A Photo-ID-Based Checklist of Marine Taxa from the Shallow Habitats of Aydincik Coast (Northeastern Mediterranean, Türkiye)
Abstract
Multi-taxon inventories are essential for characterizing coastal marine biodiversity, particularly in regions experiencing rapid biogeographic change. Underwater photographs and video recordings were collected along the shallow, predominantly rocky shoreline adjacent to Aydincik (Incekum) Nature Park, northeastern Mediterranean, Türkiye, in July 2026. Observations were made during three days of SCUBA diving (3-7 m) and snorkeling. Taxonomic specialists examined visible morphological characteristics in photographs and video recordings, and scientific names were standardized using taxon-specific databases. Species' biogeographic status was assessed using published inventories. The resulting checklist included 101 species belonging to 94 genera, 78 families, 19 classes, and 11 phyla. Records comprised 46 fishes (45 teleosts and one elasmobranch), 47 invertebrates, two sea turtles, three macroalgae, and three seagrasses. Chordata (50 species) and Mollusca (24 species) accounted for the largest portions of the inventory. Twenty-five species (24.8%) were classified as non-indigenous, representing six major biological groups. Comparison with published regional inventories revealed 23 species shared with Kaynak Sea Cave and 16 fish species shared with Boğsak Island. The records include native and non-indigenous organisms as well as taxa of conservation interest. This photographically supported checklist contributes to the regional knowledge of species occurrence and offers a reference for future, standardized surveys of Aydincik’s coastal marine biodiversity.
Keywords
References
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Details
Primary Language
English
Subjects
Marine and Estuarine Ecology, Animal Systematics and Taxonomy, Conservation and Biodiversity
Journal Section
Research Article
Authors
Deniz Ayas
*
0000-0001-6762-6284
Türkiye
Deniz Ergüden
0000-0002-2597-2151
Türkiye
Ali Uyan
0000-0001-9308-3324
Türkiye
Hasan Deniz Akbora
0000-0002-6647-866X
Kuzey Kıbrıs Türk Cumhuriyeti
Serdal Arslan
0000-0002-3921-8061
Türkiye
Fethi Bengil
0000-0003-0989-2829
Türkiye
Berke Burhan
0009-0007-8404-3065
Türkiye
Ayşegül Demircan
0009-0008-9494-2547
Türkiye
Eylül Diboğulları
0009-0000-2501-9435
Türkiye
Halit Filiz
0000-0003-0096-6123
Türkiye
Beyza Gürler
0009-0001-9661-3017
Türkiye
Faiz Ni'matul Haq
0009-0001-7989-6051
Türkiye
Amadou Kane
0009-0008-8906-206X
Türkiye
Cengiz Korkmaz
0000-0001-7231-9983
Türkiye
Ali Rıza Köşker
0000-0002-4807-3546
Türkiye
Umidjon Nuraliev
0009-0007-3715-6526
Türkiye
Murat Özaydınlı
0000-0001-8965-0306
Türkiye
İsa Sert
0009-0003-9982-5490
Türkiye
Göknur Sürengil
0000-0002-4560-7856
Türkiye
Bahar Taymaz
0000-0001-6098-9007
Türkiye
Tolga Taymaz
0000-0001-8061-1124
Türkiye
Ozan Tünakaya
0009-0002-5321-2034
Türkiye
İdal Uruç
0009-0004-0228-2176
Türkiye
Early Pub Date
October 30, 2026
Publication Date
October 31, 2026
Submission Date
October 23, 2026
Acceptance Date
October 30, 2026
Published in Issue
Year 2026 Volume: 1 Number: 1