The coast of Çandarlı is part of a much larger marine ecosystem. A study published in 2014 by researchers at Ege University reported 60 fish species, comprising 49 bony and 11 cartilaginous fishes, in trawl samples from five stations collected in 2003–2004.

The sampling method matters. The study focused on the bottom fish fauna of the wider bay; it was not a survey of the rocky sites visited by scuba divers. It does not tell us what a visitor will see today at Kara Ada or Kız Kulesi.

A separate study near Markiz Island, published in 2008, examined benthic fauna and recorded 236 taxa across nine systematic groups at the sampled stations. This research highlights the complexity of life on and near the seabed, beyond the larger fish most visitors first notice.

We will pair such research with dated local photographs and observations without confusing scientific historic evidence with present-day wildlife guarantees.

Sources: https://dergipark.org.tr/tr/download/article-file/57284 · https://www.researchgate.net/publication/250199107_The_effects_of_a_fish_farm_on_the_benthic_fauna_near_Markiz_Island_Candarli_Bay-Aegean_SeaTurkey

Information only: Conditions, permissions and diving eligibility must be checked directly with the dive centre. This page is not a training manual or dive plan.

Sources and further reading

Read each source within its date and scope. These references do not establish current local diving conditions or individual fitness to dive.

– Ercan ve çalışma arkadaşları (1984) — Dikili–Bergama–Çandarlı jeolojisi