Sakhalin Island Research Articles

Alien plant species from the Lamiaceae family new to the flora of Sakhalin Island

Alien plant species from the Lamiaceae family new to the flora of Sakhalin Island

Findings of Aquatic Vascular Plants on the Sakhalin Island

Investigations of South-western geobotanical district of Sakhalin Island, which is classified as a separate subzone of dark coniferous forests with an admixture of broad-leaved species and corresponds to Krillon floristic district, revealed a number of new aquatic vascular plant species for that area (Lemna turionifera, Myriophyllum verticillatum, Potamogeton gramineus, P. manchuriensis, Stuckenia pectinata, Utricularia minor, U. × ochroleuca). There is also a novelty for the South-Sakhalin lowland geobotanical district (Myriophyllum spicatum). All these taxa are known from other geobotanical districts of Sakhalin. The additions to the flora of the South-western district, which is well surveyed by botanists, indicate not floristic uniqueness of the subzone of dark coniferous forests with an admixture of broad-leaved species, but rather a poor knowledge of the Sakhalin Island aquatic flora.

Traces of Paleolithic expansion in the Nivkh gene pool based on data on autosomal SNP and Y chromosome polymorphism.

The Nivkhs are a small ethnic group indigenous of the Russian Far East, living in the Khabarovsk Territory and on Sakhalin Island, descending from the ancient inhabitants of these territories. In the Nivkhs, a specific Sakhalin-Amur anthropological type is prevalent. They are quite isolated, due to long isolation from contacts with other peoples. The gene pool of the Nivkhs and other Far Eastern and Siberian populations was characterized using a genome-wide panel of autosomal single-nucleotide polymorphic markers and Y chromosome haplogroups. Bioinformatic processing of frequencies of autosomal SNPs, Y chromosome haplogroups and YSTR haplotypes showed that the Nivkh gene pool is very different from the other populations'. Analysis of the SNP frequencies using the PCA method divided the Far Eastern populations in full accordance with the territories of their residence into the northern group of the Chukchi and Koryaks and the southern group, including the Nivkhs and Udege. The remoteness of the Nivkhs coincides with their geographic localization, with the Nivkhs and Udege demonstrating the greatest kinship. The Nivkhs have a specific component of their gene pool, which is present with much less frequency in the Udege and Transbaikal Evenks. According to the IBD blocks, the genotypes of the Nivkhs show a very small percentage of coincidence with the Udege, Koryaks, Evenks and Chukchi, the value of which is the lowest compared to the IBD blocks among all other Siberian populations. The Nivkh-specific composition of haplogroups and YSTR haplotypes was shown. In the Nivkhs, the C2a1 haplogroup is divided into three sublines, which have a fairly ancient origin and are associated with the ancestors of modern northern Mongoloids. The Nivkh haplogroup O2a1b1a2a-F238 is found among residents of China and Myanmar. The Q1a1a1-M120 line is represented among the Nivkhs, Koryaks, Evenks and Yukaghirs. Phylogenetic analysis of individual Y chromosomal haplogroups demonstrated the closeness of the Nivkh gene pool with the ancient population of the Amur and Okhotsk regions, the Koryaks, the Tungus peoples and the population of Southeast Asia. The Nivkh gene pool confirms the relative smallness of their ancestral groups without mixing with other populations.

Quantitative Assessments of the Liquefaction Hazard of Soils considering Possible Strong Earthquakes in Seismically Active Regions of Russia

Introduction The seismogenic liquefaction of the soil poses a great hazard to society and the environment. Therefore, it is actively studied in many countries. In Russian engineering and seismological practice, this area is not sufficiently developed. The deterministic approach still prevails in Russian research on this topic. More modern probabilistic estimates are very rare. Methods This paper describes examples of both deterministic and probabilistic assessments of the seismogenic liquefaction hazard performed in certain areas of the Russian territory with different seismogeological conditions. Deterministic estimates were made using the Iwasaki-Seed-Finn methods and their modifications. Probability distribution functions of a random variable, the “seismic potential of liquefaction” (SPL), were developed for probabilistic estimates. These functions are regional in nature and take into account two types of uncertainties. The first is the uncertainty in achieving “critical” values by the SPL value in the event of potentially dangerous earthquake sources for a given location. The second is the uncertainty in the very occurrence of these sources in a given place for a given period of time. The “critical” SPL values are determined by the strength properties of the site soils. All estimates are based on multivariate calculations using various models of strong ground motions and seismicity. In all cases, the probability of liquefaction of water-saturated sandy and sandy-loam deposits was estimated which were found near the seabed and at depths of up to 80 m in the waters of Pogibi cape (the coast of Sakhalin island), in the districts of Sochi and Novorossiysk, as well as in land conditions (Stavropol, Krasnodar). Results The results of the research made it possible to correctly (at the quantitative level) take into account this component of the seismic hazard of the studied territories. Conclusion The variants of practical use of the obtained data are offered. An assessment of the possibilities and limitations of the developed methodology is made, and ways to improve it are outlined.

Chlorophyll in Water and Bottom Sediments as an Indicator of the Trophic State of Busse Lagoon (Sakhalin Island)

Chlorophyll in Water and Bottom Sediments as an Indicator of the Trophic State of Busse Lagoon (Sakhalin Island)

On the Capture of Strongylura anastomella (Belonidae) in Aniva Bay (Sea of Okhotsk) and Information on Its Captures in Other Coastal Areas of Sakhalin Island

On the Capture of Strongylura anastomella (Belonidae) in Aniva Bay (Sea of Okhotsk) and Information on Its Captures in Other Coastal Areas of Sakhalin Island

Some Data on the Distribution and Biology of the Japanese Sandfish Arctoscopus japonicus (Steindachner, 1881) in Coastal Waters of Sakhalin Island

Some Data on the Distribution and Biology of the Japanese Sandfish Arctoscopus japonicus (Steindachner, 1881) in Coastal Waters of Sakhalin Island

FIRST DATA ON TETRODOTOXINS IN CEPHALOTHRIX MOKIEVSKII (PALAEONEMERTEA, NEMERTEA) AND POSSIBLE INVOLVEMENT OF POISONOUS NEMERTEANS IN TOXIFICATION OF MARINE BIORESOURCES

We for the first time have recorded the presence of TTX and 11 of its analogues (TTXs) and determined the profile of these toxins by high-performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) in Cephalothrix mokievskii, collected off the coast of Sakhalin Island and also revealed differences in the TTXs profile between C. mokievskii and sibling Cephalothrix cf, simula. We discuss the features of the TTXs profile in C. mokievskii, geographical distribution of TTX-containing nemerteans and its possible implication for toxification of marine bioresources.

Atrworks by Yakov Weber in the collection of the Literary and Art Museum of the Chekhov’s Book “Sakhalin Island”

Atrworks by Yakov Weber in the collection of the Literary and Art Museum of the Chekhov’s Book “Sakhalin Island”

New data on discomycetes from the Komsomolsky Nature Reserve (Khabarovsk Territory, Russia)

The areas on the left bank of the Amur River were explored in July 2022. The purpose of the work was to reveal the discomycete species diversity in cedar-broadleaf and southern broadleaf forests at their northern border. The specimens were collected from wood and herbaceous remnants, soil and animal excrements. In total, 35 discomycete species from 16 families and six orders of the Pezizomycotina, Ascomycota were revealed. Some species (Ascobolus crenulatus, Calycellina separabilis, Hymenoscyphus epiphyllus, Scutellinia macrospora, Tapesia cinerella, and Tympanis piceae) were recorded in the Russian Far East for the first time. Mollisia subcorticalis was found for the first time on the mainland of the region, before it was known from the territory of the Sakhalin Island only.

A new species of Typhlodromips De Leon and a complementary description of T. quaesitus (Wainstein & Beglyarov) (Mesostigmata, Phytoseiidae) from Russia

A new species, Typhlodromips coniferaphilus sp. nov., is described and illustrated based on females collected from various conifers in the Altai Republic and Sakhalin Island, Russia. Moreover, a complementary description of T. quaesitus (Wainstein & Beglyarov) is provided based on females and males collected from various angiosperm plants in the Sakhalin Island, Russia.

The migration history of the Kamchatka rhododendron (Therorhodion camtschaticum s.l.) indicates two distinct dispersal routes towards Eastern Beringia

Abstract The Kamchatka rhododendron (Therorhodion camtschaticum s.l.) is a small, cold-resistant arcto-alpine shrub species with a controversial taxonomy and a wide Beringian distribution, from northern Eurasia to Arctic North America. Some authors regard T. camtschaticum and the closely related Therorhodion glandulosum as separate species while others suggest that they represent regionally differentiated subspecies. In order to resolve this relationship, we sampled 33 populations within the native species ranges, using three fragments of plastid DNA (ptDNA) and ten nuclear microsatellites (nSSR). We recovered two genetic lineages consistent with species rather than subspecies. The distribution of these genetic lineages are consistent with two different migration pathways of species from western Beringia to eastern Beringia: (i) for T. glandulosum a northern pathway from northern East Asia to the Seward Peninsula in northern Alaska; and (ii) for T. camtschaticum a southern pathway from the southern part of western Beringia to the Aleutian Islands and the seashore of south-east Alaska. The northern route extends from the Okhotsk seashore through the Kolyma region, Chukotka, and central and northern Kamchatka. The southern route begins at the Sikhote-Alin ridge, and goes through Sakhalin Island, the Kuril Islands, and southern Kamchatka. Demographic analysis using nSSR data inferred a divergence time between T. camtschaticum and T. glandulosum long before the Last Glacial Maximum.

Morphological and Molecular Characterization of Three Myxosporean Species of the Genera Myxobolus, Henneguya, and Myxidium (Cnidaria: Myxozoa) Infecting Freshwater Fish, Isolated for the First Time in Japan.

The majority of myxosporean species (Cnidaria: Myxozoa) of the genera Myxobolus (35 species), Henneguya (8 species), and Myxidium (9 species) from freshwater or brackish fish in Japan were recorded more than 30 years ago (accumulatively 81.1% [43/53]). The re-discovery and molecular-genetic characterization of these species is a current research priority. During our myxosporean survey in Japanese freshwater fish, we detected three species that had never been recorded in Japan, but in the Russian Far East (Sakhalin Island, and Maritime Province): Myxobolus tribolodonus sp. n., forming cysts in the gills of Tribolodon sachalinensis (syn. M. marinus sensu Aseeva, 2000; M. marinus sensu Sokolov et Frolova, 2015, recorded from the gills of Pseudaspius (syn. Tribolodon) spp.); Henneguya pungitii Achmerov, 1953, forming cysts in the subcutis of external skin and buccal submucosa of Pungitius sinensis; and Myxidium salvelini Konovalov et Shulman, 1966, in the urinary bladder of Oncorhynchus masou ishikawae. These new isolates were characterized by integrated taxonomic approaches, i.e., myxospore morphology and molecular-genetic characterization of the small subunit ribosomal RNA gene (SSU rDNA). These new isolates were phylogenetically differentiated from any species whose SSU rDNA sequences were deposited in the DNA databases, and concurrently compared with recorded species based on classical morphological criteria. All three species were differentiated from myxosporeans previously recorded in Japan, indicating new distribution records out of the Russian Far East. For reliable species identification, accumulation of at least SSU rDNA sequences of known species worldwide is critically important.

Tsunami Waves off the Southeastern Coast of Sakhalin Island Caused by the Eruption of the Hunga–Tonga–Hunga–Ha’apai Volcano on 15 January 2022 According to Observations by Bottom Devices of Waves

The observation of waves (sea level oscillations) in the coastal water area of the southeastern coast of Sakhalin Island was carried out from November 2021 to May 2022 using bottom-mounted high-precision ARW 14 K devices with one second discreteness. The analysis of the obtained time series revealed the presence of anomalous waves in the range of tsunami waves in January 2022. It is shown that the waves detected on 15 January 2022 with periods of 15 minutes–4 hours, significantly standing out above the background, are associated with volcanic tsunami waves. Spectral analysis of the time series showed that the maximum in the spectra of sea level oscillations found after the volcanic eruption is close to the period of the first mode of the shelf seiche. This indicates that incoming tsunami waves excite shelf seiches in the coastal zone and contribute to the generation of longshore and transverse seiches into Mordvinov Bay. Time series analysis made it possible to establish that the spectral density of sea level oscillations for the time interval of the beginning of the eruption of the Hunga–Tonga–Hunga–Ha’apai volcano from 21 December 2021 to 11 January 2022 significantly differs from the spectral density for the time of the Plinian volcanic eruption. An analysis of the statistical characteristics of sea level oscillations performed on two–day series in the range of periods 1 min–4 h for background waves and tsunamis showed an increase in the rms by 3.5 times for a time series containing tsunami waves. It has been established that for background time series containing tsunami waves, the coefficients of asymmetry and kurtosis differ little from“Gaussia” values. This indicates that the arrival of tsunami waves from distant sources does not significantly disrupt the stationarity of the wave field in the observation area.

VACCINIUM OVALIFOLIUM SMITH. IN NATURAL CENOPOPULATIONS OF SAKHALIN

Background. Identification and study of selected forms of oval-leaved blueberry in natural coenopopulations of Sakhalin Island will create a favorable basis for modern breeding work. Purpose. The goal was to isolate and study selected forms of Vaccinium ovalifolium Smith. in natural coenopopulations of Sakhalin Island. Material and methods. The object of research was natural populations of Vaccinium ovalifolium growing on Sakhalin Island. The study of blueberries in natural habitats was carried out during expeditionary trips to the central and southern regions of Sakhalin in the period 2020-2022. Plants from 2 cenopopulations were studied for the distribution of blueberries in hard-to-reach places. Geobotanical descriptions of the vegetation of phytocenoses were carried out according to the generally accepted method of A.A. Poniatovskaya “Taking into account the abundance and nature of the distribution of plants in communities” (1964). The species composition of plant communities was determined within the detection area. The total projective cover (TPC) of the grass stand and the projective cover of the dominant species were determined by eye method, in %. We studied the endogenous variability of the following traits: the number of berries, the weight and size of one berry, the length and width of the leaf blade, the height and age of the bushes. A correlation analysis was carried out between morphological characteristics and yield characteristics in the trial plots. Height, age, maximum and minimum crown diameter, degree of fruiting, and number of berries were analyzed. Mathematical and statistical processing of research results was carried out according to generally accepted methods using Excel software. Results. The article is devoted to a new promising shrub for Russia, Vaccinium ovalifolium - a species of deciduous shrub from the genus Vaccinium of the Ericaceae family, a shrub up to 1.5-2 m tall. It blooms in May–June, the flowers are pink, up to 6 mm in size, the fruits are dark blue, often black with a waxy coating, ripen in August–September, the juice in the berries is clear, the taste is sweet and sour. The leaves are oblong - round or ovate, entire-marginal or with small ciliated teeth 2-5 cm long and 1-2.5 cm wide, matte, light green. Polymorphism of natural cenopopulations of V. ovalifolium during expeditionary surveys made it possible to identify several promising forms with economically valuable traits. In the process of phylogenesis of V. ovalifolium, ecologically resistant populations to the unfavorable environmental factors of Sakhalin Island were formed. Selected samples of V. ovalifolium with valuable pomological traits are currently propagated and grown on the territory of the Botanical Garden of the city of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk at the site of primary variety testing, to compare the resource value of local natural eco-genetic lines with the introduced, most common modern varieties of V. corymbosum. Experience has been laid in assessing selected forms of oval-leaved blueberries for agrotechnical techniques and agricultural conditions, with the subsequent development of technological recommendations for cultivation in an industrial garden in the conditions of Sakhalin Island. Conclusion. The polymorphism of natural cenopopulations of V. ovalifolium on Sakhalin Island was studied with the selection of promising forms that can be used for breeding purposes.

Macrozoobenthos in the estuary of the small salmon river of Sakhalin Island on example of the Gornaya River

Estuaries as a connecting link between freshwater and marine ecosystems play a special role in salmon rivers. The success of adaptation of juvenile salmonids during the transition to the marine period of life depends on the conditions in estuaries. The work continues the previously started series of publications on the rivers of Sakhalin Island. Using the example of one of the small watercourses in the southeastern part of the island, the hydrological parameters and the structural organization of benthos communities in the atypical estuary have been considered. In the absence of storm surges, penetration of sea water into the water body does not occur; at high tide, water with a salinity of more than 12 psu is observed only at the mouth at the bottom; at low tide, the estuary is completely filled with water with a salinity of 0.1 psu and lower. Studies of the hydrological regime and composition of the bottom fauna were carried out in July 2022. Zoobenthos samples were taken along the longitudinal profile of the estuary at five sections (75 samples in total). Most of the estuarine reach is inhabited by species characteristic of the lower parts of the island watercourses. High environmental variability determines the formation in the estuary of young and unstable benthos communities represented by rapidly reproducing small-sized species.

Morphology and composition of calcium oxalate monohydrate phytoliths in the bark of Betula ermanii (stone birch): Case study from Sakhalin Island.

The morphology of calcium oxalate monohydrate precipitates (COM, Ca(C2O4)·H2O, P21/c, whewellite) occurring as crystals or intergrowths, as well as distribution of crystal-bearing idioblasts, have been studied for the first time in the bark of stone birch Betula ermanii from Sakhalin Island sampled in an area affected by mud volcanism and an unaffected typical forest environment taken for reference. The study addresses several issues (i) number and size of phytoliths and their distribution in different cell types; (ii) density of calcification in specific cells; (iii) habits of single crystals, twins, and complex intergrowths, as well as frequency of different morphologies and their relations. The trends of time-dependent morphological changes in separately analyzed crystals and intergrowths record the evolution of COM morphology from nuclei to mature grains. Of special interest are the nucleation sites and features of organic and inorganic seeds and nuclei for COM phytoliths. The precipitation process and crystal habits are mainly controlled by supersaturation, and it is thus important to constrain the Ca distribution patterns in different bark tissues. The B. ermanii samples were analyzed by several methods: scanning electron microscopy (SEM) for the distribution patterns and micromorphology of COM precipitates and bulk Ca content in bark; electron probe microanalysis (EPMA) for the mineral chemistry of COM precipitates; inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) for trace elements in bulk bark and wood. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: The distribution and morphology of whewellite precipitates in the analyzed B. ermanii bark samples indicate that the aqueous solution was most strongly supersaturated with respect to the Ca(C2O4)·H2O solid phase at the parenchyma-sclerenchyma boundary, where most of the COM spherulites are localized and often coexist with large single crystals and contact COM twins.

Distribution of pacific herring off southeastern Sakhalin (sea of Okhotsk) in the summer and autumn period

The aim of the work is assessment of the spatial and density distribution of Pacific herring Clupea pallasii off the southeastern Sakhalin in June-October.Material and methods. It is based on the data of the 1989–2020 bottom trawl surveys.Novelty. For the first time long-term data on the spatial distribution of herring off the southeastern coast of Sakhalin Island are presented from the bottom trawl surveys.Results. Off the southeastern coast of Sakhalin Island herring is found in June in a pre-spawning state at depth of up to 140 m, concentrating abeam the spawning grounds. In July-October, during the feeding period and the initial period of wintering migration, herring spreads almost exclusively at depths of up to 50 m at a water temperature of more than 2–4 °C within the boundaries of the cold intermediate layer, forming the main accumulations in the Terpenya Bay at depths up to 30 m.Practical significance. The data complement the information on the spatial distribution of herring off the southeastern coast of Sakhalin Island in the summer and early autumn, and can be used for making decisions on the rational exploitation of the resource and organizations of trawl surveys.

GNSS-Based Modeling and Study of Postseismic Crustal Movement of the May 24, 2013, MW 8.3 Sea of Okhotsk Deep-Focus Earthquake

The mechanisms of preparation and occurrence of the strongest deep-focus earthquakes with MW≥8, as well as their surface manifestations, remain insufficiently studied because of the lack of the relevant data. There are but three seismic events of this kind which have so far been instrumentally recorded. This paper describes the identification and analysis of the changes in the characteristics of modern crustal movement of the 2013, MW 8.3 Sea of Okhotsk deep-focus earthquake based on the data from long-term continuous geodetic-class GNSS stations in the Sea of Okhotsk region on the Kamchatka Peninsula, the Sakhalin Island, and the coast of the Sea of Okhotsk and the Sea of Japan. There has been found temporal stability of variations in the average annual geodetic site velocities. The coordinates of GNSS-stations do not show non-linear changes typical of strong shallow earthquakes in the initial post-seismic period. The Maxwell rheology for modeling of viscoelastic relaxation of the asthenosphere/upper mantle as a result of seismic impact allows for a first approximation to qualitatively and quantitatively reproduce the displacement patterns of GNSS-sites of the Kamchatka Peninsula observed in the initial postseismic period (2–3 years after the mainshock). After that, the model estimates of postseismic movements of the peninsula become systematically lower than the observed. The values calculated for the OKHT station motion on the western coast of the Sea of Okhotsk are in good agreement with those recorded for postseismic displacements over the entire measurement interval. The observed directions of the Sakhalin Island postseismic movements systematically deviate to the northeast from the model directions and are oriented almost orthogonally to the Kuril-Kamchatka Trench. Besides the viscoelastic relaxation process, another possible reason for this issue could be an enhanced viscous friction in the bottom of the subducting Pacific plate, leading to the intense deformation of the Sakhalin Island and the western coast of Kamchatka.

Express Method of Field Measurements to Create a Three-Dimensional Model of an Ice Formations

This article describes a new, efficient, and quick method for conducting field measurements to create a three-dimensional model of ice formations. The method involves the use of a total station geodetic instrument, a powerful LOZA georadar, and an unmanned aerial vehicle with a camera. The technique is especially useful for measuring unstable ice formations with horizontal dimensions ranging from 50 to 300 meters. Examples of applying this method during winter fieldwork on the Sakhalin Island's eastern shelf in 2019 are provided