ASSESSMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF RECREATIONAL YACHT / BOAT ACTIVITIES ON MARINE WATER QUALITY AND MARINE VEGETATION VARIATION IN PHASELIS BAY IN TURKEY

İçemer G., Okudan E. Ş., Göktuğ T. H.

FRESENIUS ENVIRONMENTAL BULLETIN, cilt.31, sa.08/A, ss.8410-8416, 2022 (SCI-Expanded)

  • Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
  • Cilt numarası: 31 Sayı: 08/A
  • Basım Tarihi: 2022
  • Dergi Adı: FRESENIUS ENVIRONMENTAL BULLETIN
  • Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Aerospace Database, Aqualine, Aquatic Science & Fisheries Abstracts (ASFA), CAB Abstracts, Chemical Abstracts Core, Communication Abstracts, Environment Index, Geobase, Greenfile, Metadex, Pollution Abstracts, Veterinary Science Database, Civil Engineering Abstracts
  • Sayfa Sayıları: ss.8410-8416
  • Akdeniz Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

Boats, yachts and daily tours can damage marine habitat with their hulls and anchors. In last decades, research on the environmental effect of boats and yachts marine engine has tended to concentrate on potential effects of oil spill, sewage, turbidity, noisy, antifouling paints and disturbance to wildlife. In Turkey, Beydağları Coastal National Park that is one of the rare protected areas, hosting both marine and terrestrial ecosystems, having unique natural and cultural resources and values and allowing a wide variety of recreational activities. This paper presents assessment the effect boat and yacht activities on marine flora and marine ecological quality of touristic tour destination in Phaselis bay. The study compared the changes in water quality and vegetation between 2008 and 2015. Compared to the past, it was determined that in sediment more damage occurred due to the anchoring of dense yachts and daily tours. Anchor movements caused the loss of sea grass and traces left around it and an unhealthy appearance of the seabed. Cover value decreased 1% in seaweed. After the increase in the number of visitors in the sevenyear period, a 9-16-fold increase in nutrient elements and oil-gress concentrations detected. The ecological quality status is in good quality in regions where visitors and yachts have low impact. In areas with high yacht and visitor pressures, the ecological status is bad.