Abstract
During the last six decades, the water level of the Aral Sea, once one of the largest lakes in the world, has experienced a major human-driven regression followed by significant changes in salinity. These fast-paced alterations were initiated by the diversion of two rivers—the Amu Darya and Syr Darya—key players in the regulation of the water balance of the Aral Sea. Consequently, biological modifications took place leading to severe changes of the zoocenosis. This paper reviews the changes that have affected communities of fish and aquatic invertebrates in the Aral Sea since the 1950s. The reported alterations in biodiversity not only represent a natural response to a decrease in water level and a subsequent increase in salinity but also effects of non-native species introduction. The future prospects for invertebrates and fish in the Aral Sea, assuming that initiated restoration work is continued, are also discussed in this paper.
Highlights
REVIEW ARTICLENikolay Vasilevich Aladin1 & Valentina Ivanovna Gontar1 & Ljubov Vasilevna Zhakova1 & Igor Svetozarovich Plotnikov1 & Alexey Olegovich Smurov1 & Piotr Rzymski2 & Piotr Klimaszyk
In the last six decades, the Aral Sea has suffered from an unprecedented human-driven, ecological disaster leading to rapid, wide-scale changes in its water level followed by a rise in salinity and modifications in biodiversity (Aladin and Potts 1992; Micklin 2014a, b; Singh et al 2018)
In 2005, funds from the World Bank enabled a proper dam to be constructed, and since the Syr Darya freshwaters have progressively contributed to the water level of the northern part of the Aral Sea, Environ Sci Pollut Res (2019) 26:2228–2237
Summary
Nikolay Vasilevich Aladin1 & Valentina Ivanovna Gontar1 & Ljubov Vasilevna Zhakova1 & Igor Svetozarovich Plotnikov1 & Alexey Olegovich Smurov1 & Piotr Rzymski2 & Piotr Klimaszyk. Received: 29 June 2018 / Accepted: 19 November 2018 / Published online: 27 November 2018 # The Author(s) 2018
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