ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH, sa.XX, ss.1-34, 2021 (SCI-Expanded)
A study was conducted to estimate biometry of an epiphytic micro-calcareous red algae, Hydrolithon
boreale found on leaves of a Mediterranean meadow, Posidonia oceanica along the entire Turkish coast
of the Mediterranean Sea in time (winter and summer 2019) and space (regions, and bottom type and
depth). Percent occurrence of the epiphyte was lower in winter (25%), particularly found in a small bay in
the west than summer (44%), entirely along the coast. The epiphyte grew up to 5 mm in diameter, 0.35
mm in thickness of the crust size, and was populated up to 1006 ind/m2
in summer owing to the
increased utilization of the carbonate by the epiphyte with the increased water temperature. The size was
contrasted to the density (abundance and biomass) in space. The biometry was significantly dependent
on the siliciclastic-carbonate deposition as inferred from SiO2 of the water in relation the leaf area index
(LAI) of P. oceanica. Therefore, this deposition induced specimens growing in size, followed by the
reduced density in relation to N-based nutrient of the water. Further major environmental parameters
which negatively affected the biometry were pH and total suspended matter of the water, analogous to
the turbidity. Of the trace elements, Ni was negatively correlated with the biometry whereas the LAI was
however positively correlated with all the anthropogenic-sourced trace elements (V, Cu, Zn, As, Cd, and Pb)
in the leaves. Of the bottom types, the calcite rock had higher density than the other soft bottoms in
contrast to the size of the epiphyte.