Trawl and ichthyoplankton surveys in the Black Sea

 

The expedition will last from June 2 to June 28 and will cover Russian territorial waters of the Black Sea off the coast of Krasnodar Krai and the Republic of Crimea. It is dedicated to two important programs: inventory and assessment of the efficiency of reproduction of marine fish in the Black Sea, as well as a complex oceanographic survey with an assessment of anthropogenic pollution of water and bottom sediments.

 

As the head of the expedition, Alexander Milovanov, explained, the main task of the scientific group is to collect data on the state of commercial fish populations - anchovy, sprat, horse mackerel, red mullet. Scientists will study their distribution, reproduction efficiency, as well as the state of the food supply. These basic data are necessary for stock assessment and catch forecasts for 2026-2027.

 

During the expedition, the staff of the Azov-Black Sea branch of VNIRO collect information on the species composition and abundance of ichthyoplankton, the size-weight and age structure of catches (sprat, red mullet, turbot, horse mackerel, whiting and others), their food supply (zooplankton, phytoplankton and zoobenthos), the hydrochemical composition of sea water, as well as data on the pollution of aquatic bioresources and their habitat. The participants of the voyage conduct hydrometeorological observations: they record air and water temperature, wind speed and direction, sea waves, transparency and color of the water. Such large-scale studies covering a wide range of indicators are carried out only by the All-Russian Research Institute of Fisheries.

 

The data obtained will form the basis for forecasts of the state of stocks of the main commercial fish species in the Black Sea. This will ensure sustainable fishing and the preservation of the marine ecosystem.,

 

Press Service of VNIRO