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Largest Coral Forest in Turkish Territorial Waters Discovered in Aegean
The Turkish Marine Research Foundation (TÜDAV) has discovered a giant coral forest over 2 kilometers long in the Aegean Sea within Turkish territorial waters, between Gökçeada and the Greek island of Samothrace. Composed of soft corals and located at a depth of 70-120 meters, the forest presents a biodiversity previously unrecorded in the region.
The Turkish Marine Research Foundation (TÜDAV) has discovered the largest coral forest ever recorded in the Aegean Sea. Located between Gökçeada and the Greek island of Samothrace within Turkish territorial waters, the forest spans an area of more than 2 kilometers at depths of 70 to 120 meters.
Research Supported by İş Bankası
The study, conducted with the support of Türkiye İş Bankası, was carried out using TÜDAV's research vessel R/V TÜDAV-Maru. Scientists examined the coral communities at depths where manned diving is not possible, using remotely operated underwater robots and camera systems.
TÜDAV President Prof. Dr. Bayram Öztürk told an AA correspondent, "This region has an extraordinarily high biodiversity. Additionally, large calcium carbonate deposits were detected here. Neither on the Turkish nor Greek coasts has a coral forest of this scale been found in the Aegean before."
Composed of Soft Corals
It was determined that the discovered corals consist of soft coral species (gorgonians) that are rare in the Mediterranean and mostly distributed in its western parts. Prof. Dr. Öztürk said, "Previously, coral research in Turkey was mostly conducted at depths of 30-40 meters, at most 50 meters. A coral forest of this size stretching for kilometers was previously unknown in Turkish seas. This discovery is a first not only for Turkey but for the entire Aegean Sea."
Emphasizing that the forest provides habitat not only for soft corals but also for many fish and invertebrate species, Öztürk stated that this demonstrates how rich the Aegean Sea is in terms of biodiversity.
Fault Lines and Gas Emissions
During the research, underwater tectonic fault lines and water and gas emissions were also detected in the area. The relationship of these formations with the coral communities and calcium carbonate sediments will be examined in detail in the coming period.
The exact boundaries of the coral forest have not yet been determined. Öztürk shared that "the part examined so far is within Turkish territorial waters, but there is a possibility that the forest continues to depths of 200-300 meters and extends into international waters. Our research will continue; our vessel is still working in the area."
Product of a Decade of Work
Stating that the discovery was not a coincidence, Öztürk said, "We have been researching coral forests for about ten years. We have trained master's and doctoral students and conducted many scientific studies. The combination of years of experience and modern technology made this discovery possible."
Öztürk added that the condition of the corals is also encouraging, with no signs of tissue loss, lesions, or death due to climate change observed.
Deepest Observations
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Onur Gönülal, a faculty member at Istanbul University's Faculty of Aquatic Sciences, Department of Marine Biology, said that the study examined coral communities in the mesophotic (twilight) zone. Noting that they descended to 88 meters with a remotely operated underwater vehicle and to 98 meters in subsequent dives, Gönülal stated, "We documented the coral and coralligenous communities at these depths in detail. The images obtained may be the deepest coral observations in Turkey."
Gönülal noted that the collected data and video recordings will help determine the structure, biodiversity level, and distribution limits of the coral communities.
The research team plans to continue work in September and October, focusing on the deeper parts of the coral forest.
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