Relocation of Fish Populations to Estuaries and Bays of the North-Western Section of the Black Sea as a Consequence of Technogeneous Disasters and Natural Processes in 2023

BackgroundOpen access to occurrence records of the most dangerous invasive species in a standardised format have important potential applications for ecological research and management, including the assessment of invasion risks, formulation of preventative and management plans in the context of global climate and land use changes in the short and long perspective. The striped field mouse (Apodemusagrarius Pallas, 1771) is a common species in the temperate latitudes of the Palaearctic. Due to land use and global climate changes, several waves of expansion of the range of this species have been observed or inferred. By intrusion into new regions, the striped field mouse has become an alien species there. Apodemusagrarius causes significant harm to agriculture and is one of the most important pests of grain crops. In tree nurseries, A.agrarius destroys seeds of valuable tree species and gnaws at the bark of saplings of broadleaf species and berry bushes. It is one of the most epidemiologically important rodents, involved in the circulation of the causative agents of haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) and many other zoonotic infections. The foregoing allows us to classify the striped field mouse as a dangerous invasive alien species in the expanding part of the range. A lot of data accumulated for this species are of interest from both ecological and applied points of view. The accumulation and aggregation of data on the occurrence records of A.agrarius is relevant for the study of ecology, biogeography and construction of the spatial distribution and ecological niche models in the context of global climate change. We have created a dataset of 1603 occurrence records of this species, collected from 1936 to December 2020 by various zoologists, previously published or original. These records relate to a significant part of the striped field mouse’s range in Russia (1264 records) and neighbouring countries (339 records). The dataset shows the position of the northern and central parts of A.agrarius range, the disjunction of the range in Transbaikalia and isolated populations in the north of the range. The data were obtained in different formats from literature, indicating different degrees of accuracy of geographic coordinates and with several variations of the species' name. In the process of aggregating and fixing errors, we created a set of georeferenced occurrence records, adopted a controlled vocabulary, removed duplicates and standardised the format of records using unified data structure. We examined the dataset for inconsistencies with the taxonomic position of A.agrarius and removed the incorrect records. This paper presents the resulting dataset of A.agrarius occurrence records in the territory of Russia and neighbouring countries in a standardised format.New informationThis is a validated and comprehensive dataset of occurrence records of A.agrarius, including both our own observations and records from literature. This dataset is available for extension by other researchers using a standard format in accordance with Darwin Core standards. In different countries, there are a lot of occurrence records for the striped field mouse, but the overwhelming part of them is presented in separate literary sources, stored in the form of maps and in zoological collections. Prior to this project, such information was not available to a wide range of researchers and did not allow the use of these spatial data for further processing by modern methods of analysis, based on geographic information systems (GIS technologies). The created dataset combines species occurrence records of many Soviet zoologists who studied the distribution of the striped field mouse over a significant part of its recent range, in Russia and neighbouring countries (within the former USSR). The final set of records was created by combining the species occurrence records using a uniform data structure, checking geographic coordinates and removing duplicate and erroneous records. The dataset expands the available information on the spatial and temporal distribution of the dangerous invasive species in Russia and neighbouring countries of the former USSR (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Belarus, Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan).

The painted comber Serranus scriba, a subtropical marine fish species assigned to the famiy Serranidae in the Black Sea is insufficiently studied. It is a simultaneous hermaphrodite fish. Data on age, growth, and maturity of the painted comber inhabiting the Black sea area around Crimea, including its spatial variation within the entire habitat range are reported. Overall, 537 specimens caught from July to October 2022 are analyzed. The biggest specimen ever caught in the Black Sea with 26.1 cm total length and 265.1 g weight at the age of 15 years was registered. The values for the von Bertalnffy equation parameters were estimated. Thus, asymptotic length, asymptotic weight, and growth constant made up 28.3 cm, 358.6 g, and 0.17 year−1, respectively. The exponent of 3.10 in the length-weight relationship equation (positive allometry) was estimated. Maturity was defined in 50% spesimens at 12.0 ± 0.2 cm total length in the third year of life. It was ascertained that spatial variation in the life history traits for the specimens is weakly expressed. The painted comber inhabiting the Black Sea is slightly different from the representatives of this species found in the Aegean and Adriatic Seas in age, size, and growth. In addition, the biggest and faster-growing specimens are recorded more often under the low-latitude climate conditions, in the water areas off Egypt and the Canary Islands.

Biological control of undesirable organisms and pathogens often involves the introduction of alien species into new regions. However, alien species themselves pose a potential threat to local ecosystems and economies. The Eastern mosquitofish Gambusia holbrooki is recognised as a dangerous invasive species, but despite this, it is still used for biological control of mosquito larvae, a potential vector of malaria plasmodium transmission to humans, on the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus. We focused on the species composition of helminths in this fish species. We detected adult nematodes Pseudocapillaria (Pseudocapillaria) tomentosa and cestodes Schyzocotyle acheilognathi (formely Bothriocephalus acheilognathi). The above nematode was observed for the first time in fish of the genus Gambusia. Importantly, the cestode S. acheilognathi, which we found in G. holbrooki, is the most successful invasive alien parasite species in freshwaters of the planet and is extremely hazardous to natural ecosystems and aquaculture as it can cause mass mortality of young fish. Thus, the current practice of transferring mosquitofish between water bodies on the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus to control mosquito larvae may contribute to the undesirable spread of a harmful quarantine fish parasite.

Based on the available biological and fisheries data, stock status review for 18 units of the fish species inhabiting the Black Sea and the both Azov and Black Seas is presented. A modified version of the traditional approach to the harvest control rules for the aquatic bioresources of the Azov and Black Sea Fishery Basin is described for the case when they are assessed by the mathematical methods to estimate the current stock biomass and fishing mortality. For 11 stock units, analytical modeling including cohort, production and trend models has been applied. Based on the estimates of biomass and fishing mortality concerning biological reference points, in 2021, the status of six stock units of the marine fish species inhabiting the basin and exploited by the Russian fisheries was identified as increasing or stable (“Black Sea” stock units of the European sprat and European anchovy, “Crimean” stock unit of turbot, “Crimean and Caucasian” stock unit of red mullet, and “Black and Azov Seas” stock units of garfish and rays). Five fishery stock units (“Crimean and Caucasian” of mullets, picarel and Mediterranean horse mackerel, “Black and Azov Seas” of sand smelts, and “Caucasian” of turbot) have shown a decreasing trend in terms of abundance, and for the rest of the investigated fish stock units (“Mediterranean migrant” bluefish, Atlantic bonito and Atlantic mackerel, “Black Sea” whiting, so-iuy mullet and the other marine fish species, “Black and Azov Seas” spiny dogfish), the status has not been determined due to the absence of systematic biological and fishery data.

Based on the results of numerical modelling, characteristic features of distribution of transformed and polluted waters of the Dnieper River in the water area of the north-western part of the Black Sea (NWBS) are determined and analyzed. This pollution of the marine environment resulted from the extremely large man-made flood caused by the destruction of the Kakhovka Reservoir dam by the Russian occupation forces in June 2023. Various types of pollutants, which contained in the Kakhovka Reservoir, in the lower Dnieper River and in the bottom sediments, were carried out into the sea by the flood discharge. A significant amount of pollutants was washed into the sea from the flooded areas of the lower Dnieper basin. Special attention is given to changes in oceanographic conditions in the Dnieper-Bug estuary region (DBR) of the Black Sea, which determine the extent of marine pollution. Sea water salinity was used as an indicator of the degree of infiltration of polluted seawater from the estuary into the sea. It was identified that the least transformed river waters with low salinity correspond to high pollution levels. Delft3D-Flow Flexible Mesh hydrodynamic model, developed by Deltares, was used in this study. The simulation was performed for the time period 01 to 30 June 2023. During the first days after the dam break the desalinated and polluted transitional waters, flowing from the Dnieper-Bug estuary, spread over the entire water column down to 15-20 m depth in the DBR area. In this case, the spreading of transitional waters was atypical, as it usually occurs only within the thin near-surface layer of the sea. By mid-June the flow of transitional water with a salinity of 4-6 ‰ covered the entire water column from surface to bottom near the northern coast of the NWBS and over the Odessa Bank. This was facilitated by the supermassive volumes of transformed Dnieper river waters flowing out over a short period of time due to dam break, as well as by the resulting intense gradient currents and mixing caused by spatial gradients in the velocity of the generated currents. The width of the desalinated water plume and its area in the bottom layer were smaller than in the surface layer. The largest vertical salinity gradients were formed to the south of the Odessa Bank, where salinity was 4-6 ‰ in the surface layer and 14-17 ‰ in the bottom. Dilution of the desalinated water plume in the bottom water layer was much more intensive than in the surface water. The character of water circulation pattern in the northern part of the NWBS in the first days after the inflow of transient waters from the Dnieper-Bug estuary was determined by the runoff gradient currents, which later were replaced by wind-driven currents in the Odessa area and over the Odessa Bank, and by the meandering flow of gradient density currents further south. The findings of this study contribute to a better understanding of the impact of the inflow of transformed river waters from the Dnieper-Bug estuary on the variability of oceanographic characteristics and the ecological state of marine waters in the Dnieper-Bug region of the northwestern Black Sea.

The «Biloberezzhya Sviatoslava» National Nature Park (NNP) is a significant protected area in the Black Sea region. The contemporary ichthyofauna of the Park's aquatic areas includes 89 fish species from 42 families. The highest species diversity is observed in the Dnieper-Bug Estuary (66 species), attributed to the ecotone effect of this water body. In the Black Sea within the park's boundaries, 62 species are registered, while the Yahorlyk Bay harbors 58 species. The park's aquatic areas are home to 29 fish species protected under various legislative frameworks and international conventions. Specifically, 17 species are listed in the Red Data Book of Ukraine, 11 in the IUCN Red List, 16 under the Bern Convention, 5 under the Bonn Convention and 6 under the Washington Convention (CITES). The highest number of protected fish species (26) is recorded in the Dnieper-Bug Estuary, with 19 and 21 species registered in Yahorlyk Bay and the Black Sea, respectively. In order to protect rare and endangered species within the Park, it is necessary to develop a management system for commercial and recreational fishing and to strengthen scientific research on the status of key fish species populations. The main tasks include the organization of scientific monitoring of the main commercial fish species to reduce the threat of overfishing and a sharp decline in the populations of resource species. Additionally, it is crucial to strengthen territorial protection measures during the spawning season and enforce the silence regime in waters important for fish reproduction. The development of specialized biotechnical measures aimed at improving spawning, feeding, and habitat conditions—such as the installation of artificial spawning grounds, artificial reefs, and reclamation works—is also essential. Furthermore, improving commercial fishing methods to align with international standards is a priority. This primarily pertains to the use of gill nets, which pose the most critical risk of fish mortality. Keywords: protected areas, Dnieper-Bug Estuary, Yahorlyk Bay, Black Sea, fish, conservation

Walnut is a promising element of the greening system of the Ukraine urbanized landscapes due to its resistance to environmental pollution, durability, fast growth, fruit qualities, etc. The aesthetic value and health-improving functions of Juglans regia trees in the city can be significantly weakened due to the destruction of the leaves by arthropod phyllophages and diseases. In the presented work, an analysis of the phytosanitary status of J. regia trees in green areas of Dnipro was carried out, the main leaf diseases were determined, a complex of insects and mites – phyllobionts of walnut trees, was established, and the level of their harmfulness was assessed. The research was conducted during the growing season of 2021 once a decade on 12 experimental sites, which differed in the conditions growth of J. regia trees growth. The study object was the walnut leaves and unripe fruits. 75 J. regia trees were examined. On average the damage degree to J. regia trees leaves by diseases is 46.9 %. The damage level by brown spot is 8.3 times higher than the similar indicator for white mould. The influence of anthracnose causative agent (Marssonina juglandis) often extends to walnut green fruits. The overall level of leaf damage by arthropod phyllophagous is 79.6 %. Among the types of damage are dominate the change in the leaves color due to sucking insects feeding (58.5 %) and gall-formation (53.8 %) as a result of the gall mites (Aceria erinea, A. tristriata) vital activity. The walnut arthropod phyllobionts taxonomic composition in the green areas of Dnipro city was determined. 16 species in 11 families and 4 orders were identified. The share of Hemiptera is 62.5 %, Lepidoptera – 18.8 %, Trombidiformes – 12.5 %, Thysanoptera – 6.2 %. Six species of entomophages were also identified. Two especially dangerous invasive species – Metcalfa pruinosa and Halyomorpha halys, were found on J. regia trees in some plots of the Dnipro city right bank territory. The most common and harmful species are the following: Aceria erinea, A. tristriata, Panaphis juglandis, Caloptilia roscipennella; potentially threatening – Halyomorpha halys, Metcalfa pruinosa.

A novel idea of using dyes extracted from the leaves of Prosopis juliflora in dye – Sensitized solar cells

Wild fish and seafood species in the western Mediterranean Sea with low safe mercury concentrations

The big-scale sand smelt (Atherina boyeri) is an Atlanto-Mediterranean amphidromous fish species found within the Black Sea. Here, we assess differences in the parasite fauna of big-scale sand smelt populations from their natural range in the northwestern Black Sea and from their expansion range in the Lower and Middle River Dnipro. In addition, we undertook a microsatellite analysis to assess the genetic similarity of fish from the different locations. We found that the parasite community of fish in their natural range was wider than that from their expansion range. While the Gulf of Odesa was most distant from all other localities by parasite community composition and the Dnipro Reservoir was characterised by an absence of parasites (newest and most distant expansion locality), only fish from the Danube Delta showed a significant genetic difference. Our results suggest that the parasite community of big-scale sand smelt is primarily influenced by environmental factors, such as habitat type, water salinity and/or prey composition. Both microsatellite analysis and parasite community species composition (e.g. the presence of the marine Telosentis exiguus in the Kakhovka Reservoir and freshwater Raphidascaris sp. in the Gulf of Odesa) confirmed that populations in the River Dnipro reservoirs had, at some time, been connected with native marine populations, thus also confirming the species' amphidromous nature.

ICE COVER OF THE EUROPEAN SECTOR OF THE ARCTIC AND SURFACE HEIGHTS OF THE ATLANTIC INNER SEAS (ON THE EXAMPLE OF THE BLACK SEA)

The Uruguay River is one of two La Plata River Basin tributaries. The Salto Grande Dam limits the middle and lower sections of the river and impairs the upstream displacement of adult fish, but not the downstream passage of fish larvae. The presence of adult and larvae of migratory species up and downstream of the dam suggests they may reproduce in both river sections; however, the identification of their spawning areas warrants the use of molecular methods. This work used next generation sequencing DNA barcoding of mitochondrial cytochrome b from fish eggs and newly hatched larvae, as well as morphological identification of older larvae to detect migratory fish spawning from both river sections. All developmental stages of short‐distance migratory and resident fish accounted for most of the ichthyoplankton from both river sections. Eggs, newly hatched and older larvae of several long‐distance migratory fish were detected in the Middle Uruguay River; however, the absence of earliest developmental stages in the context of the potential larval passage through the dam, casts doubts on the occurrence or the magnitude of reproduction of these species in the Lower Uruguay River. The new impoundments proposed for the Middle Uruguay River will severely threaten the spawning areas of long‐distance migratory fish, which can lead to future conservation issues. Further research involving high spatial and temporal resolution sampling and molecular identification of fish eggs and newly hatched larvae is needed to identify the spawning areas of the most valued species in the Lower Uruguay River.

Deccan plateau region in India is unique due to presence of diversified geography and ecosystems with rich agricultural diversity including wild flora and fauna. However, it was over exploited by several anthropogenic activities. Acharya N.G. Ranga Agricultural University, Hyderabad has established first Agro-biodiversity Park in August, 2008 and is the first of its’ kind in India with a main objective of preserving, conserving and promoting the rich biodiversity of Deccan plateau region of Hyderabad. The park site is naturally spread with hillocks, boulders, undulated terrain with sloppy lands covered diverse vegetation besides a natural water tank. In the initial stage, the dangerous invasive alien species such as Partheniumhysterophorous, Lantana camera and Prosopis juliflora present in the vicinity were removed. Subsequently, several block plantations were developed with Teak and Mahua (70%) and forest mixed tree species (30%). Besides, separate generic blocks viz., palm and medicinal tree, mixed forest tree gardens and Ficus species diversity block were also developed. Of late, a rare, endemic, endangered and globally threatened species Ceropegia was identified in 2009. Since then, utmost care was taken for conservation in agro-biodiversity park. Water ponds and bodies were also created as a source of water for all resident and migratory bio-creatures for promotion of faunal genetic resources. At present, 24 species of insects, 5 species of fish and 8 species of reptiles were recorded. Out of 120 species of butterflies present in the Andhra Pradesh, 56 were found in this park.

The article presents the monitoring data of the three most dangerous invasive insect species in the territory of Abkhazia: palm borer Paysandisia archon (Burmeister), boxwood moth Cydalima perspectalis (Walker), red palm weevil Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (Olivier). All of them penetrated into Abkhazia in the period from 2014 to 2016 from the Russian Federation. The penetration of invasive species is accompanied by serious ecological and economic consequences. Pest populations show resilience and expansion of forage plant infestation zones. To control pest populations, regular pesticide treatments are required for Buxus colchica boxwood stands, as well as for all types of trees used in the green architecture of Abkhazian cities.

The results of a year's survey on the parasitic infestation of the gastrointestinal tract of three species of benthic fish, namely Serranus scriba, Mullus surmuletus, and Scorpaena porcus, living in a restricted coastal seaground in the N/W sector of the Gulf of Palermo, are reported and critically discussed. Fish populations were sampled monthly by means of a trammel net, according to the local fishing usage. As many as nine helminth species, five of them trematodes and four nematodes, were collected from the gastrointestinal tract of 625 individuals. Infestation was most intense in M. surmuletus, with a peak in the spring. S. scriba was especially parasitized during the spring and summer, whereas S. porcus showed no appreciable variations over the year, but only a slight increase in the spring. A positive relation of the degree of infestation to feeding habits, and especially to crustacean prey, was demonstrated. M. surmuletus and S. scriba are very likely final hosts of H. fabri, whereas S. porcus is merely an intermediate one.