Benthic fauna in the south-eastern part of the Pechora-sea: Current state and analysis of ecological quality

Alexandra V Gerasimova; Nadezhda A Filippova; Kseniya N Lisitsyna; Natalia N Shunatova; Andrew A Filippov; Darya V Nikishina; Olga A Kiyko; Margarita A Timofeeva; Nikolay V Maximovich

doi:10.1016/j.marenvres.2023.106151

Benthic fauna in the south-eastern part of the Pechora-sea: Current state and analysis of ecological quality

Mar Environ Res. 2023 Oct:191:106151. doi: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2023.106151. Epub 2023 Aug 19.

Authors

Alexandra V Gerasimova¹, Nadezhda A Filippova², Kseniya N Lisitsyna³, Natalia N Shunatova⁴, Andrew A Filippov⁵, Darya V Nikishina⁶, Olga A Kiyko⁷, Margarita A Timofeeva⁸, Nikolay V Maximovich⁹

Affiliations

¹ St. Petersburg State University, Biological Faculty, Department of Ichtyology and Hydrobiology, 16th Line VO, 29, St. Petersburg, 199178, Russia. Electronic address: agerasimova64@mail.ru.
² St. Petersburg State University, Biological Faculty, Department of Ichtyology and Hydrobiology, 16th Line VO, 29, St. Petersburg, 199178, Russia. Electronic address: n.a.filippova@spbu.ru.
³ A.V. Zhirmunsky National Scientific Center of Marine Biology, Far Eastern Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences (NSCMB FEB RAS), Palchevskogo str. 17, Vladivostok, 690041, Russia. Electronic address: lisitsina_ksenia_1997@mail.ru.
⁴ St. Petersburg State University, Biological Faculty, Department of Invertebrate Zoology, Universitetskaya Emb., 7/9, St Petersburg, 199034, Russia. Electronic address: n.shunatova@spbu.ru.
⁵ ECO-EXPRESS-SERVICE JSC Zanevsky prospect 32-3, St. Petersburg, 195112, Russia. Electronic address: andrew_filippov@mail.ru.
⁶ St. Petersburg State University, Biological Faculty, Department of Ichtyology and Hydrobiology, 16th Line VO, 29, St. Petersburg, 199178, Russia. Electronic address: d.v.nikishina@gmail.com.
⁷ North-West Branch of the Federal Fishery Agency, Odoevskogo st. 24/2-A, St. Petersburg, 199155, Russia. Electronic address: kiyko@bk.ru.
⁸ St. Petersburg State University, Biological Faculty, Department of Ichtyology and Hydrobiology, 16th Line VO, 29, St. Petersburg, 199178, Russia. Electronic address: ritatim31@gmail.com.
⁹ St. Petersburg State University, Biological Faculty, Department of Ichtyology and Hydrobiology, 16th Line VO, 29, St. Petersburg, 199178, Russia. Electronic address: n.maximovich@spbu.ru.

PMID: 37604088
DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2023.106151

Abstract

In recent decades, economic activity has sharply increased in the Pechora Sea, one of the most hydrologically unique areas of the Barents Sea. Hence, the information about the current state of its ecosystems is quite important for assessing their possible changes in the future. The aim of the present study was to analyze the distribution of macrobenthos and assess its ecological quality in the southeastern part of the Pechora Sea at the beginning of the 21st century (based on data collected in 2012-2013). The results showed that since 1920s there have been no serious changes in the macrobenthos in the studied area. The weak shifts detected in the benthic fauna were either within the natural range of fluctuations in population of common species, or may be associated with differences in the methodological approaches of different researches. Heterogeneity in the macrobenthos distribution, the most significant abiotic factors identified in relation to it, quantitative indicators of biota, and species dominating in communities were similar to those revealed in previous studies. As of 2013, the characteristics of benthic communities in the southeastern part of the Pechora Sea, including their ecological quality, allow us to refer them as undisturbed biosystems.

Keywords: Distribution; Ecological state; Macrobenthos; Pechora sea.

MeSH terms

Biota*
Ecosystem*