Assessment of The Spatio-Temporal Distribution and Habitat Preferences of Ostracoda (Crustacea) Related to Certain Environmental Factors in Kapıdağ Peninsula (The Sea of Marmara, Turkey)

The Sea of Marmara is exposed to pollutants in excess from the coastal industrial facilities and intensive urbanization, and because of that, the ecosystem is affected negatively. The aim of this study was to determine the environmental factors and ecological parameters on the species distribution and abundance of Ostracoda in Kapidag Peninsula coastline. At four seasons (April, July, October 2011 and January 2012) , samples were collected from 21 stations (total of 84 samples) and 36 Ostracoda species were identified. The most distributed ostracod species were Carinocythereis antiquata , Aurila convexa , Loxoconcha gibberosa , Paradoxostoma fuscum , Cushmanidea elongata , and Xestoleberis decipiens . The highest numbers of individuals observed were Loxoconcha rhomboidea and Xestoleberis aurantia . During the study, water temperature varied between 7.5 and 30 °C, salinity varied between 12.1 and 29.2 ‰, pH varied between 6.6 and 8.7, and dissolved oxygen varied between 1.2 and 15.3 mgL -1 in the stations across the four seasons. Depth, mud percentage and the transparency of the water were the most effective factors on the living ostracod species of Kapidag Peninsula coastline according to spearman correlations.