Benthic communities of the Northern Caspian under present conditions

Abstract

The paper presents the results of research done by CaspNIRKH within the framework of ecological monitoring of habitat and feeding conditions for marine fishes, particularly, concerning the development and spatial distribution of phyto- and zoobenthos in the western part of the Northern Caspian. Data on biomass and species composition of phytocenosis allow us to estimate the state of ecosystems in that part of the sea and predict the further development of the situation.