Results of marine scientific research of the Southern Scientific Centre of the Russian Academy of Sciences (SSC RAS) in the Sea of Azov in 2003–2018. Part 2: Hydrobiology

The article presents the results of hydrobiological studies of the Sea of Azov, conducted since 2003 by the Southern Scientific Centre of the Russian Academy of Sciences, using both classical hydrobiological methods and modern geoinformation technologies. Analysis of the interannual and seasonal variability of the hydrobiological community allowed to characterize modern features of two annually repeated peaks in the development of phytoplankton (spring and more intense summer-autumn ones). The results of measurements of chlorophyll α concentration and primary production, and quantitative analysis of phytoplankton indicate a tendency for an increase in the autotrophic component in the water body and a shift of its maximum development zone to the mouth of the Don River. In the development of the microzooplankton community against the background of an increase in the water salinity, a decrease in the qualitative and quantitative characteristics of ciliate plankton was observed, most pronounced in the cold period of the year. The results of winter studies also demonstrated the decisive influence of the nature of winter not only on the intensity of phytoplankton development in spring, but also on the magnitude of its biomass in summer. Long-term monitoring makes it possible to note some “diminishment” and structural changes in the hydrobiont community: a decrease in the role of microalgae due to an increase of the share of ultraphytoplankton in its total biomass by 1.3 times, and the microzooplankton complex of common species mainly consisting of species of a small-sized group. As a result of the salinization process in the Sea of Azov, the number of cases of marine species invasion and naturalization and the expansion of the distribution areas of these species has increased. In the spatial structure of phytoplankton, narrowing of the ranges of fresh and brackish-water species and the expansion of the ranges of marine species are noted. For the last 15 years, among the representatives of the hydrobionts fauna, three types of shell ciliate infusoria tintinnids and three species of polychaetes, which significantly changed the composition of bottom communities, naturalized in the Sea of Azov.

Bibliographic Details

Main Authors:	Berdnikov, S.V., Kleshchenkov, A.V., Kreneva, K.V., Glushchenko, G.Yu., Dashkevich, L.V., Kulygin, V.V., Gerasyuk, V.S., Saprygin, V.V., Bulysheva, N.I.
Other Authors:	Bragina, T.M.
Format:	Journal Contribution biblioteca
Language:	Russian
Published:	2019
Subjects:	Hydrobiology, GIS, Aquatic communities, Phytoplankton, Bottom communities, Zooplankton, Seasonal variations, Polychaetes, Brackishwater species, Spacial structure, Гидробиология, ГИС, Водные сообщества, Донные сообщества, Сезонная динамика, Зоопланктон, Солоноватоводные виды, Пространственная структура, Фитопланктон,
Online Access:	http://hdl.handle.net/1834/15904
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