Akyatan Lagoon is a 14700-hectare wetland ecosystem that is designated as Wetland of International Importance by Ramsar Convention. A major stop over for migrating birds, Akyatan is recognized as an Important Bird Area by BirdLife International. It is the single largest green turtle rookery at the Mediterranean, holding 43% of the Mediterranean nesting population.
The lagoon is located at the northeastern edge of Mediterranean Sea, 30 km south of the city of Adana, in Cilicia region of Turkey. The entrance to the lagoon is either from Tuzla or through Küçük Karataş Village.
Geology
Akyatan lake and the lagoons were formed during the 4th era (10,000 years ago) when water levels at the Mediterranean started changing. As the rivers that make the delta flooded, a large swamp came into being at the location where there is Akyatan lake. The swamp then disconnected from the sea and took its shape today with the sand brought by the waves that formed a cord. It is a typical alluvial dam lake.
With the decrease in the amount of water that feeds the lake and with high levels of evaporation, the area of the lake shrinks during summer. At the dried areas, mud surfaces form and by the end of summer the lake completely dries. Mud surfaces are seen especially at the west and northeast part of the lake. Around Kapı village, some islets reach the land.
The lake has a connection to the sea through a 2 km narrow canal on the southwest side. There is a flow of water from the canal to the sea, when the water levels of the lake is high. When the water levels on the lake is low, the flow is from the sea to the lake. This results in the salt ratio of the lake varying throughout the year. In winter and spring, the lake water is fresh with rain and the waters carried by drainage canals. In the summer time, lake is very salty due to the high evaporation and the water flow from sea to the lake. Also, salt ratio is high at the areas close to the sea connection, and low at the northern sections of the lake where the drainage waters and leakage is effective.
Turkey's largest sand dunes are in the area between the lake and the sea. The dunes extend as wide as 3 kilometers and rise as high as 20 meters. In between the dune hills, that line up along the coast, depression goes below the sea level.
At the shores of the lake, there are swamps and reedbeds which vary in size depending on the fresh water leakage. North of the lake is surrounded with vast farmland.
Function
Deltas in the conservation area are one of the most fertile lands in the world, where the micro and the macro flora production reaches very high levels. The food network, that is formed by high fertility, feeds and shelters a rich wildlife with wide variety of species especially waterfowls.
Deltas are places for fish to lay their eggs and young fish to feed and get protected. Two-thirds of the fish that come to the dinner tables live most of their lives at deltas and other wetlands. This makes deltas very important in terms of the future of fishing.
In winter, as the wetlands in Central Anatolia freezes, many waterfowls inhabit the wetlands of Akyatan. Being on the migration route, Akyatan also hosts huge flocks of birds from many different species. This makes Akyatan lake increasingly important.
Variety of habitats and rich plant and animal collection makes Akyatan an outdoor laboratory for scientific studies. Akyatan also, with the function of balancing base water and preventing salty water from the sea entering into the interior, has contribution in regulating region's water regime.
Akyatan lagoon acts as a multipurpose wetland ecosystem, serving the surrounding communities by creating economy through fishing and by providing recreation. Recreation activities at the lagoon are wildlife watching, hiking, and recreational fishing.
Flora and vegetation
Turkish-Iranian and Mediterranean plant geography dominates the area that Akyatan lagoon is situated. Variety of living environments, provides the evolution of plant species that have different ecological inclination. The most interesting section of the nature reserve in terms of plants are the sand dunes between the lake and the sea. Oleander and acantholimon dominates the section, from the lagoons climbing up to the dune hills. At the inner section, broomrape, kidney weed, common vetch and alfalfa is plenty. The shrub species of the reserve are myrtle, blackberry and common smilax. The dune valleys are covered with early spider orchid, serapias and orchis spitzelii.