Biodiversity within Güllük Gulf, threats the ecosystem faces due to high eutrophication rates and pollution: Recommendations to stop and reverse the current state of degradation

This technical report (white paper) details the results of a 3-year monitoring project in Güllük Gulf, in southwestern Türkiye, between 2007-2010, during which sensitive and endangered taxa were identified with assistance of several scientists, and a final policy paper was formulated. Beginning of the monitoring project coincided with the introduction of a notification by the Ministry of Environment, in which parameters were specified (depth, distance from shore, minimum current speed, turbidity, etc.) for closed and semi-closed gulfs where aquaculture practices were to be established. The parameters that were declared with this legal notice were critical as they put several fragile marine ecosystems on a list of suitable places to establish aquaculture farms. This alerted the general public of the coastal towns where the practices were already hurting the marine ecosystems through excessive pollution, desertification of the sea floor, and degradation of quality of seawater overall. Güllük Gulf stood in a different segment, as the gulf harbored high levels of biodiversity, and several endangered taxa that were under protection by international conventions.