Long-term variations of thermohaline and hydrochemical characteristics in the mussel farm area in the coastal waters off Sevastopol (Black Sea) in 2001–2018

Element Contents in Three Commercially Important Edible Mollusks Harvested off the Southwestern Coast of Crimea (Black Sea) and Assessment of Human Health Risks from Their Consumption

“…The mean thermohaline and hydrochemical characteristics of seawater at the sampling site in April-May 2017 found using standard methods [42,43] are presented in Table 2. All characteristics are typical for this season and are close to the long-term seasonal means [19]. The ratio of the mineral nutrients N:Si:P ≅ 20:18:1 indicates the phosphorus and silicon limitation in the phytoplankton development due to the starting phytoplankton bloom in this period, which is also manifested in the high oxygen saturation (>100%) owing to the active photosynthesis.…”

“…The mollusks of the commercial size were sampled on 3-5 May 2017, each species per day, from the area of the marine farm situated in the northwestern Black Sea off coasts of the southwestern Crimea (44°61′83.46″ N, 33°50′33.80″ E, Figure 1). The mollusk farm is situated between Sevastopol Bay and Karantinnaya Bay, which experience considerable anthropogenic loading [19]. The short 3-day sampling period was due to the requirement of sampling the mollusks from the environment with nearly constant physicochemical and ecological conditions.…”

“…The nutrient extraction by bivalves, mainly by mussels, is successfully utilized to improve water quality and mitigate eutrophication [13][14][15]. Risks of phytoplankton depletion due to the possible nutrient limitation [16][17][18][19] impel aquaculturists to set up near-shore mollusk farms in or close to the nutrient-enriched water bodies such as enclosed bays and estuaries.…”

Short-time salinity fluctuations are strong activators of oxidative stress in Mediterranean mussel (Mytilus galloprovincialis)

“…Mussels are widely distributed in regions with various salinity levels in the range 14-35 ‰. In the Black Sea region M. galloprovincialis are naturally distributed and farmed in coastal areas that are characterized with periodic salinity fluctuations (Kapranov et al, 2020). Mussels are typical osmoconformers and their hemolymph osmolarity changes mirror those of the external environment.…”

Control of Potential Mussel Recruitment Taking Into Account Some Environmental Parameters in Sevastopol Estuarine Zone

“…В Черном море в последние десятилетия ухудшается состояние популяции мидии Mytilus galloprovincialis Lamarck, 1819 -происходит уменьшение ее численности и биомассы в различных акваториях моря [1,2]. Причинами этого могут быть факторы естественного генезиса, не связанные с антропогенным воздействием: увеличение в последние десятилетия температуры как поверхности прибрежных вод Черного моря [3][4][5], так и его глубинных слоев [6]; уменьшение стока речных вод, несущих биогенные элементы, и снижение вертикальной перемешиваемости водных масс, обеспечивающей обогащение фотического слоя воды минералами [7]. Отсюда возможно ослабление продукционных возможностей фитопланктона в бухтах и в пелагиали открытого моря, как отмечается в [8,9].…”