Proceedings of the Second Mediterranean Symposium on Marine

The project activities were concentrated on education and awareness during winter and
spring months, and meetings with broad participations were organised at <strong>the</strong>
predetermined localities by Caulerpa working group in <strong>the</strong> Turkish Aegean and
<strong>Mediterranean</strong> coasts. To <strong>the</strong>se meetings relevant stakeholders including fishing cooperatives,
diving clubs, harbour directorates, marina managers, coast guard and marine
forces, town and provincal directorates <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Agriculture and Rural Affairs and
Environment and academic institutions were participated. Brochures and questionnaire
forms were distributed to <strong>the</strong>se participants and inform <strong>the</strong>se groups to target flow <strong>of</strong>
feedback information from <strong>the</strong>m.
Caulerpa (kaulos (Gr.) = thallus, stalk or stipe; herpo (gr.) = Creep). Green leafy algae
from warm seas with creeping stolons that do not have internal divisions segregating <strong>the</strong>
algae into individual cells. Caulerpa is divided into more than 72 highly variable species
based on <strong>the</strong>ir morphology. Added to this are 56 varieties (Debelius & Baensch,1997).
In <strong>Mediterranean</strong> Sea <strong>the</strong>re are 6 Caulerpa species exists. Among <strong>the</strong>se Caulerpa
prolifera (Forsskål) Lamouroux and Caulerpa ollivieri Dostal were native and <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>rs
were exotic ones including Caulerpa taxifolia (Vahl) C. Agardh, Caulerpa scalpelliformis
(Brown ex Turner), Caulerpa mexicana Sonder ex Kützing, Caulerpa racemosa (Forsskål)
and its varieties (Boudouresque & Verlaque, 2002).
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION
Caulerpa racemosa, which entered to <strong>Mediterranean</strong> via opening <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Suez Channel
and first encountered in <strong>the</strong> coasts <strong>of</strong> Tunis in 1926 by Hamel, shows various
morphological characteristics in <strong>the</strong> places where exist and depending on ecologicial
conditions. As a result <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se, it is classified as different varieties by <strong>the</strong> taxonomists
(Verlaque et al. 2000). Among <strong>the</strong>se varieties Caulerpa racemosa var. lamourouxii; and
Caulerpa racemosa var occidentalis occurs along Turkish coasts.
During project, as well as <strong>Mediterranean</strong> endemic species such as Caulerpa prolifera and
Caulerpa ollivieri, <strong>the</strong> lessepsian species such as Caulerpa racemosa and its varieties
(Caulerpa racemosa var. occidentalis, Caulerpa racemosa var. lamourouxii form.
requenii), Caulerpa scalpelliformis were encountered.(fig 1)
The Caulerpa racemosa species having alien-invasive behaviours, which grow
extensively at <strong>the</strong> bays <strong>of</strong> Gökova and Güllük around Bodrum, continue <strong>the</strong>ir existence
for all four seasons observed during <strong>the</strong> works <strong>of</strong> this project.(fig 1). The growth <strong>of</strong> this
plant stops during <strong>the</strong> winter season and increases from <strong>the</strong> April onwards reaching <strong>the</strong>
maximum stage during <strong>the</strong> August-September months.
Caulerpa racemosa was observed to grow intensively over <strong>the</strong> s<strong>of</strong>t substrata <strong>of</strong>
euthrophied zones consisting organic relicts, muddy-sandy biotopes or dead marine
ACTES DU DEUXIEME SYMPOSIUM MEDITERRANEEN SUR LA VEGETATION MARINE (ATHENES, 12-13 DECEMBRE 2003)
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