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Turkish seas accommodate rich and varied marine ecosystems which are diverse in their physical, chemical, biological characteristics as a result of differences in basic driving factors such as the water budget, atmospheric and land-based inputs, bottom topography, climatic evolution. In terms of primary production potential, the Black Sea especially the northwestern continental shelf exhibits eutrophic characteristics, while Marmara Sea and its bays are highly eutrophic, and Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean Seas display oligotrophic structure. Although the Eastern Mediterranean with its rather unique characteristics is often defined as an ultra-oligotrophic system, there are significant regional differences within the system The northeastern continental shelf (Mersin and İskenderun Bays) influenced by land-based fresh water and nutrient sources and the Rhodes Gyre influenced by ‘upwelling’ dynamics have potential for high primary production, while the open sea is relatively poor. Continued research through continuous observations, analyses and model predictions have immense strategic importance for the well being of our coastal seas possessing energetic dynamics and rich biological diversity. It is proposed that the physical-biochemical variability of the diverse northern Levantine Sea ecosystems be investigated through systematic observations during oceanographic cruises, as well as model-based predictions.

Study will be conducted seasonally aboard Research Vessel Bilim-2 of the Institute of Marine Sciences of Middle East Technical University in the referred areas and stations. In this study, in areas that represent the three different functional ecosystems, possible structural differences, productivity potential, and dynamics will be compared in the food chain from bacteria to fish, and their interactions with the other environmental factors will be investigated. Bacterial and primary productivity rates will be measured at stations in-situ and present pelagic fish stocks will be tried to assess acoustically with the aid of a 120 kHz transducer. This study will be the first in terms of investigation of energy (carbon flux) transfer from bacteria to fish in our coastal waters with distinct dynamics. Formation of energy in different ecosystems and their tranfer to upper trophic levels will be identified and compared by simple but integrated modeling studies.