Abstract:

Invasive species has been accepted as one of the major threats to aquatic ecosystems. The biological invasion has resulted in significant ecological degradations including alteration of the structure of populations and changes in ecosystems processes and services. There are a variety of reasons why invaders have introduced to new aquatic areas, such as dense marine traffic, anthropogenic modifications, extreme human use of water bodies. To display the status of aquatic ecosystem in terms of the invasive species, benthic invertebrate communities are a very good indicator. A study was carried out in Turkish coasts during the “Project on Establishment of the Water Quality Ecological Assessment System Specific for Turkey” for biomonitoring studies between 2014 and 2015. In the scope of the project, 4 invasive species Polydora cornuta Bosc, 1802; Prionospio saccifera Mackie & Hartley, 1990; Cerithium scabridum Philippi, 1848 and Rapana venosa (Valenciennes,1846) were identified. Some geographical distribution data of these species are briefly examined.

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