Marine benthic Cyanobacteria in Northern Cyprus (Eastern Mediterranean Sea)

Abstract

In this paper, 47 taxa (15 Chroococcales, 20 Oscillatoriales, and 12 Nostocales) of Cyanobacteria that were collected along the coasts of Northern Cyprus (Eastern Mediterranean Sea) are reported. Aphanocapsa litoralis (Hansgirg) Komarek & Anagnostidis, Coelosphaerium minutissimum Lemmermann, Chroococcus cf. turicensis (Nageli) Hansgirg, Chroococcus varius A.Braun, Spirulina tenerrima Kutzing ex Gomont, Calothrix fuscoviolacea P.L.Crouan & H.M.Crouan ex Bornet & Flahault, Rivularia nitida C.Agardh ex Bornet & Flahault, and Scytonematopsis pilosa (Harvey ex Bornet & Flahault) I.Umezaki & M.Watanabe are recorded for the first time from the Mediterranean Sea, and 35 taxa are also recorded for the first time from Northern Cyprus. Data are also provided concerning the geographical, morphological, and ecological distribution of each species. Sampling was based on 4 different localities (Korucam, Girne, Dip Karpaz, and Gazimağusa) in the Northern Cyprus marine ecosystem supralittoral zone at a depth of 30-35 m in the infralittoral zone between 2006 and 2008.