Evaluation of ecosystem status in the shelf-slope zone of the northeastern Black Sea based on the trophic index (TRIX)

Abstract

The water conditions and trophic status in the shelf-slope zone and bays of the northeastern Black Sea were evaluated on the basis of monitoring data from 2007–2014. It has been shown that the concentrations of nutrients and chlorophyll “a” in the studied area are at the level of the pristine period (of the late 1970s). The concentration of mineral nitrogen in the surface water layer varied from 0.19 to 5.64 μM. The concentration of phosphates differed from analytical zero to 0.56 μM. The concentration of chlorophyll “a” in different seasons ranged from 0.24 to 0.89 μg/L. The trophic index characterizes the status of the marine shelf ecosystem near Gelendzhik city as “excellent” even in the bays. Significant year-to-year differences in the index were not detected. The range between the values of the trophic index in the bays and open sea was low (3.7 and 3.2, respectively).