Considerable attention in this area is paid to the main watercourse - the Volga River and, in particular, its section adjacent to the dam zone of the Volga Hydroelectric Power Station.
At the monitoring site in the lower dam zone, using the small vessel "NEMAN-450 DC", material is collected characterizing the ecological state of the aquatic environment, the state of the food supply, species composition and size-weight indicators of all species of ichthyofauna living there. Traditional complex studies include water sampling for 12 hydrochemical indicators, collecting material on the concentrations of phyto- and zooplankton, as well as on the state of bottom food organisms.
During the summer and autumn research, the number and productivity of young fish (yearlings) are recorded using a 25-meter fry drag.
Conducting scientific research fishing allows us to assess the condition, distribution and number of fish populations. Of particular interest is the ratio of predatory and peaceful fish species, which allows us to characterize the interspecific relationships of the ichthyological communities of the studied biotopes.
The area in the dam zone is distinguished by significant species diversity, especially in the autumn, when concentrations of predatory fish species are observed in front of the Volga hydroelectric power station dam. The data obtained are entered into the general scientific database of the Volgograd branch of VNIRO for the Volga water basin.
All hydrochemical and hydrobiological material collected from the reservoir undergoes office processing in the laboratories of the branch.
In organizing scientific work, the branch receives significant assistance from the employees of the Lower Volga Department of State Control, Supervision, Protection of ABR and Habitat in the Volgograd Region of the Volga-Caspian Territorial Administration of the Federal Agency for Fisheries.
Press Service of VNIRO