Istanbul is situated on both the European (Thrace) and Asian (Anatolia) sides of the
Bosphorus and is one of the most populous cities of Eurasia and Turkey’s cultural and financial
Kucukcekmece Lagoon, with a surface area of 15.22 km2, is located in the south-western
part of Istanbul (41º00' N-28º43' E). It has a water capacity of 145 million cubic metres and a
maximum depth of 20 metres. The streams that feed the lake are Nakkas, Ispartakule and Sazlidere
[18, 19]. The freshwater inflow was notably reduced after 1998 upon the opening of Sazlidere Dam.
The dam, with an annual capacity of 55 million cubic metres, is used for supplying potable water
for Istanbul [20]. Kucukcekmece Lagoon is eutrophic and algal blooms occur usually during early
spring and late fall. The study area covers the 1.5-km-long narrow channel which connects the
lagoon with the Marmara Sea