Application of a cohort model of the population dynamics based on reservoir carrying capacity on the example of the russian sturgeon of the sea of Azov

The new approach to cohort modeling of fish populations in conditions of artificial reproduction, taking into account the possibilities of the reservoir’s food supply, was presented. The combined modeling approach includes the advantages of traditional cohort modeling of population dynamics and a hydrobiological approach to assessing the carrying capacity of a reservoir. The approbation of the presented approach was carried out by the Russian sturgeon Acipenser gueldenstaedtii population data in the Sea of Azov during the period 1985–2003. Results approbation of the presented model made it possible to reliably describe the dynamics of the commercial stock of the Russian sturgeon population in retrospective and has a significant advantage (R 2 was 0,1 higher, the mean absolute error was lower on 6,2%) relative to the previously presented DAP model.