Cyanobacterial Communities in Mucilage Collected from Çanakkale Strait (Dardanelles): Metagenomic Approach

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In this study, cyanobacterial communities in mucilage samples collected from three stations in the Dardanelles Strait were analyzed with a metagenomic approach. Mucilage samples were collected at the beginning of June 2021 from three points of the Dardanelles (Station 1: 40°6'42.78"N, 26°23'57.00"E; Station 2: 40°9'8.09"N, 26°24'16.19"E; Station 3: 40°6 '21.62"N, 26°22'41.25"E). The dominant cyanobacteria were Prochlorococcus marinus (39.17%), Synechococcus sp. (20.85%), Lyngbya sp. (12.00%), Trichodesmium erythraeum (7.33%), Aphanocapsa sp. (4.33%) and Leptolyngbya sp. (3.33%), which constituted 87.00 % of the total number of sequences. In this study, cyanobacteria species that can cause harmful algal blooms and have toxic effects on the mucilage structure have been determined. The Marmara Sea and the Dardanelles Strait, which have been affected by serious disturbances, including industrial activities, anthropogenic impacts, tourism and artificial lighting, will never be fully restored to their former ecological state. In addition, cyanobacteria species in the mucilage may cause harmful algal blooms and have toxic effects that threaten the future well-being of coastal populations and ecosystem stability. Thus, the government and local authorities should pay more attention to combating the mucilage.