Abstract
The influence of Black Sea mussels on sedimentary processes in the near-shore zone is considered. Using sedimentation traps, quantitative aspects of substance flux transformation by mollusks during the biogenic sedimentation of lithogenic material is studied. Mollusks increase ten to twenty times the vertical sedimentation rate of substance from suspension and change the flow direction from horizontal to vertical one. The substance flux produced during the filtration of Black Sea shelf waters by benthic organisms is two to five times higher than that provided by rivers of the entire discharge basin. The filtration of water by mollusks results in an intense geochemical transformation of substance in the suspension–sediment system. This is expressed in the removal of organic matter, calcium carbonate, and practically all microelements from suspension. Major components of the suspension, such as SiO2, TiO2, and Al2O3, as well as some microelements (Sr, Rb), are concentrated by mussels during the digestion process.
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