BIOLOGIYA MORYA, 2022, Vol. 48, No. 3, pp. 180-189

Impact of Zostera marina Linnaeus, 1753 and Zostera noltei Hornemann, 1832 (Alismatales: Monocots) on the Species Richness and Coenotic Diversity of the Macrophytobentos of the Taman Bay of the Sea of Azov

© 2022 D. F. Afanasyev^{1, 2}, E. G. Sushkova¹, V. V. Akatov²

¹Azov-Black Sea Branch of Russian Research Institute of Fisheries and Oceanography, ("AzNIIRKH"), Rostov-on-Don 344002, Russia;
²Don State Technical University, Rostov-on-Don 344000, Russia;
³Maikop State Technological University, Maikop 385000, Russia

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Analysis of data on processing samples of makrophytobenthos was used to determine the species richness and composition of Zostera marina and Z. noltei communities in the Taman Bay of the Sea of Azov. The study has shown a weak statistically significant relationship between the degree of dominance of these species and the species richness of communities on an area of 0.25 m²; this relationship can be explained by the 'species-energy' theory. If the total biomass of associated species in homogeneous areas was approximately the same, then the number of associated species growing in large areas in communities with a high degree of Z. marina and Z. noltei dominance was no less than in small areas with a low degree of Zostera dominance. The similarity (difference) of the species composition of communities with a high and a low degree of Z. marina and Z. noltei dominance was approximately the same. The occurrence of most macroalgal species almost did not depend on the density of Zostera thickets, and only for a few species, such as charophytes Lamprothamnium papulosum and Chara baltica, endemic green algae Ulva maeotica and yellow-green algae Vaucheria dichotoma an increase in the degree of Zostera dominance could represent a certain danger.

Key words: Zostera marina, Zostera noltei, degree of dominance, species richness, theory of species energy, phytobenthos, Taman Bay, Sea of Azov.