MACROZOOBENTHOS OF KRUGLAYA BAY (CRIMEA, BLACK SEA) IN THE SECOND DECADE OF THE 21ST CENTURY

Background . The shallow Kruglaya (Round) Bay on the Herakleian Peninsula of Crimea is characterized by high biological diversity and low pollution of bottom sediments. Relevance. Its operation as a recreation area exerts a strong pressure on the ecosystem of the bay and necessitates the monitoring of its condition. The aim of this work is to assess the composition, structure and quantitative development of macrozoobenthos in Kruglaya Bay in 2012, 2015 and 2018. Methods. The analysis has been conducted based on the samples of macrozoobenthos collected with the Petersen dredge (0.038 m2) at four stations in the central part of the bay in 2015-2018, in triplicate at each point. Results. In total, 81 species and supraspecific taxa of macrozoobenthos were recorded in the bay during the period 2012-2018 (47 for 2012, 33 for 2015, and 52 for 2018). The average abundance of macrobenthos was 2512-3526 ind./m2, and the average biomass was 53.5-140.2 g/m2. Conclusion. The species most typical for this aquatic area comprise 60-80 % of the total list of species and generally provide up to 90 % of the total benthic abundance and 95-99 % of the total benthic biomass.