Microzooplankton Tintinnida (Protozoa: Ciliophora) communities from the Izmir Bay, Turkey and their diversity and distribution for last 20 years

The distributions of families belonging to Tintinnida on samples collected from izrnir Bay for 20 years were examined in this study. The species list, quantity and quality information prepared for each species of the 11 families belonging to the Tintinnida were examined together with the seawater temperature changes during the period and a general species lists were established. In addition to the indigenous species that are constantly found in the bay, non-indigenous species that have been transported by ballast tanks have also been discussed. The Izmir Grand Canal Project was inaugurated in year 2000 and the relatively increase in the quality and quantity of the species belonging to the Tintinnida families has been observed in addition to the dinoflagellate and diatom family species, which are two relatively large groups in the bay.