<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

Çardak Lagoon is one of the most important marine environments in the Turkish Strait system, which is home to a variety of organisms. The lagoon is currently under stress and faces the risk of heavy pollution. For this reason, the present state of the lagoon was monitored in this study. During sampling from October 2018 to June 2019, the levels of indicator microorganisms fluctuated up to 4.04 Log10 cfu 100 ml−1 and their presence was found to be higher in warmer seasons. The highest positive correlations were observed for total coliform levels with salinity and chemical oxygen demand, whereas the highest negative correlations were found between the levels of fecal coliforms, pH and temperature. <italic>E. coli</italic> and fecal streptococci showed moderate correlations with the environmental factors in all seasons. Although nitrite and nitrate (NO2 + NO3) were not significantly correlated with bacteria levels, they were present at elevated levels. Çardak Lagoon showed the lowest microbiological and chemical quality in the summer season, and this situation continued into the autumn season as a possible result of increased wastewater discharge and human activities. The lagoon should therefore be monitored regularly and precautions should be taken to prevent severe ecological deterioration.
</abstract>

Çardak Lagoon is one of the most important marine environments in the Turkish Strait system, which is home to a variety of organisms. The lagoon is currently under stress and faces the risk of heavy pollution. For this reason, the present state of the lagoon was monitored in this study. During sampling from October 2018 to June 2019, the levels of indicator microorganisms fluctuated up to 4.04 Log10 cfu 100 ml−1 and their presence was found to be higher in warmer seasons. The highest positive correlations were observed for total coliform levels with salinity and chemical oxygen demand, whereas the highest negative correlations were found between the levels of fecal coliforms, pH and temperature. E. coli and fecal streptococci showed moderate correlations with the environmental factors in all seasons. Although nitrite and nitrate (NO2 + NO3) were not significantly correlated with bacteria levels, they were present at elevated levels. Çardak Lagoon showed the lowest microbiological and chemical quality in the summer season, and this situation continued into the autumn season as a possible result of increased wastewater discharge and human activities. The lagoon should therefore be monitored regularly and precautions should be taken to prevent severe ecological deterioration.

Effects of seasonal changes and environmental factors on bioindicator bacteria levels in Çardak Lagoon, Çanakkale Strait, Turkey

Department of Fishing and Processing Technology, Faculty of Marine Sciences and Technology

Department of Marine Science and Limnology, Faculty of Marine Sciences and Technology

Oceanological and Hydrobiological Studies

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Çardak Lagoon is one of the most important marine environments in the Turkish Strait system, which is home to a variety of organisms. The lagoon is currently...

Effects of seasonal changes and environmental factors on bioindicator bacteria levels in Çardak Lagoon, Çanakkale Strait, Turkey

Article Category: Original research paper

Published Online: Sep 02, 2021

Page range: 299 - 309

Received: Jan 20, 2021

Accepted: Mar 26, 2021

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/oandhs-2021-0025

Keywords
Çardak Lagoon, pollution, bioindicator bacteria, environmental factors, Turkey

© 2021 İbrahim Ender Künili et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Effects of seasonal changes and environmental factors on bioindicator bacteria levels in Çardak Lagoon, Çanakkale Strait, Turkey

Article Category: Original research paper

Published Online: Sep 02, 2021

Page range: 299 - 309

Received: Jan 20, 2021

Accepted: Mar 26, 2021

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/oandhs-2021-0025

KeywordsÇardak Lagoon, pollution, bioindicator bacteria, environmental factors, Turkey

© 2021 İbrahim Ender Künili et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Keywords
Çardak Lagoon, pollution, bioindicator bacteria, environmental factors, Turkey