Lisitskaya E. Meroplankton of coastal sea waters of the Crimea (the Black sea sector)

Subject: Meroplankton Aim: the study focused on the abundance and species composition of meroplankton inhabiting the Crimean coastal sea water. Species in which larvae prevailed in the plankton were identified as the Mytilus galloprovincialis, Mytilaster lineatus, Balanus improvisus. Distribution of pelagic larvae of benthic organisms exotic for the Black Sea was also studied. It was found that the numbers of larvae of the allien bivalve mollusc, Anadara inaequivalvis, has decreased and the area of another allien, Mya arenaria, enlarged. For the first time meroplankton dwelling in Balaklava bay was investigated and the list of pelagic larvae of benthic invertebrates identified as 57 species of 38 families compiled. The structure of meroplankton differed depended upon locality of the bay. Based on the conducted experiments, preventive measures were proposed to lessen the percentage of the shells afflicted by the perforating polychaete, Polydora ciliata,in the cultured molluscs.