The 2nd UNIDOKAP International Symposium on BIODIVERSITY, 28-30 November 2018, Samsun, TURKEY EPIFAUNAL ASSEMBLAGES AND THEIR VULNERABILITY TO TRAWLING IN A COASTAL ECOSYSTEM (SOUTHERN BLACK SEA) A. Gümüş1*, S. Süer1 , A. Van1 , M. Rüzgar1 , M. Zengin2 and I. Ozcan Akpınar2 Ondokuz Mayıs University, Faculty of Science and Arts, Dept. of Biology, Samsun, TURKEY Central Fisheries Researc Institute, Yomra, Trabzon, TURKEY *aysung@omu.edu.tr

Biological traits of epifaunal species The 2nd UNIDOKAP International Symposium on BIODIVERSITY, 28-30 November 2018,Samsun, TURKEY Hypothesis: Bottom trawling have impacts on the community structure of the epifauna. Aim: Biological traits of epifaunal species - to measure the vulnerability to trawling - to define the community distribution

Samsun Shelf Area (SSA) The 2nd UNIDOKAP International Symposium on BIODIVERSITY, 28-30 November 2018,Samsun, TURKEY Samsun Shelf Area (SSA) southern Black Sea major fishing ground exposed to high trawling disturbance Beam trawl of 2.75 m and mesh size 12 mm, 6 stations, 4-50 m depth range, 2500 samplings at 185 operations,

Scores 0 (low) – 3 (high) vulnerability, The 2nd UNIDOKAP International Symposium on BIODIVERSITY, 28-30 November 2018,Samsun, TURKEY Five functional traits - position, feeding type, motility, size, and life span, Scores 0 (low) – 3 (high) vulnerability, Total scores ranging from 2 to 15 were assigned to five groups, The abundance of epifaunal species (57 species) normalized with log(x+1), The relative abundance of functional traits in five groups were analyzed by correspondence analysis.

The 2nd UNIDOKAP International Symposium on BIODIVERSITY, 28-30 November 2018,Samsun, TURKEY Plot of Correspondance analysis General outlines SSA; a typical coastal area under high trawling pressure, Species resistant to trawling pressure, No large sessiles, emergent filter feeders, long live species and large predators, Urgent management measure: to mitigate the benthic impact !