Turkey (area of 814.578 km²) is a transcontinental Eurasian country located in the northern hemisphere on the peninsulas of Anatolia and Thrace, stretching from the southeast of Europe towards the Caucasus and the Middle East. The country is surrounded by the Black Sea in the north, the Aegean Sea in the west and the Mediterranean Sea in the south. As a country of transition between the continents of Europe, Asia and Africa, Turkey demonstrates great differences in the topographical aspect. Thanks to its bio-geographical features, Turkey has become one of the most important areas in the world in therms of biological diversity. It means that the country sustains very assorted habitats and different species correlated to these habitats.

One of the main elements that compose the rich biodiversity in Turkey is the wetlands. The wetlands in Turkey are one of the most important ecological patrimonies. After Russia, Turkey is the richest country in Europe and in the Middle East in terms of the existing wetlands (Ministry of Environment and Forests – MoEF). The country has very different kinds of wetlands such as flood plains and rivers, estuaries and deltas, lakes, marshes, peat bogs, coastal wetlands and human-made wetlands. These areas sustain many types of species, especially those of birds, increasing the diversity of species in the country.

Among the wetlands, the delta environments are indispensable for reproducing and existing of many fauna and flora. Therefore, the conservation of natural balance at delta environments is crucial, being natural surroundings and wild living areas.

The Göksu Delta

The Göksu Delta is situated in the Mediterranean Sea region of the southeastern part of Turkey. The area is bounded by the Taurus Mountains on the northern side and by the Mediterranean Sea on the southern side. This portion of the delta area is a delta plain made up of sediments from Göksu River. The Göksu River regime flow is strongly dependent on the seasonal rains and temperature.

In the Göksu Delta area, climate is characterized by hot and dry periods in summer and by warm and wet periods in winter, which is typical for the coastal zones around the Mediterranean Sea.

The Göksu Delta is an internationally important wetland due to its location being in a bird migration route. The Environmental Protection Department of the Ministry of Environment has declared the Göksu Delta as a Special Environmental Protection Zone to protect the area against the pollution and exploitation, and to ensure that natural resources and cultural assets have a future. The Göksu Delta has also a special significance for being one of the few remaining areas in the world where sea turtles and blue crabs lay their eggs. Also, the Delta is one of the most important bird zones in the Eastern Mediterranean Region, with 332 species cataloged. Also, this area is one of the most important nestiling areas of the critically endangered Mediterranean turtle (Caretta caretta) and Nile turtle as well. As well, it is a habitat for the very few number of Mediterranean Monk seal in the Eastern Mediterranean region.

The Mediterranean coastline region is heavily populated with recent urban developments, wich are mostly occupied during summer season for vacation purposes. As the urbanization process continues, water pollution problems have become increasingly evident, and have led to serious ecological and environmental problems. In the Göksu Delta area, urban and agricultural expansions have caused an ever-growing need for fresh water. So, the surface water from Göksu River is utilized for irrigation and most of the irrigation returns flow in the drainage canals discharges back into the Göksu River and transport some pollutant together to this water system.

The fluvial material carried by the Göksu River was transported and deposited by the marine activities from both flanks of the mouth as the depositional marine units. Frontal-coast barriers or barrier islands were formed as a result of this process. There are two diverse barrier islands that belong to recent and former sea level at the delta. One of that was situated between Paradeniz and Akgöl lagoons, like a coastal cord. Paradeniz has higher salinity than Akgöl, since it is influenced directly by the exchange of sea water.

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http://www.ramsar.org/ris/key_ris_index.htm