2.1.1 Iskenderun Bay is located at the noth-eastern corner of the Eastern-Mediterranean Sea with an area of approximately 2 275 km2, a length of 65 km and a width of approximately 35 km. In the south-west, it opens to the Mediterranean at Karatas and Cape Akinci. (Fig.1).
2.1.2 In the south-east, the Amonos mountain chain runs parallel to the sea-shore and slopes sharply down to the coast. The west side of the Bay is covered by river deltas and there is one small bay, Yumurtalik Bay, and five lagoons (Camlik, Yelkoma Hurma Bogazi, Akyatan, Tuzla) along the west coast of the Bay. The main agricultural area in the region is Cukurova plain.
Figure 1. Location of Iskenderun Bay
2.1.3 The Ceyhan river supplies freshwater for irrigation for agriculture and is the main freshwater supply for the Bay. Iskenderun Bay is affected by waters of open sea origin, by relatively strong winds and by evaporation. During the summer, sea temperature increases up to 32°C and salinity increases up to 39.8 ppt. In the innermost part of the lagoons the level of salinity can reach 50 ppt and salt accumulation along the lagoon coasts is also reported. In winter sea temperature drops to 15°C.
2.1.4 Domestic discharges, pesticides, petroleum and factory effluents are the main sources of pollution. Pollution levels are very high in areas adjacent to industrial plants. In other parts of the Bay, pollution levels are below the tolerable limits set by the World Health Organization.
The Bay's capacity to break down pollutants is not known but it is clear that it is overloaded with plastic materials of various forms which arrive in the area from other coastal locations to the south.
