Marine mammals in Turkey

Abstract

Turkey is surrounded by four seas of different oceanographic characteristics. However, the knowledge about marine mammals, especially cetaceans, in these waters has been limited. The systematic investigation on marine mammals in the Turkish waters was started in 1987. In the Black Sea and Marmara Sea, three odontocete species, Delphinus delphis, Tursiops truncatus, and Phocoena phocoena, are known to occur. Bycatch in the turbot fishery is the main threat for P. phocoena. In the Aegean and Mediteranean Sea, there are eight odontocete species: D. delphis, T. truncatus, Stenella coeruleoalba, Globicephala melas, Grampus griseus, Pseudorca crassidens, Physeter catodon, Ziphius cavirostris, and a single mysticete species, Balaenoptera physalus.
Besides, our study confirmed that one of the critically endangered pinniped species, the Mediterranean monk seal, Monachus monachus, still survives in the Black Sea and Marmara Sea. It has fragmented populations in the Aegean and Mediterranean Seas and their status is critical due to loss of habitats and deliberate killing.