Ecological status of coastal waters of Ayvalık (Aegean Sea, Turkey) assessed by the EEI method

Abstract

Macroalgae and angiosperms are proposed as biological elements to assess the ecological status of coastal waters and transitional systems by the EU Water Framework Directive. Recently, the Ecological Evaluation Index (EEI) was intercalibrated in the Mediterranean eco-region by the Mediterranean Geographic Intercalibration Group (MEDGIG). In the present paper, the EEI was tested at two different localities, the inner and outer bays of the city Ayvalik located on the Aegean coast of Turkey. The study shows a high ecological quality for the outer bay, whereas, the inner bay is of moderate quality.