The Effect of Natural and Anthropogenic Factors on the Seasonal Ecohydrological Dynamics of the Eastern Basin of the Hypersaline Sakskoe Lake, the Republic of Crimea

Abstract

Crimean salt lakes have a high resource potential used in various types of human activity, i.e., balneology, chemical industry, and therapy; now, they are attractive tourist sites. A combination of biotic and abiotic factors creates specific conditions for the development and functioning of biota and the formation of unique ionic composition of brine and bottom sediments, which are used in balneology and the production of spa-products. Sakskoe Lake is among the largest coastal salt lakes of Crimea, located on the southwestern coast of the Black Sea. The effect of climate conditions and biota caused the formation of a specific ecosystem in the lake, which has a peculiar ionic composition of brine, changing within the year, and a brine shrimp population. The concentrations of cations and anions in the brine increased in summer because of active evaporation and decreased in winter and spring because of dilution of atmospheric precipitation and snowmelt water. The dynamics of the brine population also showed characteristic seasonal features: the life cycle begins in April, the maximal number of various life stages is recorded in May–June, and the end, in November–December. The artificial regulation of the water–salt regime of the water body through addition of seawater in summer contributed to maintaining optimal conditions, thus ensuring a high vital activity of the biota. The obtained data can reflect the seasonal dynamics of processes in the salt lake, governed by climatic, seasonal, and anthropogenic factors.