Abstract
In order to identify the influence of hydrometeorological conditions on the seasonal changes in the ecological state of the salt Lake Saki (Crimea), the dynamics of hydrochemical parameters of wa-ter (salinity, oxygen content, temperature, pH, Eh) and changes in the population of the brine shrimp Artemia salina L., as well as the proportion of hatching nauplii from cysts were studied in 2017 and 2018. A decrease in oxygen content and an increase in brine salinity in the summer were accompanied by an increase in air temperature and water temperature; the interannual differ-ences of these parameters were preconditioned by the hydrome-teorological peculiarities. Artemia cysts were found in the water column throughout the year; the nauplii appeared in February – March; the maximum abundance of all life stages of brine shrimp was noted in May. The proportion of hatching nauplii from cysts collected in the cold season was significantly higher than that in the warm season. The observed patterns are discussed as a pos-sible source for analyzing the transformation of hyperhaline eco-systems within the ongoing climate change and for developing the guidelines for the optimal commercial use of the mineral and biological resources of such ecosystems.
Highlights
Global biosphere processes and economic activity modify aquatic ecosystems, violate the hydrodynamic and hydrochemical conditions develo ped through a long evolution; this can lead to the resource depletion, to deterioration of the quality of resources, or to the inability for using by humans
The resources of hypersaline lakes are intensively used in human economic activity, since the brine minerals serve as raw materials for chemical industry enterprises, the sediments are used for medicinal purposes in balneology, in the cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries, and the dominant species of brine shrimp (Artemia sp.) is one of the most valuable starting feed for aquaculture facilities (Lavens et al, 1986; Rudneva, 1991)
In order to understand the mechanisms that govern the functioning of the aquatic ecosystem, a comprehensive study is indispensable to assess the totality of natural and anthropogenic factors affecting the dynamics of processes occurring in a water body both directly and indirectly for a certain time
Summary
Global biosphere processes and economic activity modify aquatic ecosystems, violate the hydrodynamic and hydrochemical conditions develo ped through a long evolution; this can lead to the resource depletion, to deterioration of the quality of resources, or to the inability for using by humans. Hypersaline lakes are widespread globally, many of them are located in the areas characterized by high air temperature and intense evaporation (Wooldridge et al, 2016). These water bodies are characterized by different salinity, pH, mineral composition, as well as by low biodiversity. Their ecosystems are very vulnerable to the changes in abiotic factors, which may lead to irreversible changes in the conditions historically prevailing in these reservoirs. Brine shrimp is a filter-feeder, consuming microalgae and suspended organic particles, this contributing to the clarification of water in the reservoir, the formation of sediments with medicinal properties, and the normal functioning of the water body (Shadkam et al, 2016)
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