Investigating the Effects of Heavy Metal Pollution caused by Ship Traffic Effluents on Macrobenthic Communities

Heavy metals are one of the most common environmental pollutants that can enter coastal areas from natural and human sources and affect marine organisms and the human population. Heavy metals are a serious threat to human health, living organisms and natural ecosystems due to their toxicity, persistence and bioaccumulation characteristics. Many heavy metal ions are toxic or carcinogenic to humans. Heavy metals can lead to the destruction of marine ecosystems by reducing the diversity and number of species and through accumulation in living organisms and food chains. Heavy metals enter coastal and marine environments through various sources, including industries, and domestic sewage. Heavy metals from ship traffic effluents are among polluting sources. This study investigated the effect of this pollution on macrobenthic communities. The findings show that heavy metals have an effect on premature spawning, increase in mortality and decrease in the body's defense system in fish, decrease in growth and survival and irregular cell division in sea urchins, increase in mortality, delay in growth and prevention shell development and irregular cell division in crustaceans, and increased mortality, reducing body defenses, delaying growth, losing breeding capacity and reducing eggshell thickness in seabirds, and irregular structure and acute toxic condition and delay in growth in benthos. Urban and industrial activities are the main sources of marine environment pollution. As a result, it can be stated that environmental quality assessment in this sector can provide useful information for pollution control in coastal areas. Recently, the implementation of environmental legal frameworks in the European Community has increased the awareness of the importance of heavy metals in shipping effluents in order to achieve "good environmental status".