Güllük Bay (792)
Turkey, Europe
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2016
National site name: Güllük Körfezi
Central coordinates: Latitude: 37.1833, Longitude: 27.5833
Elevation (m): 0 to 100
Area of KBA (km2): 242.70659
KBA classification: Regional
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: The delta of the Hamzabey and the Sarýçay streams, where they meet the Aegean Sea. The site consists of a 200-ha lagoon, two smaller lakes, reedbeds (Phragmites), Salicornia flats and Tamarix scrub. The lagoon is becoming less saline as a result of freshwater input. Agriculture now occupies most of the delta, and there is a basic fish-trap at the river mouth.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance that was identified using previously established criteria and thresholds for the identification of Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBAs) and for which available data indicate that it does not meet global KBA criteria and thresholds set out in the Global Standard. KBA identified in the CEPF Ecosystem Profile of the Mediterranean Hotspot (2017). Taxonomy, nomenclature and global threat category follow the 2016 IUCN Red List.
Additional biodiversity: The site has lost most of its ornithological importance due to wetland drainage.
Delineation rationale: Area changed from 1400 ha [in 1997/2000 IBA inventory] to 2500 ha (in BirdLife 2001 Ramsar Shadow List publication) to 24,260 ha (Kiliç & Eken 2004).
Habitats
Land use: agriculture (25%) | fisheries/aquaculture (30%) | not utilised (60%) | tourism/recreation (10%)
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Marine Intertidal | 35 | |
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | 35 | |
| Artificial - Terrestrial | 30 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: Threats include the effects of the numerous drainage channels that bisect the delta, the construction of a yacht harbour and airport, and large-scale tourist development.
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pollution | Industrial & military effluents | Type Unknown/Unrecorded | Ongoing |
| Pollution | Domestic & urban waste water | Sewage | Ongoing |