Impact of the Construction of New Port Facilities on the Biomass and Species Composition of Phytoplankton in the Neva Estuary (Baltic Sea)

Abstract

The construction of new port facilities and the creation of new lands is a natural consequence of the rapid growth in the population of ocean coastlines. Despite the fact that such human activity is becoming more and more widespread, its impact on various components of aquatic ecosystems, including phytoplankton, is still poorly understood. The aim of the study was to assess the effect of the large-scale construction of new port facilities on biomass and taxonomic composition of phytoplankton in the Neva Estuary (northeastern Baltic Sea). Studies have shown that digging and displacing large amounts of bottom sediments during these works led to a significant increase in suspended mineral matter and a decrease in water transparency in the estuary. This significantly reduced the species richness and biomass of phytoplankton. However, the analysis of beta diversity did not show significant changes in the phytoplankton community during the periods of port construction and the periods when no works were carried out. The changes mainly concerned rare species, while the occurrence and biomass of dominant and subdominant species changed to a lesser extent. Due to various adaptations, the phytoplankton species common in the estuary are apparently able to survive under prolonged shading and successfully compete with species that are unable to withstand the lack of light for a long time. To correctly take into account the effects of the construction of new port facilities on phytoplankton and, if possible, minimize it, additional studies of the ecology of certain phytoplankton species, their relationships, and physiological responses to various environmental factors are required.

Long-term changes in water quality and structure of benthic animal communities in the Neva estuary under anthropogenic stress

“…В результате всех этих крупномасштабных гидротехнических работ в воду Невской губы поступило огромное количество минеральных и органических веществ, концентрация которых в 2007 г. достигла 187 г/ м 3 и в среднем была в 20 раз выше, чем многолетние средние величины (Golubkov and Golubkov 2022). Как следствие, в годы проведения работ значительно снижалась биомасса и первичная продукция фитопланктона, уменьшалось его биологическое разнообразие (Golubkov and Golubkov 2022; Golubkov et al 2023). Эти работы привели и к значительному ухудшению экологического состояния зообентоса, величина IP' в 2006 г. достигла максимальных величин для Невской губы (Рис.…”

“…Значительный отрицательный эффект на экосистемы эстуария оказывало периодически возобновляемые крупномасштабное гидростроительство, проводимое в Невской губе: строительство портов, прокладка фарватеров и намыв новых территорий, в результате чего в воду поступало огромное количество минеральной взвеси. Последствия таких работ приводили, в частности, к значительному снижению первичной продукции, уменьшению биомассы и биологического разнообразия фитопланктона (Golubkov and Golubkov 2022;Golubkov et al 2023). Период 2012-2015 гг.…”

Secchi Disk Depth or Turbidity, Which Is Better for Assessing Environmental Quality in Eutrophic Waters? A Case Study in a Shallow Hypereutrophic Reservoir

“…Water loses its transparency due to the presence of various impurities, such as inorganic and organic suspended matter, dissolved colored organic compounds, algae, and other microscopic organisms [15]. Water transparency can decrease as a result of natural processes [16] as well as due to human activities [17,18].…”