Shemetova D.V., Savitsky M.A., Rozhdestvenskaya I.A., Bragina A.A., Kuznetsov A.V. Comparative Study of Рlankton at Albatros and Foros Stations in Crimea in January 2024 and 2025: Oil Spill in the Kerch Strait // Ecosystems: ecology and dynamics. No 1. 2025. P. 114-122. | Abstract | PDF | Reference

 

In this paper we present a comparative study of plankton organisms at Albatros and Foros Stations in Crimea in January 2024 and 2025. Our research was conducted before and after an industrial disaster that occurred on December 15, 2024, when the fuel tankers “Volgoneft-212” and “Volgoneft-239” sank in the Kerch Strait, resulting in the discharge of approximately 2,400 tons of oil into the sea. The monitoring of microphytoplankton was carried out as part of the project “Ecology of the Heraklion Peninsula – Sirius.Summer” (Rus. “Экология Гераклейского полуострова – Сириус.Лето”). We sampled plankton using sequential filtration and performed its microscopic analyses. As a result, we observed a decrease in the biodiversity of planktonic organisms, particularly at the Foros Station, which is located closer to the spill epicenter. Distribution diagrams indicated a significant reduction in the number of morphotypes post-incident. The observed changes in community structure are presumably linked to the detrimental effects of anthropogenic pollution. These findings underscore the importance of continued monitoring of marine ecosystems to assess the dynamics of recovery processes and to formulate conservation strategies.

Keywords: Kerch Strait, industrial disaster, plankton, biodiversity, ecosystem, anthropogenic pollution.

Funding: The work was carried out using personal funds for the project task ‘Ecology of the Heraclea Peninsula and its Surroundings’ as part of the All-Russian educational initiative “Sirius.Summer: Start Your Project.”

DOI: 10.24412/2542-2006-2025-1-114-122

EDN: YJLBFE