shelf zone) and, particularly, the coastline where the former two boundaries meet
(Ayzatullin et al. 1979). The upper water microlayer, named neustal (Zaitsev 1974),
is inhabited by neustonts – a large variety of organisms, adapted to its conditions.
The monitoring of marine neuston is an efficient method of assessment of the
ecological status of the marine water surface. The author’s proposal to implement
this method in ocean ecological monitoring was supported by the UN GESAMP
Commission (1995).
31.2 Discovery of the Marine Neuston
As a result of permanent matter and energy inflow on the sea surface, a specific
community of organisms and an unknown before ecomorph (life form) was evolutionary developed (Zaitsev 1960, 1971; Aleyev 1986). It was discovered with nets
of original construction (Zaitsev 1964) and named marine neuston – a global scale
community composed by many species of bacteria, unicellular algae, fungi, invertebrate, fish eggs, larvae and fry. All of them are well adapted to specific environmental conditions of the surface pelagic biotope – the microlyer of 0–5 cm, named
“neustal” (Zaitsev 1971, 1974; Konstantinov 1986; Romanenco 2001; Dediu 2010).
The inhabitants of neustal biotope, or neustonts, have an intensive protective
coloration against UV radiation, against predators from the water and from air,
appropriate behavioural reactions (Zaitsev 1971, 1974, 2015). Thanks to the predominance of early ontogenetic stages, the marine neuston is thea key community
responsible for the reproduction of many organisms, including commercially
important species of fish and invertebrate.
Comprehensive study of marine neuston, of its structure, composition, conditions of existence, functioning has created a new “Tree of Knowledge” from
previously unknown facts and phenomena that determine the life of all the pelagic
and benthic zones of the sea (Fig. 31.1).
31.3 Other Contour Biotopes in the Marine Environment
Similar physical, chemical, and biological processes in other contour biotopes of
seas and oceans occurs, confirming the Vernadsky’s fundamental idea of “Life
films” and identifying within them, a kind of “ultrafilms”. As regard of this, the
concept of contour biotopes inhabited by organisms-contourobionts was proposed
(Zaitsev 1986, 2008, 2015). According to this concept, there are distinguished
following contour biotopes: the aerocontour, or neustal (the upper 5 cm of the sea
surface bordering with the atmosphere), psammocontour (sea-sandy beach and sea
bottom, in the area of the water line), lithocontour (sea-rocky shore and bottom),
pelocontour (sea-muddy shore and bottom), biocontour (the surface of living
organisms), and the potamocontour (sea-river water masses interface). All of
520
Y.P. Zaitsev
(Ayzatullin et al. 1979). The upper water microlayer, named neustal (Zaitsev 1974),
is inhabited by neustonts – a large variety of organisms, adapted to its conditions.
The monitoring of marine neuston is an efficient method of assessment of the
ecological status of the marine water surface. The author’s proposal to implement
this method in ocean ecological monitoring was supported by the UN GESAMP
Commission (1995).
31.2 Discovery of the Marine Neuston
As a result of permanent matter and energy inflow on the sea surface, a specific
community of organisms and an unknown before ecomorph (life form) was evolutionary developed (Zaitsev 1960, 1971; Aleyev 1986). It was discovered with nets
of original construction (Zaitsev 1964) and named marine neuston – a global scale
community composed by many species of bacteria, unicellular algae, fungi, invertebrate, fish eggs, larvae and fry. All of them are well adapted to specific environmental conditions of the surface pelagic biotope – the microlyer of 0–5 cm, named
“neustal” (Zaitsev 1971, 1974; Konstantinov 1986; Romanenco 2001; Dediu 2010).
The inhabitants of neustal biotope, or neustonts, have an intensive protective
coloration against UV radiation, against predators from the water and from air,
appropriate behavioural reactions (Zaitsev 1971, 1974, 2015). Thanks to the predominance of early ontogenetic stages, the marine neuston is thea key community
responsible for the reproduction of many organisms, including commercially
important species of fish and invertebrate.
Comprehensive study of marine neuston, of its structure, composition, conditions of existence, functioning has created a new “Tree of Knowledge” from
previously unknown facts and phenomena that determine the life of all the pelagic
and benthic zones of the sea (Fig. 31.1).
31.3 Other Contour Biotopes in the Marine Environment
Similar physical, chemical, and biological processes in other contour biotopes of
seas and oceans occurs, confirming the Vernadsky’s fundamental idea of “Life
films” and identifying within them, a kind of “ultrafilms”. As regard of this, the
concept of contour biotopes inhabited by organisms-contourobionts was proposed
(Zaitsev 1986, 2008, 2015). According to this concept, there are distinguished
following contour biotopes: the aerocontour, or neustal (the upper 5 cm of the sea
surface bordering with the atmosphere), psammocontour (sea-sandy beach and sea
bottom, in the area of the water line), lithocontour (sea-rocky shore and bottom),
pelocontour (sea-muddy shore and bottom), biocontour (the surface of living
organisms), and the potamocontour (sea-river water masses interface). All of
520
Y.P. Zaitsev