The Interannual Dynamics of the Structural and Functional Characteristics of Macrophytobenthos in the Coastal Zone of a Recreation Complex (Sevastopol, Black Sea)

A comparison of the interannual (1985, 2004, and 2015) dynamics of nine structural and functional characteristics of macrophytobenthos in the coastal waters of Victory Park (a developing recreational zone of the city of Sevastopol, including the city beach) was carried out using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), factor analysis, and principal component analysis (PCA) and taking the depth of macrophyte habitat and concentrations of mineral forms of nitrogen and phosphorus into account. Interannual statistically significant differences have been found for most of the analyzed variables. It has been shown that rearrangement of the macrophytobenthos structure occurs with an increase in the nutrient pressure on the water area. Perennial dominant species are replaced by physiologically active and rapidly growing ephemeral species with a developed surface; the biomass of dominant species decreases against the background of increased biomass of epiphytes and associated species. As the nutrient pressure decreases, the bottom phytocoenosis begins to recover.