Volume 26, Issue 78, July - December, 2025

Bloom event of Leptocylindrus danicus along the Northeastern Mediterranean coast: a case study from Arsuz-Konacık

Nuray Çiftçi^1♦, Deniz Ayas^1,2

¹Mersin University, Faculty of Fisheries, Mersin, Türkiye
²Mersin University, Marine Life Museum, Mersin, Türkiye

^♦Corresponding Author
Nuray Çiftçi, Mersin University, Faculty of Fisheries, Mersin, Türkiye

ABSTRACT

Leptocylindrus danicus, a meroplanktonic marine diatom species belonging to the Bacillariophyceae class, is widespread along the northeastern Mediterranean coast. Despite its global distribution, records of blooms associated with this species are pretty limited. Finding the causes of the noticeable sea foam formation and reddishbrown discoloration that were noticed along the Arsuz-Konacık (Hatay-İskenderun) coastline on July 22, 2025, is the aim of this study. Microscopic examination of seawater samples taken from various sites during this event, which impacted a 10- kilometer coastal area, showed the presence of a bloom of the L. danicus. Cell density varied between 1.4×105 and 2.1×105 cells per liter, according to the cell count data. The abundance determined is the first recorded bloom of L. danicus from the Northeastern Mediterranean. Increased seawater temperatures resulting from global warming, along with nutrient inflows to the region, may have contributed to the species' overpopulation.

Keywords: First report, Leptocylindrus danicus, bloom, Arsuz-Konacık, Northeastern Mediterranean Sea

Species, 2025, 26(78), e43s3187

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.54905/disssi.v26i78.e43s3187

Published: 07 October 2025