Red tides of the dinoflagellate Noctiluca scintillansassociated with eutrophication in the Sea of Marmara (the Dardanelles, Turkey)⁎⁎This study contains the findings of various project such as ‘Turkish Scientific and Technical Research Council (TUBITAK, YDABAG, Project No: 101Y081)’ and ‘Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University Scientific Research Projects (COMU, BAP, Project No: 2000/22)’. This study was presented as an oral presentation at a Workshop on Algal and Jellyfish Blooms in the Mediterranean and Black Seaorganized by the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) on 6–8 October 2010, Istanbul, Turkey. This study was also published as an abstract in the List of Documents and Abstracts of the Workshop.

This investigation focused on weekly variations in cell density and volume of the dinoflagellate Noctiluca scintillansbetween March 2001 and January 2004 in the Dardanelles. March–June and October–December periods were excessive bloom periods. During the bloom periods the density of N. scintillansreached 2.20× 105cells L−1with a volume of 1.32×1012μm3L−1. In addition to the high surface density, there was an increase in subsurface waters during the blooms. The bloom of N. scintillans, like that of diatom and other dinoflagellate blooms, was associated not only with eutrophication, but also with stable temperatures and salinities.