In order to acquire information on the pelagic microscopic community composed primarily of Diatomae, Dinoflagellata and some species of Chlorophyta, a baseline study is carried out along the Turkish coastal waters of the Black Sea. Scarcely found species of Cyanophyta, Chrysophyta and of classis Ciliata (tintinnids) of zooplankton had minor importance. Among all these groups diatoms dominated both qualitative and quantitatively and followed by dinoflagellates.

Analysis of multispecies plankton data via multi-dimensional scaling (MDS) technique and the associated physico-chemical variables for each sampling period have shown formation of different plankton patches along the coast. Such patterns are reported for the first time to planktonic communities in the southern Black Sea in addition to species composition and their quantitative dynamics. Surface spatial distribution of plankters were affected much from both prevailing surface currents and mesoscale eddies attached to the shelf and are in relation with biochemical parameters such as, ortho-phosphate, silicate, dissolved oxygen, total organic carbon and chlorophyll-a. The blooming of plankters in the region between Bosphorus junction of the Black Sea and Sakarya River front was found to be peculiar to this region having less contribution from the Romanian and Bulgarian coasts. In the whole, western part of the Turkish coast is richer both qualitative and quantitatively than eastern sector. Characteristic features of the blooming sites were lower proportional representation (J') among the species and diversity (H') due to intense flowering of dominant species. Higher figures in terms of cell density and number of species at surface are apparent features of the west coast when compared to the eastern part, however, there is much homogeneity (equitability) within species encountered in the eastern part.

Depthwise species assamblages have shown that, variation in species diversity with depth to a certain degree (down to 40-50 meters) is negligible. From the distribution of discriminating species, it could be concluded also that the western community differs greatly from the eastern community.