Ostracod fauna of salt Lake Acigol (Aci Tuz) (Turkey)

Lakes and wetlands in Mediterranean regions are overexploited and contaminated without sufficient local governmental control. The biodiversity of Salt Lake Acigol (Turkey), an internationally recognized ecosystem, is presently endangered by management plans. This study aims to analyse the ostracod community to establish its ecological status as a base for future paleoecological studies using ostracods to reconstruct the recent evolution of this wetland. Samples were collected seasonally and 13 species were recorded. Multivariate classification and ordination statistical methods revealed a major difference between assemblages related to the relative abundance of species tolerant of desiccation vs. species preferring permanent waters. Cyprideis torosa, mainly found in saline, low diversity sites, is a euryhaline species regarded as an indicator of future lake conditions if inappropriate water resource management continues.