Impact of environmental variables on fouling bryozoan species in the Eastern Aegean Sea

Bryozoans are the major component of marine macro-fouling communities. In the study, the relations between bryozoan species and environmental variables were investigated at seven stations along the Aegean coast in August and December 2015. Constant bryozoan species in both sampling periods were Bugula neritina, Amathia verricillata, Shizoporella errata, Cryptosula pallasiana and Celleporaria bnamea. Their relationship with physicochemical variables (Temperature, salinity, pH, dissolved oxygen, ammonium, nitrite and nitrate nitrogen, orthophosphate phosphorous, total phosphate, chlorophyll-alpha) were analysed by means of logistic regression analysis. The result showed that temperature with B. neritina; NH4-N, oPO(4)-P and TPO4-P with A verticiliora; dissolved oxygen concentrations with S. errata and C. bnamea were positively related (p < 0.05).