Modern Methods for Assessing the Self-cleaning Capacity of Marine Ecosystems in Shallow Waters of the Black Sea: Ports, Bays, Estuaries

Abstract

The analysis of two methods for quantitative determination of self-cleaning capacity of marine ecosystems (balance and synoptic) by calculating the assimilation capacity of marine shallow water ecosystems is given, and examples of their implementation for shallow water areas of the Black Sea, which differ in both the level of anthropogenic load and hydrologic and hydrochemical and geographical characteristics, are given. The example of separate Black Sea areas demonstrates the expediency of spatial (zoning) (Dnepro-Bugsky estuary, Sevastopol Bay) and temporal (seasonality) (water area of the Odessa port) detailed assessment of the assimilation capacity of ecosystems in relation to various pollutant complexes. According to the data of long-term monitoring observations of inorganic nitrogen content in sea waters of the Sevastopol Bay, the balance method assessed the assimilation capacity of ecosystems and E-TRIX trophicity index of the eastern, central, western parts of the bay and the southern part of the bay in relation to nitrites, nitrates and ammonium as priority elements of the biogenic complex in storm and municipal runoff. The example of the central part of the Sevastopol Bay shows the assessment of the assimilation capacity of the marine ecosystem in relation to oil products, as a priority pollutant for areas of developed shipping, performed using the synoptic method. For the Sevastopol Bay, the water areas most vulnerable in terms of self-cleaning capacity and the formation of negative environmental situations flesh to catastrophic.