The ecological structure of the macroalgal community in western Crimea

Abstract

A study of the macrophytobenthos off the western coast of Crimea in the area from Cape Tyubek to Yazykovaya Balka showed the presence of 12 ecological groups of algae. The marine, dominant, annual and oligosaprobic groups are characterized by the highest species diversity, which is typical of the Black Sea phytobenthos. Chlorophyta is an ecologically distinct group dominated by brackish-marine, mesosaprobic and rare species that rank second in other divisions. The extreme values of numbers of species in the ecogroups occur in areas of the coastal zone with varying activity of abrasion and landslide processes and anthropogenic interference. Species diversity and floristic composition of ecogroups are subject to spatial transformation even though their ratio is stable. The observed dominance of oligosaprobionts, the abundance of mesosaprobionts and the low number of polysaprobionts correspond to their proportions in the pristine marine areas. However, the values of the floristic and saprobiological coefficients show that the quality of the environment in the study area is close to mesotrophic.

Keywords

• macrophytobenthos
• ecological groups
• occurrence rate
• floristic composition
• spatial variability
• black sea