1. Project: ENVIR.LG.97 32 62
2. Title: Pelagic animals food supply in unstable Black Sea environment
3. Participants:
- Prof. Yilmaz A., IMS METU, Turkey
- Assoc. Prof. Gücü A. C., IMS METU, Turkey
- Mrs. Eker E., IMS METU, Turkey
- Prof. Ünsal M., IMS METU, Turkey
- Prof. Bingel F., IMS METU, Turkey
- Dr. Yuneva T.V., IBSS, Ukraine
- Dr. Trusevich V.V., IBSS, Ukraine
- Dr. Svetlichny L.S., IBSS, Ukraine
- Dr. Romanova Z.A., IBSS, Ukraine
- Prof. Shulman G.E., IBSS, Ukraine
4. Codirectors:
-
Prof. Bingel, Ferit.
Institute of Marine Sciences, Middle East Technical University
P. O. Box 28
TR 33731 Erdemli-Içel/Turkey
Tel : (90) 324 521 24 06
Fax : (90) 324 521 23 27
E-mail: bingel@ims.metu.edu.tr -
Prof. Shulman G. E.
Institute of Biology of the Southern Seas
2, Nakhimov Av.
99011 Sevastopol/Ukraine
Tel : (380692) 54 41 10
Fax : (380692) 55 78 13
E-mail: shulman@ibss.iuf.net
5. Status: completed
6. Period (start/end): Sep., 1998-2000
7. Objectives:
Recent studies carried out in the Black Sea basin showed that
biochemical indicators can be successfully used for the evaluation of the
condition of pelagic organisms. Therefore the objective of the proposed research
is the biochemical assessment of the food supply of mass marine organisms in
pelagic waters of the Black Sea.
The proposed study will promote the long-term monitoring and assessment of the
food supply of the key pelagic organisms of the Black Sea. Results which will be
obtained may contribute to improved modeling of the Black Sea's pelagic
eco-system.
8. Results:
1) The food supply of mass pelagic organisms of the Black Sea like copepod (Calanus euxinus), anchovy (Engraulis encrasicholus ponticus) and sprat (Sprattus sprattus phalericus) was estimated with biochemical, physiological and morphological indicators. It is shown that lipid characteristics can be used in studying life histories of copepods and fishes. And the fecundity is main indicator in reproduction period. For fish larvae RNA content and RNA/DNA index as well as lipid characteristics can be used for the same purposes.
2) It is shown that food supply of planktophagous Black Sea fishes stabilised at medium levels after significant decrease in the 1980s and the first half of the 1990s. The stabilisation was depending upon the stabilisation of their fodder base.
3) The level of accumulated lipid of Calanus in the Black Sea deep water is determined by nutritional factors but not the extend of energy expenditures for vertical migrations.
4) Calanus is better provided with food in cyclonic than in anticyclonic regions because of higher content of phytoplankton as well as biogenic inputs in the euphotic zone.
5) It was suggested that Noctiluca miliaris is one of the strong food competitor of Calanus and can greatly effect Calanus food provision, lipid accumulation, fecundity and abundance.
9. Publications:
1. Yuneva T.V., Svetlichny L.S., Yunev O.A., Romanova Z.A., Kideys A. E., Bingel F., Uysal Z., Yilmaz A., Shulman G.E. Nutritional condition of female Calanus euxinus from cyclonic and anticyclonic regions of the Black Sea. Mar., 1999, Ecol. Progress Series. 189: pp.195-204
2. Yuneva T.V., Yunev O.A., Kideys A.E., Bingel F., Shulman G.E. On the relationship between lipid content in the Black Sea Calanus euxinus and dynamic activity of water masses of its environment. (In Russian). 1999, Doklady Akademii Nauk, Moscow 369(N5): pp.715-717.
3. Yuneva T.V., Yunev O.A., Bingel F., Kideys A.E., Shulman G.E. Influence of water mass dynamic activity on nutritional condition of Calanus euxinus in the Southern Black Sea. 1999, JUGG-99 General Assembly: Abstract. (Birmingham, UK, 26-30 July, 1999) Seed Week B, #1745: p.235:.
4. Svetlichny L.S., Hubereva E.S., Erkan F., Gücü A.C. Physiological and behavioral aspects of Calanus euxinus female (Copepoda, Calanoida) during vertical migration across temperature and oxygen gradients. 2000, Mar. Biol., In press.
5. Trusevich V.V., Yuneva T.V., Bingel F., Kideys A.E., Shulman G.E. The ribonucleic acid content and RNA/DNA index of the Black Sea anchovy and sprat larvae. 2000, Reports of Nat. Acad. Of Sciences of Ukraine. Accepted at 04.04.2000, N. 22.