Fish fauna of North European Russia’s water ecosystems affected by artificially-induced pollution

Abstract

The composition of the fish population of three water bodies in the Kenti River system (White Sea basin), polluted by waste from a mining concentration plant, was analyzed. Only four out of 12 fish species of the Kenti River system (pike, burbot, bleak and roach) occur in all the water bodies studied. The fish population is dominated by roach. Smelt and dace were shown to be most sensitive to industrial waste. The closer to the source of pollution, the smaller the number of fish species in the lake. The impoverishment of the fish fauna is largely due to its (alkaline) habitat and the loss of spawning and growing conditions for juveniles (small areas occupied by aquatic vegetation).