Species Diversity of Phytoplankton within the Coastal Waters of Zmiinyi Island (2003-2010)

Abstract

The study of species composition is regarded as a section in a complex assessment of the state of the marine ecosystem of the shelf. While the evidence of the anthropogenic factor is the common case for the near-shore area in the North-West Black Sea shelf, the ecosystem near Zmiinyi island can be held as a unique one in that there is no such an impact observed, unless occasional short-duration influence of the Danube river run-off might be expected. The study sought to analyze the structure of phytoplankton communities (abundance and number of species). The findings of the complex monitoring project form the basis of the study, which has been accomplished by the team of the Zmiinyi island scientific research lab being a structural division of Odessa national I.I. Mechnikov University.