POTENTIAL THREATS TO THE ECOLOGICAL STATE OF WATER IN THE SEVASTOPOL BAY

Abstract

The purpose of the work is to discuss the main environmental problems of the state of waters in the Sevastopol Bay and to identify the causes affecting their quality. Four seasonal surveys of the Sevastopol Bay water area in 2022 confirmed the prime impact of the Black River runoff, a main source of nutrients, on the hydrochemical composition of the bay waters.At the same time, it is noted that the hydrochemical parameters of the South Bay waters are predominantly affected by freshwater runoff in the estuarine part of the area rather than by the Black River water. It is assumed that the runoff is permanent, and not emergency, as previously thought. With the winds of the southern directions, the spread of the South Bay water to the central part of the Sevastopol Bay is possible, thus affecting the state of its ecosystem.In summer an additional source of ammonium ions was recorded in the estuarine part of the Artillery Bay, next to which the Crystal city beach is located, with concentrations 80 times higher than the background. Since ammonium is a product of organic matter oxidation, its appearance may indicate the predominance of destructive processes, which affect living conditions of biological organisms and, in general, the ecological state of waters. In the warm season a constant deficiency of oxygen was observed in the bottom waters of an artificial depression under the floating dock, which in some cases leads to the formation of hydrogen sulfide. All detected threats affect the ecological state of entire ecosystem of the bay, the living conditions of biological organisms and the recreational potential of the bay