiversity in Mediterranean marine caves. Marine Ecology, 37(2), 239–256. https://doi.org/10.1111/maec.12271
• [10] Gerovasileiou, V. & Voultsiadou, E. (2012). Marine caves of the Mediterranean Sea: a sponge biodiversity reservoir within a biodiversity hotspot. PLoS ONE, 7(7), e39873. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0039873
• [11] Vacelet, J., Bitar, G., Carteron, S., Zibrowius, H. & Pérez, T. (2007). Five new sponge species (Porifera: Demospongiae) of subtropical or tropical affinities from the coast of Lebanon (eastern Mediterranean). Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, 87, 1539–1552. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0025315407058570
• [12] Harmelin, J. G., Bitar, G. & Zibrowius, H. (2009). Smittinidae (Bryozoa, Cheilostomata) from coastal habitats of Lebanon (Mediterranean Sea), including new and non-indigenous species. Zoosystema, 31(1), 163–187. https://doi.org/10.5252/z2009n1a9
• [13] Laborel, J. (1961). Le concrétionnement algal “coralligène” et son importance géomorphologique en Méditerranée. Recueil des Travaux de la Station Marine d’Endoume, 23(37), 37–60.
• [14] Bilecenoğlu, M. & Taşkavak, E. (1999). Some observations on the habitat of the Red Sea immigrant sweeper, Pempheris vanicolensis, on the Mediterranean coast of Türkiye. Zoology in the Middle East, 17, 67–70.
• [15] Evcen, A., Gözcelioğlu, B. & Çınar, M. E. (2020). Niphates toxifera (Porifera, Demospongiae), a possible Lessepsian species now colonizing the coast of Türkiye. Journal of the Black Sea/Mediterranean Environment, 26(3), 289–296.
• [16] Tsiakkiros, L. & Zenetos, A. (2011). Further additions to the alien mollusc fauna along the Cypriot coast: new opisthobranchia species. Acta Adriatica, 52, 115–124.
• [17] Rastorgueff, P. A., Bellan-Santini, D., Bianchi, C. N., Bussotti, S., Chevaldonné, P., Guidetti, P. & Personnic, S. (2015). An ecosystem-based approach to evaluate the ecological quality of Mediterranean undersea caves. Ecological Indicators, 54, 137–152. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2015.02.013