Fucoid seaweeds on the Russian Arctic coast: using traditions and ecological monitoring

In recent years, harvest and cultivation of marine biological resources, including commercial seaweeds, has increased significantly. The task of this research was the ecological monitoring of commercial fucoid seaweeds beds in coastal waters of the Barents and White Seas. Data of seasonal supervision at stationary biological station and materials of expedition works on Murmansk coast were analyzed. The species, age, generative and spatial structures of fucoid populations in different biotopes of the littoral were studied. It was found that species composition of phytocenoses and quantitative parameters of commercial fucoids varied significantly in open and closed bays, as well as in algae living in the lower and upper littoral. The average biomass of fucoids in semi-closed inlets varied from 2.8±0.6 to 17.7±2.9 kg/m2, depending on dominant species in community, the structure of substrate and impact of waves. The results indicate that phytocenoses of fucoid algae under the influence of changing environmental factors largely ensure the integrity of littoral ecosystem. For rational harvest and cultivation of commercial fucoids, as well as the restoration of disturbed phytocenoses after the removal of some algae, it is recommended to use the technology of synchronization of harvesting with life cycles of seaweeds

Bioremediation of marine coastal ecosystems: Using artificial reefs

The development of the biotic community on the artificial reefs in the coastal zone of the northeast Black Sea region has been studied. Colonization stages of the artificial reefs by hydrobionts depended on substance, time and depth of reef construction have been considered. Reef colonization by fouling organisms is a biotic primary succession of the benthic mature community. It has been found that in 2–3 years on an artificial reef species diversity and biomass of aquatic organisms rise sharply and reef biocenose becomes a powerful biofilter involved in the process of environment self-purification. The results of the functioning of the reef biocenose can serve as a basis for using artificial reefs in biological treatment of water in the coastal zon

Species diversity of seaweeds in different areas of the Barents Sea

The report on species diversity, distribution and abundance of red, brown and green seaweeds on the coastal zone of the Barents Sea has been presented. The authors' own data of benthic vegetation of the Murman coast, Arctic archipelagos (Novaya Zemlja, Franz Joseph Land, Svalbard), southeast part of the sea as well as available literature data have been analyzed. The maximum possible list of benthic macroalgae species has been compiled in accordance with modern concepts of these groups systematics. According to the obtained results the flora of the Barents Sea consists of 178 species: 74 – red, 70 – brown, and 34 – green seaweeds. The algae diversity of the Murman coast is the highest one with 153 species, while the diversity of seaweeds of the Arctic areas coast is much poorer, i. e. the southeastern part of the sea – 64 species, Arctic archipelagos of Franz-Joseph Land – 60 species and Novaya Zemlya – 41 species. On Svalbard, the main species diversity of algae is confined to the western coast; whereas there are only 39 species of seaweeds on the Barents Sea coast. The light diving gear has been used for hydrobotanical methods with sample areas. This has been resulted in a more definite classification of the species structure and condition of seaweeds communities depending on the type of the benthic deposit which is a necessary substratum for benthic seaweeds. The previously established fact about the obvious correlation between the distribution of seaweeds of different systematic groups and microfacies and macrofacies in intertidal zones, tides, the wave force and ice motions in the coastal zone of the sea has been confirmed. The research carried out taking into account the hydrological conditions can be used to assess the condition of seaweeds communities, to explore stocks of commercial seaweeds and to detect the fields for development of mariculture in different biogeographical areas of the Barents Sea

Using the marine unicellular algae in biological monitoring

The possibility of using marine unicellular algae from natural plankton community in biomonitoring of pollution by heavy metals has been investigated. Algae of different taxa from the Mediterranean Sea have been allocated to culture. In the laboratory the culture conditions – i. e. growth medium, temperature, photoperiod, level of artificial light and initial density – have been selected for every species. The impact of heavy metals (Hg, Cd, Cu, Pb) in the form of chloride salts on the growth of axenic algae culture has been studied in the modelling experiments. The unicellular marine algae have a very short life cycle, therefore it is possible to use them in the experiments of studying the effect of anthropogenic factors at cellular and population levels on the test-object. With biomonitoring pollution of marine environment by heavy metals and others dangerous toxicants, the major indicators of algae community condition are the cellular cycle and the condition of the photosynthetic apparatus of the cell. The subsequent lysis of cells under the influence of heavy metals leads to the excretion of secondary metabolites which can essentially affect the metal toxicity. The established scales of threshold and lethal concentration of heavy metals for algae of different taxon make it possible to use the ratio of sensitive and resistant species to heavy metals as biological markers when forecasting ecological consequences of pollution of the marine environment by heavy metals. Distinctions in the resistance of different taxon to heavy metals can result in implementing the strategy of selection of test-objects depending on the purposes of the research

SUCCESSION OF CYANOBACTERIA IN BOREAL WATERS

The in situ investigation of cyanobacterial seasonal succession, causing algal «blooms» in boreal waters, and its dependence on ecological factors was fulfilled. It was revealed that the most important abiotic factors promoting the growth and changes of dominant species in populations are the water temperature, the level of solar radiation and content of cyanobacterial metabolites. The most profound «blooming» with highest biomass and toxic metabolites accumulation occurs during anticyclone type of weather. During such periods cyanobacteria are the most prevalent cultures due to the combination of adaptive mechanisms acquired in evolutionary process which other partners of planktonic community lacked or deprived. It was hypotized that the global warming and cyanobacteria ability to inhabit different biotopes due to environmental tolerance would result in more profound and prolonged «blooming» of boreal waters

Ecological factors regulating growth of seaweeds in Arctic communities

Features of seaweeds in the Arctic communities in connection with periodic and unperiodic influences of ecological factors have been analyzed. It has been shown that the existence of benthic algae biocenosis of the northern seas is mainly controlled by the primary periodic environmental factors acting as triggers that determine the direction of vegetative and generative processes, as well as contribute to the emergence of adaptive devices to extreme environmental conditions. Therefore, periodic exposure to environmental factors cause only structural changes in plant communities due to the elastic stability of fucus algae populations acquired as a result of the long process of adaptation to the northern seas conditions. Unperiodic primary factors also violate the ratio of the number by elimination and inhibit growth of certain algae age stages. However thanks to the stability of resistant the algae community can eventually restore its structural and functional organizatio

Minor Planet Observations [244 Geocentic Occultation Observations]

International audienc

Minor Planet Observations [244 Geocentic Occultation Observations]

International audienc