Chapter 10
Seasonal Changes of Hydrobiological
and Bio-Optical Parameters in the Coastal
Areas of the Western Part of the Black Sea
Alexander S. Kukushkin
Abstract Study of the Black Sea neritic ecosystem is of great theoretical and
practical significance owing to the anthropogenic load on its coastal areas. Variability of the ecological condition of these areas can be defined by the results of
studying spatial-temporal variability of the nutrients and the suspended organic
matter (SOM) content distributions. Such studies permit to assess the marine
ecosystem productivity, intensity of biochemical processes, and flexibility of this
ecosystem to the impact of various natural and anthropogenic factors. In recent
decades, along with the expeditionary studies, satellite observations of the marine
environment bio-optical parameters obtained by color scanners became widely
used. Such kind of observations allows obtaining qualitatively new (as for its
spatial-temporal characteristics) information. Based on the multi-year
(1979–1995) expeditionary observations of distribution of the SOM components’
concentration and the bio-optical parameters (chlorophyll a concentration, light
absorption and scattering indices) resulted from the satellite data (SeaWiFS,
MODIS, 1997–2015), considered are the peculiarities of spatial-temporal variability of their distribution in the shelf areas of the western Black Sea. The degree of the
effect of the riverine discharge and the open sea water masses upon the distribution
of the parameters under study in the northwestern part of the sea makes it possible
to define four areas (western, northern, central and eastern), and in the coastal zone
of the western part – the Romanian and the Bulgarian ones. The statistical assessments of seasonal variations of the considered indices are obtained for these areas.
Increase of the SOM components’ concentrations in the summer-autumn period in
late 1980s and early 1990s with their anomalously high values in 1992 is noted. It is
shown that the seasonal interannual variability in the concentrations of the SOM
components and the values of the bio-optical parameters is conditioned by the
variations in the riverine discharge volume, its run to the sea, and climatic shifts.
A.S. Kukushkin (*)
Marine Hydrophysical Institute – RAS, Sevastopol, Crimea, Russian Federation
e-mail: kukushkinas@mail.ru
© Springer International Publishing AG 2018
C.W. Finkl, C. Makowski (eds.), Diversity in Coastal Marine Sciences, Coastal
Research Library 23, DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-57577-3_10
153
Seasonal Changes of Hydrobiological
and Bio-Optical Parameters in the Coastal
Areas of the Western Part of the Black Sea
Alexander S. Kukushkin
Abstract Study of the Black Sea neritic ecosystem is of great theoretical and
practical significance owing to the anthropogenic load on its coastal areas. Variability of the ecological condition of these areas can be defined by the results of
studying spatial-temporal variability of the nutrients and the suspended organic
matter (SOM) content distributions. Such studies permit to assess the marine
ecosystem productivity, intensity of biochemical processes, and flexibility of this
ecosystem to the impact of various natural and anthropogenic factors. In recent
decades, along with the expeditionary studies, satellite observations of the marine
environment bio-optical parameters obtained by color scanners became widely
used. Such kind of observations allows obtaining qualitatively new (as for its
spatial-temporal characteristics) information. Based on the multi-year
(1979–1995) expeditionary observations of distribution of the SOM components’
concentration and the bio-optical parameters (chlorophyll a concentration, light
absorption and scattering indices) resulted from the satellite data (SeaWiFS,
MODIS, 1997–2015), considered are the peculiarities of spatial-temporal variability of their distribution in the shelf areas of the western Black Sea. The degree of the
effect of the riverine discharge and the open sea water masses upon the distribution
of the parameters under study in the northwestern part of the sea makes it possible
to define four areas (western, northern, central and eastern), and in the coastal zone
of the western part – the Romanian and the Bulgarian ones. The statistical assessments of seasonal variations of the considered indices are obtained for these areas.
Increase of the SOM components’ concentrations in the summer-autumn period in
late 1980s and early 1990s with their anomalously high values in 1992 is noted. It is
shown that the seasonal interannual variability in the concentrations of the SOM
components and the values of the bio-optical parameters is conditioned by the
variations in the riverine discharge volume, its run to the sea, and climatic shifts.
A.S. Kukushkin (*)
Marine Hydrophysical Institute – RAS, Sevastopol, Crimea, Russian Federation
e-mail: kukushkinas@mail.ru
© Springer International Publishing AG 2018
C.W. Finkl, C. Makowski (eds.), Diversity in Coastal Marine Sciences, Coastal
Research Library 23, DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-57577-3_10
153