Water quality of Mediterranean coastal plains: conservation implications from the Akyatan Lagoon, Turkey

Abstract

The water quality of the Akyatan Lagoon was characterized using hydrochemical methodology. The lagoon is located on the Mediterranean coast and is the largest wetland ecosystem in Turkey. In addition, the lagoon is classified as a hyper-salinity wetland. Water samples were collected monthly between December 2007 and November 2008. Eleven stations within the lagoon were determined, and triplicate grab samples were obtained from each station to characterize water quality as follows: T °C, pH, total alkalinity (TAlk), dissolved oxygen (DO), total dissolved solids (TDS), salinity, electrical conductivity (EC), and main anions, including chloride (Cl(-)), nitrates (NO3 (-)), and sulfate (SO4 (2-)). Results from selected stations indicated varying TDS, EC, salinity, and Cl(-) concentrations, from 20,892 to 175,824 mg/L, from 35.7 to 99.6 mS/cm, from 22.3 to 71.0 ppt, and from 14,819 to 44,198 mg Cl(-)/L, respectively. Data indicated that the spatial distribution of water quality parameters was significantly affected by freshwater input via the constructed drainage channels which collect water from a catchment area and discharge water into the lagoon as a point source, thus preventing drainage water to reach the lagoon as a nonpoint source.

Water Quality in Marmara Sea

“…The sea water temperature of the Karavasta lagoon in Albania in the spring of 2013 between 19 ºC and 23.5 ºC (Koto et al, 2014), the highest sea water temperatures of the Butrinti lagoon in Albania between May 2010 and January 2011 from 26 ºC to 27.3 ºC in August (Topi et al, 2013), and June-July mean sea water temperatures in the range of 24.6 ºC and 26.3 ºC in the Bages-Sigean and Canet-St Nazaire lagoons (France) in 2009 (Vouvé, 2014) were close to our measurements in the Marmara Sea. In the summer of 2014, minimum 28.2 ºC and maximum 33.6 ºC sea water temperature values for the Akyatan lagoon in Turkey (Demir et al, 2014) were higher than our values.…”

“…Alkaline pH values in the lagoons in Albania, France, and Turkey (Topi et al, 2013, Demir et al, 2014, Koto et al, 2014, Vouvé et al, 2014 except acidic values between 6.03 and 6.92 in Gulluk lagoon (Özdemir and Alparslan, 2013) were similar to our pH measurements.…”

The Variation of Water Quality in Three Land Use Types in U Minh Ha National Park, Ca Mau Province, Vietnam Using Multivariate Statistical Approaches

“…At the same time, these impacts deteriorate the water quality and adversely affect the ecosystem functions and services, which have also been reported in other wetlands in the world [7,10]. Wetland ecosystems are susceptible to pollution sources and can be easily destroyed when exposed to impacts [11]. The water quality in wetland ecosystems is considered the major determinant of the habitats of various wetland organisms.…”

Hydrogeochemical fingerprints of a mixohaline wetland in the Mediterranean: Güllük coastal wetland systems- GCWS (Muğla, Turkey)

“…• Human-made Wetlands There are many studies in recent years not only about ornithological and floral/faunal studies, but also hydrogeological and hydrogeochemical studies in both coastal and inland wetlands in Turkey (e.g. coastal wetlands: Somay and Filiz, 2003;Somay et al, 2008;Somay and Gemici, 2009;Demirel et al, 2011;Somay and Gemici, 2012;Demir Yetiş et al, 2014;Aydın et al, 2015;Somay, 2016. e.g.…”

“…• Coastal wetlands • Inland wetlands • Human-made wetlands There have been many studies in recent years about ornithological and floral/faunal studies, as well as hydrogeological and hydrogeochemical studies, of both coastal and inland wetlands in Turkey (e.g.,coastal wetlands: Somay and Filiz, 2003;Somay et al, 2008;Somay and Gemici, 2009;Demirel et al, 2011;Somay and Gemici, 2012;Demir Yetiş et al, 2014;Aydın et al, 2015;Somay, 2016. e.g., inland wetlands: Ekmekçi, 1990Camur et al, 1997;Samsunlu et al, 2002;Yalcin et al, 2007;Bozdağ and Göçmez, 2011;Bayari and Yildiz, 2012;Şener et al, 2013;Karakuş et al, 2017;Varol and Köse, 2018;Okan and Güven, 2019;Davraz et al, 2019).…”