Autumn expeditionary resource studies of key reservoirs of the Manychsky reservoir cascade have been completed

 

The study focused on the key reservoirs of the Manych Reservoir Cascade: the Veselovskoye Reservoir, the inter-dam section of the Proletarskoye Reservoir, and the desalinated sections of the Proletarskoye Reservoir located within Lake Manych-Gudilo. The total area of ​​the surveyed water bodies was approximately 33,000 hectares.

 

Freshwater bodies are a significant reservoir for fish stocks. Most of the reservoirs are relatively old and have exhausted their initial bioproduction potential. Today, they require close scientific attention to determine the optimal exploitation of their fish stocks and develop recommendations for increasing fish productivity.

 

The Azov-Black Sea branch of VNIRO is the only scientific institution capable of organizing and conducting regular comprehensive studies of reservoirs in the North Caucasus region of southern Russia. Regular studies allow us to identify trends in the habitat conditions of bioresources in reservoirs and determine the necessary measures for their sustainable fisheries management.

 

Research work in the Rostov Region's multi-purpose reservoirs is conducted on an ongoing basis, annually covering the main seasons—spring, summer, and fall. This approach provides a comprehensive understanding of the state of aquatic ecosystems, including characteristics of the hydrological regime, water composition, habitat quality, and the state of ichthyocenoses.

 

During the fall research, branch specialists conducted net catches and drag-netting of minnows. The species composition, size, weight, and sex ratios of aquatic bioresources, as well as their ratios, were determined for each catch. To study the food supply in the reservoirs, samples of phytoplankton, zooplankton, and zoobenthos were collected, and environmental parameters were analyzed, including dissolved oxygen content, acid-base balance (pH), temperature, transparency, mineralization, and salinity.

 

"Preliminary field observations indicate that the fish species composition in the Manychsky Reservoir Cascade—Veselovsky and Proletarsky—remains stable, although some fluctuations in the population structure of individual species are observed. According to the data obtained, the most common species remain crucian carp, roach, and bream, which form the basis of the commercial resource in this area," notes Gennady Karnaukhov, head of the Complex Reservoirs Laboratory and expedition leader.

 

The collected samples were delivered to specialized laboratories at the Azov-Black Sea branch of VNIRO for further office processing and subsequent analysis of the obtained data.

 

 

VNIRO Press Service