Analysis of the results of monitoring of indicator algal viruses in the bays of Sevastopol in the periods before and during the Covid-19 pandemic

Abstract

Analysis of the results of monitoring the indicator algal viruses of microalgae Tetraselmis viridis and Phaeodactylum tricornutum in differing in ecological well-being bays of Sevastopol in periods before and during the Covid-19 pandemic recorded changes in the ratio of the amounts of various strains in the “pre-covid” (2015–2019) and “covid” (2020–2021) time periods, which may indicate an improvement in the environmental situation in the studied waters during the Covid-19 pandemic. The reason for such changes could be a decrease in anthropogenic pressure under restrictive and quarantine measures.