08.08.2025 15:11
Prof. Dr. Ali Ulaş drew attention to the "long-spined sea urchin," one of the most widespread invasive marine species in the Aegean and Mediterranean in recent years. Ulaş stated, "In nature, we can say that it has almost no enemies. Its spines are quite venomous. In the event of a sting, it can cause very severe pain for about 1-2 hours. Citizens need to remove the spine and come into contact with hot water in case of a sting."
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With global warming and the increasing sea water temperature day by day, invasive marine species have started to spread in the Aegean and Mediterranean. Prof. Dr. Ali Ulaş, a faculty member of the Department of Fishing and Processing Technology at EGE University (EÜ) Faculty of Fisheries, stated that especially Red Sea migrants and Indo-Pacific species have entered the Mediterranean waters through the Suez Canal. Prof. Dr. Ulaş mentioned that there are temperature and salinity factors that normally limit marine life, but when these ratios change, it is possible to see a new invasive species along the Aegean and Mediterranean coasts every day.
"MANY SPECIES HAVE REACHED A SIZE THAT THREATENS OUR COASTS" Prof. Dr. Ali Ulaş noted that while the warmest sea water in the Aegean Region has been measured at around 26-27 degrees for many years, it has reached up to 29 degrees in previous years. "Especially in the southern coast, 31 degrees was observed in the Gulf of Gökova. This has caused some species to settle in the Aegean Region very quickly. Among these creatures are fish species such as the pufferfish and lionfish. However, many species, from tiny plankton that are not visible to the eye to sea urchins, have now reached a level that threatens our coasts," he said.
Lionfish "THE MOST DANGEROUS IS THE SILVER PUFFERFISH" Prof. Dr. Ulaş stated that three species of pufferfish are common along the Turkish coasts and continued: "These are four-toothed species belonging to the Tetraodontidae family. The most dangerous is the silver pufferfish. It has a very serious poison due to a neurotoxin called 'tetrodotoxin' found in its liver, and its consumption is prohibited. As a method of combating, fishermen cut off their tails and throw them back into the sea when caught. Another species is the dwarf pufferfish. We can see this species very frequently, especially in the south. They are smaller, milky brown, and found in denser populations. They are not as dangerous as the silver pufferfish. However, because they are invasive and exert pressure on native species, their populations are increasing significantly."
Pufferfish "THERE IS NO NATURAL ENEMY OF THE LONG-SPINED SEA URCHIN" Prof. Dr. Ali Ulaş stated that while the pufferfish and lionfish are more frequently heard of, the long-spined sea urchin known as 'Diadema setosum', which is very little known or unknown, has started to spread more in recent years. "This species significantly limits important habitats for local fish such as grouper and is putting serious pressure on our native species. They show a very serious spread, especially in suitable temperature and salinity. They can be found at a density of 20-30 per square meter and can reproduce very quickly. While native sea urchins are the primary food for fish such as sea bream and sargo, the invasive urchins we mentioned are long-spined and poisonous, so they do not attract the interest of fish. Therefore, we can say that they have almost no enemies in nature. This leads to a rapid and serious increase of this species of sea urchin along our coasts," he said.
"THE SPIKES ARE POISONOUS, AND CAN CAUSE SEVERE PAIN FOR 1-2 HOURS IF STUNG" Prof. Dr. Ulaş noted that the long-spined sea urchin is found intensively, especially in the Fethiye, Göcek, and Gökova regions, but has started to be seen along the İzmir coasts in recent years:
"This situation indicates that the long-spined sea urchin will intensify along the İzmir coasts in the coming days. It appears larger than the native sea urchin and its spines are quite poisonous. In case of a sting, it can cause very serious pain for about 1-2 hours. Since the spread of the sea urchin has reached the shores, it can pose a threat to people, especially in areas where they enter the sea.
"IF STUNG, REMOVE THE SPIKE AND CONTACT WITH HOT WATER" When there is a long-spined sea urchin under rocks and stones, people can find themselves in a difficult situation by stepping on it or touching it with their hands without seeing it. In this case, they need to quickly remove the stung and broken parts from their bodies and try to contact them with hot water as much as possible. This way, the structure of the poison's protein should be disrupted to prevent its spread in the body.
"HAS BECOME VERY DENSE IN RECENT YEARS" The long-spined sea urchin has been present along our coasts for about 8-9 years. However, it has intensified significantly in recent years. Until two years ago, it reached a very serious potential. However, especially last year, with the water temperatures reaching 30-31 degrees in the southern Gulf of Gökova, Göcek, and Fethiye coasts, a white mold was first observed on these creatures. Subsequently, they were seriously diminished. This was a pleasing development for us. However, this year we see that they continue to increase in the same density. Therefore, we continue to monitor them," he said.
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