Azov-Black Sea Basin Research Articles

Molecular phylogeny, morphology and distribution of Amphitetras antediluviana Ehrenberg from the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov

The intriguing large-celled species of Amphitetras antediluviana Ehrenberg was originally described as a fossil species (Ehrenberg, 1840), but later noted in a living state in various regions of the World ocean. Our recent studies revealed that the species has been found for the last decade in significant numbers in many habitats along the coast of the Azov-Black Sea basin. Two strains—the large valves from Laspi Bay, the Black Sea (BL-5_12092019) and the small valves from the Sea of Azov (AZ-12_24122019)—were isolated and analyzed using light and scanning electron microscopy along with molecular-genetic investigation. Specimens of the two populations differ in valve sizes and structure, however, their belonging to the same species was confirmed with the help of molecular analysis. Taxonomic positions of the strains of A. antediluviana isolated from two marine waterbodies were clarified. In addition, we provided a detailed morphological diagnosis of the species with a description of the valve ultrastructure and its elements, as well as geographical distribution and taxonomic history.

Оценка предложений по формированию сети альтернативных маршрутов следования коридора «Север — Юг»

Purpose: to develop proposals for the development of the expected growth in traffic volumes along the North–South transport corridor. To assess the capacity of the Upper Baskunchak — Astrakhan — Olya port section as the most heavily loaded, where cargo flows from several directions merge. To show the need to unload the main direction of the North-South corridor and form a network of alternative routes in the transport corridor to ensure transportation guarantees in case of force majeure. Consider the possibility of attracting parallel routes through the North Caucasus Railway (SKZHD). Methods: the calculation of throughput was carried out using the methodology used in JSC “Russian Railways” and the author’s proposals, taking into account additional reserves of throughput. General logical methods were used — quantitative and qualitative analysis and synthesis, induction and deduction, analogies, classifications, a combination of historical and logical analyses. The proposed universal algorithm, which makes it possible to evaluate the possibility of choosing parallel moves, can be recommended for practical use. Results: the maximum number of trains that can be redirected to parallel routes has been established, taking into account the available capacity and their workload with export cargo traffic in the direction of the ports of the Azov-Black Sea basin. The relevance of the direction of development of heavy traffic aimed at reducing the required capacity and reducing inter-train intervals to increase the available capacity is shown. A universal algorithm has been formed that allows evaluating the possibility of choosing parallel moves. Practical significance: the necessity of mastering the expected cargo flow and preventing its departure to competing destinations, for example, through the Suez Canal, is shown. In the current political and economic conditions, the North — South International Transport Corridor (ITC) is changing its status: from an alternative to the Suez Canal, it is becoming one of the priority routes for Russian export cargo traffic.

Актуальные угрозы внешнеторговой безопасности Российской Федерации в условиях изменения тарифной политики Турецкой республики в отношении транзита через проливы Босфор и Дарданеллы

the article presents the results of a study of current threats to the foreign trade security of the Russian Federation in the context of changes in the tariff policy of the Turkish Republic regarding transit through the Bosporus and Dardanelles straits. An infographic of the cargo turnover of ports of the Azov-Black Sea basin in 2015 is presented. A design scheme for the construction of the Istanbul canal from the Black Sea to the Mediterranean is presented.

ANALYSIS OF THE CURRENT STATE OF FUNCTIONING OF COMMERCIAL PORTS OF UKRAINE

Thearticle presents the results of the study of the functioning of the ports of Ukraine through the prism of the impact of the war. A generalized analysis of the operation of Ukraine's ports from the first wave of blockade by the Russian Federation in 2022 to the current state is presented, including the actual throughput capacity of functioning ports and the nomenclature of cargo handling by Danube ports in 2023. In addition, the dynamics and structure of the supply of agricultural products by the main modes of transport are provided, where the importance of the ports of Ukraine as the main way of exporting agricultural products to ensure their arrival on international markets is highlighted; shows changes in grain and wheat prices between January 2021 and August 2023 based on International Grains Council indices. The role of the ports of the Danube region and the grain agreement for the export of cargo flows of agricultural andother products to African and Asian markets is singled out. The question of the potential for further development, development, modernization and renewal of the infrastructure of the ports of Izmail, Reni, and Ust-Dunaysk was revealed. The restoration of ship calls to the ports of Greater Odessa thanks to the formation of Ukraine's own humanitarian corridor was emphasized. The consequences of Russia's large-scale war against Ukraine in the field of port activity are grouped due to the consequences of direct and indirect influence. The risks of shipping among the countries of the Azov-Black Sea basin from the standpoint of security are summarized. It is concluded that the consequences of the protracted war scenario in Ukraine will have a negative impact not only on the port industry, but will also become a catalyst for an economic crisis in the developed economies of the world.

Morphological and genetic identification of an invasive species of the genus Melita (Amphipoda: Melitidae) from the Azov–Black Sea basin

Morphological and genetic identification of an invasive species of the genus Melita (Amphipoda: Melitidae) from the Azov–Black Sea basin

Морський кадастр: українські реалії в контексті світового досвіду

The purpose of this study is to attract the attention and awareness of state authorities and local self-government bodies, specialists and the public to the role of the marine cadastre in the economy of Ukraine and to initiate a discussion on the subject of its creation and functioning. To achieve the goal, an analysis of the current state of the maritime cadastre in a number of foreign countries and in Ukraine was performed.Method. In the process of conducting this research, an analytical method was used. In particular, the structure, management methods and functioning of the marine cadastral systems of the USA, Canada, Australia, Malaysia and a number of European countries have been studied. An analysis of the regulatory and legal acts and the institutional base of Ukraine for the possibility of creating a system of the country’s maritime cadastre was carried out. The object of the study was the sea water areas of the Ukrainian Azov-Black Sea basin and the coastal protective strips of the seas. The research results show that there are legal, institutional and technical prerequisites for the creation of a marine cadastral system in Ukraine. For the full functioning of the marine cadastre system of Ukraine, it is necessary to supplement the existing legislative and regulatory framework, which would allow to regulate in the legal field the issues of institutional and technical support of the cadastre, as well as its administration.When creating a marine cadastre, one should observe an important principle: the land-sea environment is a complete natural-territorial complex. Scientific novelty and practical significance.. The main problems that must be solved in order to build and operate an effective marine cadastre system in Ukraine are defined. Given the fact that coastal territories and the marine environment should be considered as integral natural complexes, in terms of organizational and management, the administrators of the marine cadastre at this stage can be the structural subdivisions of the State Geocadastre and the State Hydrography of Ukraine.

A Brief Outline of Navigation on the Black and Azov Seas from Antiquity to the Russian Regular Fleet

Based on the principles of historicism and consistency, the article examines the stages of navigation in the Azov-Black Sea basin from early antiquity to the Russian regular Navy. Little-known written and material sources were used. The evolution of sailing and rowing vessels is shown, due to the tasks of certain periods and the technological capabilities of the subjects. The constant attractiveness of the Azov Sea and the mouth of the Don River with adjacent lands as sources of rich food resources and as a crossroads of world trade routes for very remote states for thousands of years has been revealed. The decisive role of motivation, technical and professional training of naval potential in ensuring the military and economic success of participants in the competitive historical process is shown. The political and economic expediency and firm consistency of Russia in gaining access to the South Seas, which culminated in the implementation of Peter the Great's Azov project, are emphasized. Using concrete examples, the effectiveness of the principle of historicism in scientific and practical reconstructions of voyages on replica ships of the past is demonstrated. It is concluded that in order to acquire the proper level of national consciousness, Russians need systematic historical education and enlightenment.

РАЗВИТИЕ ИНСТРУМЕНТОВ ОЦЕНКИ РЕЗЕРВОВ ПРОПУСКНОЙ СПОСОБНОСТИ ЖЕЛЕЗНОДОРОЖНЫХ УЧАСТКОВ НА БАЗЕ СОЗДАНИЯ ЦИФРОВОГО ДВОЙНИКА И ПРИМЕНЕНИЯ ИСКУССТВЕННОЙ НЕЙРОННОЙ СЕТИ

The article proposes the development of artificial intelligence technologies and the development of specialized research tools for ways to enhance the capacity of the direction based on the creation of a digital twin of a real railway section of the North Caucasus Railway with heavy freight and passenger traffic in the direction of the ports of the Azov-Black Sea basin and resorts in Southern Russia. The task of intelligent (neural network) control of the transportation process is actualized, the problems of modeling complex objects are disclosed and the subtasks of conducting an experiment on the choice of control actions for operational capacity increase on a railway section are formed.

CONCEPTUAL FOUNDATIONS FOR THE USE OF GIS TECHNOLOGIES FOR THE STUDY OF COASTAL ECOSYSTEMS OF THE AZOV-BLACK SEA BASIN IN THE FRAMEWORK OF BLUE GROWTH

Topicality. The paper discusses the possibility of using modern GIS technologies for studying coastal ecosystems of the Azov-Black Sea basin within the framework of blue growth. Today, GIS technologies greatly facilitate the study of the impact of natural and anthropogenic factors on the natural environment. The development of these technologies has increased greatly in recent decades. Now they can be used as a separate and independent tool for research in various areas of production. Based on the results obtained on the basis of GIS technologies, it is possible to draw scientific conclusions or create and implement management decisions to maintain sustainable or resilient development of the state of the environment under significant environmental pressure. Also conduct an economic, environmental, social assessment of the consequences of anthropogenic and natural impacts on marine and coastal ecosystems and the terrestrial ecosystem.Aim and tasks. Scientific substantiation of the possibilities of using modern GIS technologies regarding the sustainable development of the coastal ecosystem of the Azov-Black Sea basin within the framework of blue growth was the aim of the study.Materials and Methods. The studies were based on coastal mapping methods. The classification of environmental parameters based on United States Geological Survey (USGS) data was the initial information. The ecological coastal classification (Ecological Coastal Units (ECU)) was developed by the US Geological Survey (USGS) in collaboration with Esri and the Marine Biodiversity Observation Network (MBON). These data were developed as part of a Group on Earth Observation (GEO) initiative called GEO Ecosystems (GEO ECO). They are linked to the GEO ECO task of developing global data on coastal ecosystems.Research results. The state of the coastal strip of the seas of Ukraine according to the classification of environmental parameters based on data from the United States Geological Survey (USGS) was described in this paper. It was stated that the ecological status of coastlines is classified into five ocean parameters, two land parameters and three coastal parameters. The research results showed that the ecological situation of the coastal strips of the seas of Ukraine generally corresponds to the second, third, sixth and fifteenth classes according to the ecological coastal classification.Conclusion. It is presented that the coastal strip classification method discussed in this paper based on US Geological Survey (USGS) data can serve as a very powerful tool in the process of managing coastal zones of the Azov-Black Sea basin. It has been established that GIS technologies at the current stage of development have very great potential for studying coastal ecosystems of the Azov-Black Sea basin within the framework of blue growth.

Analysis of Competitiveness of Small Ports of the Azov-Black Sea Basin in Multimodal Transportation: Technological Aspects, Transportation Problem Optimisation

A new approach is proposed to the study of functioning of the connecting and transforming link of the multimodal transport and logistics chain, implemented by railway cargo transportation. The methodological basis of the research is classical principles of egalitarianism in the theory of welfare, which allow, based on assessment of the transport and technological infrastructure of the network segment and tariff rates, to build mathematical models that are economically justified, customer-oriented and in demand in management of cargo transportation processes. An algorithm for solving a multi-criteria and multi-extremal problem of integer linear programming with a set of cost objective functions has been developed in the medium of the analytical computing system. The computational experiment is used as a guiding heuristic tool in finding the optimal level of organization and economic efficiency of the cargo transportation process.Optimal combinations of distributions of the number of departure routes per loading stations and related plans of transportation to the reloading stations were found with the help of the Pareto criterion. The obtained values of cost indicators provide the participants of the transportation process with the opportunity to choose competitive options in transportation schemes using small port transshipment stations of the Azov-Black Sea basin.

National Interests of the Russian Federation in the World Ocean: Legal Characteristics

In the paper, the author endeavours to form a comprehensive legal characterization of the national interests of the Russian Federation in the World Ocean consolidated in the new Maritime Doctrine approved by the Decree of the President of Russia dated 31 July 2022. The paper highlights a vital nature of the needs of the State and society that represent conceptual basis for the establishment and implementation of Russian national interests in the World Ocean. The author argues that national maritime interests should be understood as a complex and integral political and legal category of a dual nature, covering both interests in the peaceful use of living and non-living resources of the World Ocean, including commercial navigation and naval activities aimed, inter alia, at ensuring the economic and social interests of the state and society in the maritime sphere. The author highlights the importance of identifying vital, important and other areas (zones) for implementation of national interests. Also, attention is focused on the need for doctrinal development and improvement of a set of legal norms regarding maritime activities in the Azov-Black Sea basin. The paper substantiates a positive role and current activity of the representatives of the Sevastopol scientific School of Maritime Law in the formation and development of systemic legal regulation of the legal status and features of the use of the sea spaces of the Azov-Black Sea basin. In addition, the author analyzes the prospects for strengthening and promoting the national interests of the Russian Federation and qualifies a spatial sphere of their implementation that covers the entire World Ocean and the Caspian Sea. The paper proposes a systematic approach to implementation of national interests in the World Ocean based on an interconnected set of various legal characteristics including teleological; institutional; functional; formal-legal; vital; international law characteristics.

Mathematical experiment in logistics research of multimodal freight transportation with time and cost indicators

Aim: Development of a new approach to optimizing the process of cargo flows distribution at the transport loop. Construction of a mathematical model of the freight transportation process, which equally takes into account the interests of various participants in the transportation process.
 Materials and Methods: A mathematical model of the freight transportation process is built, which is based on the infrastructure indicators of the considered part of the railway loop and is a multicriteria optimization problem of integer programming. The algorithm for solving the problem is common for land transport and is implemented in the environment of a computer algebra system. As a project, which is an example of the application of the developed transport and logistics method, a part of the North-Caucasian railway, adjacent to the main cargo ports of the Azov-Black Sea basin, is considered. The considered railway loop is a transit component, actively exploited for Russian exports, in particular, grain cargoes.
 Results: The issues of organizing rail freight transportation in multimodal transport and technological systems are researched on the basis of egalitarian and utilitarian approaches in welfare theory. These approaches are considered in relation to the participants in the transportation process (agents) within the framework of the time and cost indicators of this process. Computational procedures for finding optimal distributions of cargo flows have been brought to concrete results.
 Conclusion: A mathematical experiment used as a simulation modeling tool allows versatile and purposeful manipulation of the indicators of the transportation process and the restrictions imposed on transportation plans. The cargo flows distributions to port unloading stations obtained as a result of Pareto optimization are analyzed from the point of view of their rationality and usefulness in relation to agents.

Interpreting Russian aims to control the Black Sea region through naval geostrategy (Part One): ‘The Azov-Black Sea basin as a whole […] This is, in fact, a zone of our strategic interests’

ABSTRACT This article is the first of two that examine the influence of naval geostrategy in Russian policy and military action in the Black Sea region. Following the dissolution of the USSR, the Russian Federation inherited an unfavorable geostrategic position in the Black Sea theater. Applying models used in naval geostrategy, this article interprets Russian efforts during the twenty-first century’s first decade and a half that aimed at improving the country’s geostrategic position in this region. In a series of consecutive steps, the Kremlin secured and expanded Russian access to sea zones and naval bases at the Sea of Azov and the Black Sea and, simultaneously, minimized Georgia’s and Ukraine’s conditions to develop sea power.

The analysis of the volume of production activity of seaports of the South of the Russian Federation and development prospects

The article deals with the trends in the development of seaports of the south of the Russian Federation. The study uses a comparative analysis of statistical data, generalization and grouping techniques. The analysis of the dynamics and structure of cargo handling volumes for 2020-2021 in the seaports of the Azov-Black Sea basin of the Russian Federation is carried out. The analysis of the volume of production activity of seaports showed that the Azov-Black Sea basin in 2021 occupies the largest share in the structure of the volume of foreign trade and transit sea cargo of the Russian Federation. The main transformative processes taking place in the field of international maritime transport under the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic and the concept of global sustainable development are highlighted. The main ways of improving the port infrastructure based on the principles of "sustainable development", "lean manufacturing", "continuous improvement", and integrated digitalization of business processes are identified.

The Invasion of the Alien Species <i>Bonnemaisonia hamifera</i> Hariot in Coastal Phytocenoses Near the Southern Coast of Crimea (the Black Sea)

Based on the results of hydrobotanical research in 2015–2021, it has been found that the global expansion of the Bonnemaisonia hamifera Hariot filamentous sporophyte stage had reached the Southern Coast of Crimea (SCC) by 2017. At present, the invader is registered in all horizons of the SCC phytal. Massively developing in the epiphyton of native species, it inhibits their growth, and in some areas it becomes one of the dominants. This changes the appearance, structure, and production indicators of algal communities (up to their degradation in some areas), which makes it possible to attribute this invasive species to the “transformers” category. It has been shown that the invasion develops rapidly, its vector coincides with the direction of the Main Black Sea Current. Eutrophication can play a stimulating role. Presumably, the species is already present on the southwestern and western coasts of the Crimean Peninsula and will populate the western and northwestern regions of the Black Sea in the next one or two years; expansion into the Sea of Azov is also likely. B. hamifera invasion may threaten biological diversity of the of the entire Azov-Black Sea basin, which under the conditions of its relative isolation can lead to ecological catastrophe that will affect all countries in the region. Currently, there are no ways that could stop or slow down the process of invasion.

Objects of Antique and Medieval Cultural Heritage as a resource of the geoecosystems of the Northern Black Sea Coast and of the Black Sea Shelf in the area of the Bug Estuary

This article is a continuation of the author’s series of publications devoted to the study of the resource potential of archaeological artifacts — sites of ancient and medieval heritage as anthropogenic components of modern geoecosystems of the Northern Black Sea coast (GESNBSC) and the nearby Black Sea shelf including the estuaries. These sites are currently partially or fully located in the transitional part of the Black Sea Geoecosystem (BSG) space and associated geoecological subsystems of estuaries, where modern natural aerial, aquatic and geological environmental subsystems interface with each other. The article presents the results of research, characterization and typification of archaeological sites of the cultural heritage of ancient and medieval times, which are located in the space of geoecosystems that were formed in this region. Among them are the underwater archaeological sites dis- covered in the space of ancient coastal and littoral paleogeoecosystems of the Bug Estuary, their connection with the most significant archaeological sites that were once formed as part of geoecosystems of the land. A preliminary reconstruction of the borders of the Bug Estuary in ancient and medieval times is made; there is demonstrated the resource archaeological potential of GESNBSC spaces and the adjacent zone of the Black Sea shelf with estuaries, including the ancient and medieval archaeo- logical sites of cultural heritage, which were created and for some time belonged to the spaces of cer- tain paleo-GESNBSC, but are now located in the space of modern geoecosystem of the Bug Estuary. The article gives a brief description of the already known archaeological, partially submerged sites of ancient and medieval cultural heritage, some other interesting underwater archaeological artifacts, and shows the feasibility of expanding their study with reference to bathymetric and geomorphological features of the boundaries between modern natural BSG environmental subsystems. Such knowledge is important both for solving the issues related to a more profound understanding of the causes and consequences of changes in the paleogeoecological and modern geoecological conditions of the shelf of Azov-Black Sea basin and GESNBSC, predicting their dynamics and directions of development, and for historical and archaeological reconstructions, in particular, to identify new cultural heritage sites. The results of geoarchaeological (that is, a complex of geoecological and archaeological) studies published in the article are important not only for understanding the formation and functioning of transitional geoecosystems with their resources, which include archaeological artifacts as anthropogenic components, but also for the development of public culture, historical memory population and expansion of its historical consciousness. In addition, such knowledge is necessary to consciously and competently address a number of economic problems in the development of communities in the Northern Black Sea region. In particular, to attract investment in the development of coastal and underwater tourism, to predict the impact of many geo-environmental processes inherent in the research region under specific conditions of the search, identification, use and preservation of the historical and archaeological potential of ancient and medieval cultural heritage located in the space of modern GESNBSC and BSG as their components. These anthropogenic components are objective evidence of the impact of natural geo-environ- mental conditions and their dynamics on the peculiarities of life and migration of the region’s inhabitants from ancient times up to the present.

Supplement to the Macroalgal Flora of the Natural Reserve "Cape Martyan" (Crimea, The Black Sea)

As a result of the materials found in the 2019 monitoring studies, six new species of macroalgae were identified for the marine area of the Nature Reserve "Cape Martyan." They were located on the Southern Coast of Crimea (SCC): <i>Bolbocoleon piliferum</i> Pringsh., <i>Giraudia sphace-larioides</i> Derbès et Solier, <i>Myrionema balticum</i> (Reinke) Foslie, <i>Lithophyllum cystoseirae</i> (Hauck) Heydr., <i>Bonnemaisonia hamifera</i> Har., and <i>Choreonema thuretii</i> (Bornet) F. Schmitz (the latter two species were recorded for the hydrobotanical region "Southern Coast of Crimea" for the first time). Correspondingly, the list of marine macrophytes within the boundaries of the Nature Reserve now includes 160 species and intraspecific taxa at the species rank, which consist of ~ 36% of the total number of macrophytes identified in the Black Sea. Thus, the protected water area near the Cape Martyan continues to function as one of the key refugia for natural phytodiversity in the region. At the same time, <i>B. hamifera</i> is an invasive transforming species that has recently invaded the SCC region. This is a threat to the ecosystem of the Nature Reserve, and in the near future the invasion may cover the entire Northern Black Sea region. The results of this study expand the level of understanding of natural phytodiversity of the reserve, the hydrobotanical region and the region as a whole yet simultaneously indicating a developing problem of biological invasion, which, under the current conditions of the isolated Azov-Black Sea basin, can have catastrophic consequences.

Optimization of the length of dispatching polygon sections railways

The article deals with the organization of work of the dispatcher’s office on directions with a high intensity of mixed cargo and passenger traffic. The North Caucasus Railway, which serves the ports of the Azov-Black Sea basin of Russia, and its main busy routes, was chosen as the research site. A methodological approach to determining the length of dispatching sections at the railway landfill within the framework of the Road Traffic Control Center has been developed. At the initial stage of studying the content of the work of train dispatchers, the algorithms developed by the authors are used solving operational management tasks. The analysis of non-optimal actions of the train dispatcher that cause losses in the transportation process is used further to develop a method for estimating losses in operators of problem algorithms based on the interval estimation method by solving a linear programming problem. As a result, based on the assessment of the capabilities of the operational personnel of the railway polygon of the road and the technological cost of delays in movement due to its suboptimal actions, a methodological approach is proposed to determine the length of dispatching sections that provide regulatory control, load level of the dispatcher device.

Чужорідні види риб атлантично-середземноморського походження в Азовському морі в межах акваторії України (огляд за останні 50 років)

The article is devoted to alien fish species that have appeared over the past 50 years off the coast of Ukraine in the Sea of Azov. The coastal waters of the Sea of Azov are analysed within the waters of Ukraine from Cape Tarkhan of the Kerch Peninsula to the Kryva Spit in Taganrog Bay with the selection of three areas: the southern part—from Cape Tarkhan to Cape Kazantip; the western part—from Arabatska Bay to the Tonka Strait, including Syvash Bay; the northern part—from the Utlyutsky Estuary to the Kryva Spit. According to generalised data from numerous literature sources, from the time of the publication of the work of K. F. Kessler in 1877 and A. Ostroumov in 1897 to the present time, 53 species of fish from 43 genera and 32 families of Atlantic–Mediterranean origin have been registered in the Sea of Azov. During the same period of time, 37 species from 32 genera and 25 families were recorded in the waters of Ukraine. From this list currently disappeared 4 species from 2 families. Since the 1970s, 6 alien species of Atlantic–Mediterranean origin (or complex) have been found in the waters of the Sea of Azov in Ukraine (11.3% of the total number of species registered in the sea since 1897), belonging to 6 genera of 6 families. At species level, aliens make up 16.2% of the number of representatives of the Atlantic–Mediterranean assemblage in Ukrainian waters, at the genus level—18.7%, and at family level—24.0%. According to ecological groups, 3 species belong to benthic species, 2 to bentho-pelagic species, and 1 to pelagic species. Brief information on these species is given (synonymy, presence of material in the fish collection of the National Museum of Natural History NAS of Ukraine, description, distribution, record localities). A table is provided with a complete list of species of this assemblage in Ukrainian waters and the entire Sea of Azov. Unlike other areas of the Azov–Black Sea Basin (Crimean waters, north-western part of the Black Sea), where a share of aliens has also occurred constantly and sporadically, all alien species of the Sea of Azov of Atlantic–Mediterranean origin over the past 50 years are random in the area that have entered the sea during intensive advection of saline Black Sea waters through the Kerch Strait.

Доповнення до флори макроводоростей заповідника «Мис Мар- тьян» (Крим, Чорне море)

As a result of the monitoring studies based on the materials from 2019, six new species of macroalgae were identified for the marine area of the Nature Reserve «Cape Martyan», located on the Southern Coast of Crimea (SCC): Bolbocoleon piliferum Pringsh., Giraudia sphacelarioides Derbès et Solier, Myrionema balticum (Reinke) Foslie, Lithophyllum cystoseirae (Hauck) Heydr., Bonnemaisonia hamifera Har., Choreonema thuretii (Bornet) F.Schmitz (the latter two species were recorded for the hydrobotanical region «Southern Coast of Crimea» for the first time). As a result, the list of marine macrophytes within the boundaries of the Nature Reserve now includes 160 species and intraspecific taxa at the species rank, which consist about 36% of the total number of macrophytes identified in the Black Sea. Thus, the protected water area near the Cape Martyan continues to function as one of the key refugia for natural phytodiversity in the region. At the same time, B. hamifera is an invasive transforming species that has recently invaded the SCC region. This is a threat to the ecosystem of the Nature Reserve, and in the nearest future the invasion may cover the entire Northern Black Sea region. Thus, on the one hand, the results of the study expand the understanding of the level of natural phytodiversity of the reserve, the hydrobotanical region and the region as a whole, but on the other hand – they indicate the problem of developing biological invasion, which, under the conditions of the isolated Azov-Black Sea basin, can have catastrophic consequences.