In the north through Kerch Strait connects with the Azov Sea. A large area of land - the Crimean Peninsula - cuts deep into the sea surface. On the shores of the reservoir there are countries such as Russia, Georgia, Abkhazia (partially recognized state), Turkey, Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine.
Geographic data
According to the US gazetteer, the Black Sea area is 436.4 thousand square meters. km (168.5 thousand sq. miles). The maximum depth is 2212 meters (7257 feet). Average depth corresponds to 1240 meters (4067 feet). The total volume of salt water is 547 thousand cubic meters. km. The greatest length from west to east is 1175 km. The maximum length from north to south is 580 km. The reservoir is notable for the fact that at a depth of more than 150 meters there is no life due to the saturation of deep waters with hydrogen sulfide.
The coastline is slightly indented. Its total length is 3.4 thousand km. There are large bays, such as Sinopsky, Samsunsky, Feodosia, Varnensky, Tendrovsky, Burgas, Kalamitsky, Yagorlytsky. In the northern and northwestern regions, estuaries overflow at the confluence of rivers. There are many swampy and brackish areas. The western and north-western coasts are low-lying, in places there are cliffs.
In the south and east, the spurs of the Pontic and Caucasian mountains rise to the sea. In Crimea, the coast is low, only the southern part of the peninsula is remarkable for its mountainous shores. A similar relief is observed on the Tarkhankut Peninsula in the western part of Crimea.
Islands
There are few islands. The largest island is Dzharylgach with an area of 62 sq. km. It is part of the Skadovsky district Kherson region... It is washed by two bays - Dzharylgachsky and Karkinitsky. Since 2009, a national natural park has been located on the island.
Other islands include Serpentine. It is part of Odessa region, has a cruciform shape, and its area is 20.5 hectares. On this piece of land is the village of Beloe.
Another large island is called Berezan. It is located in the sea at a distance of 8 km from the city of Ochakov. Belongs to the Nikolaev region. It stretches for 1 km in length and 500 meters in width. The island is uninhabited and has the status of a historical and archaeological reserve at the Academy of Sciences of Ukraine.
Black Sea on the map
Rivers
Such large European rivers as the Danube, Dnieper and Dniester flow into a huge salt reservoir. In addition to them, Inguri, Mzymta, Rioni, Kodor flow into the sea from the east. They originate in the Greater Caucasus Range. Sakarya, Chorokh, Yeshilyrmak flow into the southern part of the reservoir. The Chorokh River flows into the territory of Georgia, and the other two in the territory of Turkey.
Southern Bug carries its waters into northern part reservoir. This river flows entirely through the territory of Ukraine. It has a length of 806 km. In the west, the sea is fed by the Bulgarian rivers Veleka and Kamchia.
The annual flow is approximately 310 cubic meters. km. At the same time, 80% of all water is provided by the Dnieper and Danube. It should be noted that the reservoir has a positive water balance. The net outflow of water is 300 cubic meters. km per year. Water flows through the Bosphorus into the Sea of Marmara and further into the Aegean and Mediterranean. At the same time, there is a bilateral hydrological exchange. More salty and warmer water flows from the Mediterranean to the Black Sea.
Cities
There are many large cities on the seaside. The largest of these is Istanbul (Turkey) with a population of 13.6 million. In second place is Odessa (Ukraine) with a population of 1 million people. The third place is occupied by the Turkish city of Samsun with a population of 535.4 thousand people.
This is followed by the Bulgarian Varna. It is home to 474 thousand inhabitants. The fifth place belongs to the hero city of Sevastopol with a population of 379 thousand people. Then there are Sochi (Russia) - 343.3 thousand people, Trabzon (Turkey) - 305 thousand people, Constanta (Romania) - 284 thousand people, Novorossiysk (Russia) - 242 thousand people, Burgas (Bulgaria) - 224 thousand inhabitants.
On the Black Sea beach
Climate
The climate prevailing over the reservoir largely depends on Atlantic Ocean... It is above it that those cyclones arise, which then bring rains and storms to the sea. Cold air masses come from the north. Warm winds blow from the southwest. All this variety forms a hot and dry summer weather... As for the winter, it is warm and humid.
Winter temperatures range from minus 1 to plus 5 degrees Celsius. Very rarely, it drops to minus 10 degrees Celsius. Snow falls only in the northern regions. The average summer temperature is 24-25 degrees Celsius. At its maximum, it rises to 37 degrees Celsius. The warmest part of the coast is the Caucasus, where the average annual temperature is 17 degrees Celsius.
In the southern part of the Black Sea, the climate is milder than in the northern one. It is also less wet. Precipitation falls more evenly. They are possible not only in winter, but also in summer. Black Sea water does not freeze in winter. Only once every few decades in the northern regions, the water can be covered with ice in a too cold winter. The average water temperature is 7-8 degrees Celsius.
Ecology
In general, the ecological situation in the reservoir is unfavorable. Many polluted rivers flow into the sea, as well as runoff from the fields, saturated with nitrates and phosphates. This provokes the growth of phytoplankton. The transparency of the water decreases, and multicellular algae die. Waters are polluted with oil products, sewage, construction waste. Recently, the number of dolphins, tuna, mackerel has noticeably decreased. But a lot of jellyfish appeared. Currently, they are the main living organisms of the Black Sea waters.
Some experts believe that over the past 10 years, the ecological situation of the reservoir has deteriorated. There is even an opinion that the Black Sea waters are among the dirtiest in the world.
In accordance with this, an international convention on the environmental protection of the Black Sea has been adopted. It was signed by six countries whose territories are in contact with the reservoir. An environmental program has been developed, which should give positive results in the near future.
What is the difference Sea of Azov from the Black Sea? The differences between them are cardinal. It's easier to say what is the similarity of these reservoirs. Perhaps only in one: Azov and Black Sea, connected by the Kerch Strait, form a single Black Sea-Azov basin, which in turn is the inner basin of the Atlantic Ocean.
Geographical position
The Sea of Azov had quite a few names, the most famous are - Blue ocean and Russian sea... The current name - Azov comes from the city of Azov, located on east coast... The reservoir is located in the northeastern part of the Black Sea region.
Due to the fact that it is separated from the Black Sea by only a small Kerch Peninsula, some scientists are inclined to consider the Sea of Azov a kind of Black Sea gulf, its area is 37600 km2. Largest dimensions in length and width are 343x231 km, respectively.
This sea is the shallowest in the world... On average, the depth fluctuates at the level 5-7 meters, maximum depths do not exceed 15 meters. This is due to the extremely small volume of water - about 256 km3. The sea has 16 bays and estuaries, among them the largest are Taganrog- in the eastern part and Sivash Bay - in the western part. A characteristic feature of the Sea of \ u200b \ u200bAzov is quite a large number of coastal spits. There are no islands, there are only shallows. Only two countries are washed by the waters of the Sea of Azov - Russia and Ukraine.
The maritime boundaries have not yet been determined. The sea is entirely located in the steppe zone, on flat terrain. Volcanic rocks on the shores of the Sea of Azov do not come to the surface, which is why the coast is muddy or sandy almost along its entire length. Small outcrops of limestone are found on the coast of the Taman and Kerch peninsulas. The river runoff is formed by two large rivers - Don and Kuban, as well as many small rivers.
The Black Sea is larger than the Azov Sea by about 11 times, it is called Black because of the high content of hydrogen sulfide at a depth of more than 120 meters. Metal objects falling to this depth become black. In the northern part of the sea is the Crimean peninsula, and, which is part of the Crimean - the Kerch peninsula. The water surface area is 422,000 km2.
Length from west to east - 1130 km, from North to South - 600 km... This body of water is one of the deepest in the world's oceans. Average depth - 1270 m, maximum reaches 2245 m, volume - 547,000 km3... There are over 40 bays in the sea. The largest bays are Tamansky, Sinopsky, Odessa, Karkinitsky and Kalanitsky. There is only one comparatively big Island- Serpentine. The Black Sea washes the coasts of 6 states.
In the northwestern part - it is mainly the coast of Ukraine and Romania, the sea has gently sloping shores and sandy beaches... The banks are composed of sedimentary rocks. The western coast, washing Bulgaria, along with gentle shores, has rocky areas, which is due to the Balkan Mountains. The Turkish coast in the south is almost entirely rocky, as it is propped up by the Pontine Mountains. The Caucasian Range is located on the southeastern and eastern coasts, which is why the shores are also rocky. The river runoff is formed by the Danube, the Southern Bug and the Dnieper. In addition, there are a large number of small rivers.
In the southwestern part, the sea is connected through the Bosphorus Strait with the Sea of Marmara. This strait passes through the territory of Turkey.
Salinity
Due to the small volume of the Sea of Azov, the composition of its water largely depends on the river flow. In essence, the water of the Azov Sea is the Black Sea water mixed with the water of the rivers flowing into it. On average, salinity is low - in the central part of about 13 ppm. In the Taganrog Bay, the water is absolutely fresh, since it is into this bay that the Don flows, in addition, the Taganrog Bay is located at a considerable distance from the Black Sea. As we approach the Kerch Strait, salinity increases, reaching 17 ppm.
The Black Sea is characterized by a higher salt content - 18 ppm on the surface and 22 ppm at a depth of more than 500 meters, but still, in comparison with other water bodies of the world ocean, the salt content in the Black Sea is low. The composition of the water is influenced by the Sea of Marmara, but since the salinity of the Sea of Marmara is higher, its waters are heavier and go deeper.
Fish stocks
The fishery value of the Sea of Azov is incredibly high... Until the 50s of the 20th century, in terms of the availability of fish stocks, it was the most productive reservoir in the world. The Azov sturgeon and sterlet were unique in their taste, but the hydro-construction that began in the 50s on the Don and Kuban had a detrimental effect on fish reproduction. The presence of dams has blocked access to spawning grounds, and poaching is also causing terrible damage to fish stocks.
However, the water world of the Azov Sea contains about 80 species of fish Are both marine and freshwater fish. Today, the annual production volume is about 30,000 tons.
The Black Sea is characterized by rather small fish stocks. For freshwater fish salty water unusable. As for marine fish, the situation is the opposite - marine fish do not tolerate the rather low salt content in the Black Sea water. In addition, due to the presence of hydrogen sulfide, there is no fauna at all at a depth of more than 100 meters. More than 180 species of fish have been recorded in the Black Sea, but no more than 30 of them are commercial. Unlike the Azov Sea, mammals live in the Black Sea - 3 species of dolphins. In addition to fish, mussels and algae are also of commercial importance.
Ports and resorts
The Azov Sea does not have convenient bays necessary for navigation, but its main drawback is shallow water... Azov ports are located in the cities of Berdyansk, Mariupol, Taganrog, Rostov-on-Don, Yeisk, Temryuk. For the above reasons, large ocean-going vessels cannot enter the ports of the Azov Sea - this is the reason for the low cargo turnover of the ports and their weak development.
The popularity of the Azov Sea resorts is also low. The reasons are the opacity of the water, the monotony of the coastal landscape. Hence the weak development of the infrastructure of the resorts.
Due to the deep water, the ports of the Black Sea are characterized by a large cargo turnover. The Black Sea coast of all countries has 43 ports. Most major ports- Novorossiysk, Odessa, Constanta, Varna, Trabzon, Batumi.
The mild climate, the beauty of nature and the clear sea water make Black Sea resorts very popular. The infrastructure of the resorts is relatively developed - this attracts a significant number of tourists.
The quaint, indented coast of the Crimea attracts sailors and beach goers with this very feature. Numerous bays allow you to find how convenient anchorage and the coastal edge, not subject to the fury of the waves. The Kalamitsky Gulf of the Black Sea is not very large, but its coasts are unique natural corners.
Where is the Gulf of Kalamita on the map?
It is located in the Western Crimea. On its banks are Zaozernoe, and Saki, Novofedorovka, Nikolaevka and Beregovoe, Sandy, etc.
Geographic details and features
Here disagreements immediately begin. Classic - old - sources have always indicated that the bay is limited by the capes of Evpatoria and. Thus, it occupies a significant part of the western coast of the Crimean Peninsula. However, modern data "cut" these indicators. In their opinion, the bay “does not reach Chersonesos,” but its border is.
To give short description the bay is not difficult. It is smaller than, slightly protrudes into the land - by 13 km, but it has a wide entrance - according to modern data, 41 km. The depths are different, maximum 30 m, so that even heavy ships are not threatened to run aground. The height of the coast rises from north to south. In the area of the Yevpatoria Cape, it is sloping, sandy, with extensive beaches. To the southern end, the coast rises, near the ledge Lucullus is 15 m.
There are several salt lakes near the Kalamitsky Bay:
- Yaly-Moinakskie (Big and Small),
- Saki,
- Bagailly.
Hydrographic research proves that they should have once formed a section of the harbor, but were separated from it by barrows literally several meters wide. As a result, the properties of their filling and bottom sludge changed. These are often called estuary.
Kalamitsky Bay in Crimea is considered a very clean area of the Black Sea. 
This is largely due to the fact that it is located far from the confluence. The rivers and the Western Bulganak flow directly into it, within its modern borders, but they cannot create a strong suspension of the brought soil in it. The purity of the water explains not only the tourist attractiveness of the region, but also its natural wealth.
Mutually exclusive transfers
The region of Kalamitsky Bay has been giving a lot of work to philologists for a long time. They cannot in any way establish the origin and meaning of its name. Yes, everyone knows about the existence of the medieval, but the fortification was also called that way for some reason! There are many mutually exclusive versions borrowed from different languages: “beautiful”, “nice, comfortable cape” and even “misfortune, disaster”. The riddle, like so many different definitions, can be attributed to the same place.
The name "Lucullus" also raises questions. Many have heard of the existence of the Roman commander Lucullus, who loved to eat deliciously. He has probably been to these parts, but the land ledge still does not look like him. In fact, the first famous maps it was called in Tatar - Uluk-Kol. A beam with that name ("long sleeve") is indeed nearby. Probably, later the name, which was indigestible for the first Russian settlers, was changed into a more musical surname of a Roman military man.
Protection of life and health
Since Kalamitsky Bay is famous for its cleanliness, rest in the local area is especially beneficial for health. Estuary lakes (the most famous but similarly used silt from others) are a source of healing mud used in the treatment of many diseases of the nervous system, skin, musculoskeletal system, and respiratory organs. 
Clean air and water complement the healing effect.
It warms up relatively quickly: the swimming season in favorable years lasts here from May to September. The beaches of Evpatoria are well known - sand is much more convenient for vacationers than pebbles. Many of them have a gentle entrance to the sea - this is one of the reasons why the city is especially recommended as a children's resort. The surroundings are famous for their beautiful spacious beaches (the name speaks for itself). The small village is not as famous as Evpatoria, but it is for the better - prices are lower, and there is more space.
In addition to holidaymakers, pure water liked marine life... In order to protect the system in which the sea interacts with the land, a nature reserve has been established at Cape Lucullus. Its coastal complex is recognized as a natural monument. Vegetable and animal world here it is very rich, including rare species. Here the spring adonis (adonis) grows, the steppe duck, the little bustard, the steppe eagle, the four-striped snake, and the steppe viper are found.
Archaeologists have discovered the remains of Lucullus large settlement Scythian times. Conditionally it is called Ust-Alminsky. So far, it has not been possible to identify the archaeological site from written information, but it is clear that it was a rather large city-state. This object requires an early investigation - a significant part of it has already been lost as a result of erosion by the sea.
How to get there (get there)?
You can get to the Kalamitsky Bay from any corner of Crimea, buses in this direction are not uncommon from Simferopol, Yalta, Sevastopol, Feodosia and even Kerch.
We will show on the map how to independently get by car to, one of the most attractive here, from Simferopol:
Tourist notes
- Address: Western Crimea, Russian Federation.
- GPS coordinates: 45.002367, 33.566267.
Visitors should behave culturally so that the Kalamitsky Gulf of Crimea and its Black Sea environs can help improve the health of guests for a long time to come and preserve the biological diversity of the region.
Echinoderms of the Black Sea
The mirror of the Black Sea has an area 422 thousand square kilometers.
Maximum depth - 2210 m.
Bowl of the sea holds 527 cubic kilometers of water.
By the shape of the Black Sea resembles an oval with a longest axis of 1150 kilometers. The greatest length from north to south is 580 kilometers, and the smallest is 265 kilometers.
Average depth of the Black Sea - 1240 m.
The Black Sea is located o at mid-latitudes: 41 - 46 degrees north latitude.
In the Black Sea salinity of water on average - 18, in the Sea of Azov - 4, in the Mediterranean - oceanic salinity - 37 grams per 1 liter of water.
Connected by the straits of the Bosphorus and Dardanelles with the Marble and Mediterranean Sea, The Kerch Strait with the Sea of Azov.
The only large peninsula in the Black Sea - Crimean.
Largest bays: Yagorlytsky, Tendrovsky, Dzharylgachsky, Karkinitsky, Kalamitsky, Feodosia, Varnensky, Burgas, Sinop, Samsunsky.
total length coastline - 3400 kilometers.
Islands in the Black Sea: the largest island, Dzharylgach, has an area of 62 square kilometers. Other islands are smaller, the most significant: Berezan and Zmeiny - both with an area of less than 1 square kilometer.
Feature of the Black Sea consists in the fact that at a depth of over 150-200 meters begins the habitat of anaerobic bacteria, the result of which is the release of hydrogen sulfide. Organisms that need oxygen cannot live there. Life develops only in the upper layer of the sea. This layer accounts for 12-13 percent of the total volume of the sea, while containing 80 percent of the entire fauna of the Black Sea. it marine species, which penetrated here through the Bosphorus and brackish-aquatic organisms, common in such reservoirs throughout the planet. A fresh species emerge from rivers flowing into the Black Sea.
The Black Sea is poorer in species of living creatures than the Mediterranean. But this is due to special conditions of this reservoir.
Live in:
1.Species tolerating a wide range of water salinity.
2. types of this temperature regime - the water is moderately cold.
3. species that do not need great depths at any stage of development.
All types of living beings can be divided into two large groups:
permanent and temporary.
The Black Sea is home to 2.5 thousand species of animals:
- 500 species are unicellular.
- 160 species - vertebrates (fish and mammals).
- 500 species - crustaceans.
- 200 species - molluscs.
- other invertebrates of different groups.
In the Mediterranean Sea, for comparison, there are about 9 thousand species of animals, and in the Azov Sea - about 600 species.
Large mobile animals enter the Black Sea from the Mediterranean at will. But a large number of species are constantly brought here, regardless of their desire, through the straits.
Two currents constantly exist in the Bosphorus:
1. Upper- carries desalinated water from the Black Sea to the Marmara Sea and further to the Mediterranean Sea.
2. Lower- Delivers saltier and warmer water to the Black Sea. With it (the thickness of the stream is 2-8 meters) planktonic organisms are brought into the sea. Live starfish, ophiuras, sea urchins were found here.
Flora of the Black Sea includes:
- 270 species of green, brown, red bottom algae.
- 350 species of microscopic plankton.
- the mass of various bacteria.
Most planktonic algae use solar energy to build themselves from simple compounds. Some algae, like animals, can only eat ready-made organic matter. Noctiluk algae (night light) is a predator.
The material used for the article:
Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron: In 86 volumes - St. Petersburg, 1890-1907.
Agbunov M.V. Antique sailing of the Black Sea. Academy of Sciences of the USSR. Science, Moscow, 1987.
Kuzminskaya G. Black Sea. Krasnodar 1977.
Beasts of the Black Sea. Simferopol: Tavria, 1996.
Wikipedia
Black Sea coastline
The Black Sea is located in the northern temperate zone of the Earth, stretching from north to south between points with coordinates 46 °, 32 ′ and 40 ° 55 ′ north latitude.
But if we bear in mind the climatic features, then the coastline of the Black Sea belongs to two zones. North and west coast correspond to the temperate zone, and the southern coast of Crimea, the coasts of the Caucasus and Turkey - to the subtropical belt, and the southern part of the Cherno sea coast The Caucasus and the Colchis Lowland belong to the humid subtropics with an annual rainfall of 1400-2500 millimeters. One of distinctive features subtropics is a mild winter, allowing year-round vegetation of plants.
The length of the Black Sea coastline is about 4,790 kilometers. This is not a constant, fixed value. Not only the length, but the whole appearance of the shores is constantly changing under the influence of both natural forces and at the will of man. Among the natural factors affecting the sea shores, the main role belongs to waves and currents. Inaccessible coastal cliffs, picturesque bays, islets, velvet smooth beaches, covered with sand and silt of the harbor, washed-out road embankments, villages and resorts destroyed by landslides - all this is the result of the activity of the surf and currents.
So writes about the "life" of sea coasts in the annotation to his book "The Shores of the Black and Azov Seas", a prominent specialist in this field of marine science, Professor V.P. Zenkovich. Thanks to the works of V.P. Zenkovich, his colleagues and colleagues, the Black Sea coast is now the most studied. This made it possible to successfully carry out large-scale works on their strengthening and improvement in a number of places. Description of the Black Sea shores by V.P. Zenkovich is not only a valuable source of firsthand scientific information, but also a poetic story about that very specific zone where the sea meets land.
So, all the way from the Danube to Ochakov stretch the famous "velvet sands", sandy strips sea beaches as well as numerous estuaries. Clay cliffs are not uncommon here. They are constantly destroyed by the sea surf, and from time to time there are massive landslides. Now landslide phenomena, thanks to the development of the science of the seashore, have been tamed by a system of powerful coastal protection structures.
From Ochakov to the Western Crimea, the shores are also characterized by their sandy beaches and low cliffs. Between the Dnieper-Bug estuary and the Karkinitsky bay there are extensive sand spits(Kinburnskaya, Tendrovskaya) and islands (Dolgiy, Krugly, Dzharylgach). it for the most part sparsely populated or completely uninhabited places, the kingdom of birds, all kinds of small animals, deer, and even wild horses on Tendra. Here is the Black Sea state reserve Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR, which is doing a lot of work on the study of seagulls and others, birds, their role in the life of the sea and land. Nearby are the large bays of the Black Sea: Yagorlytsky, Tendrovsky, Dzharylgachsky, Karkinitsky, which, by their natural features, are shallow water, protection from waves, remoteness from settlements, from powerful sources of pollution, high biological productivity and others - are considered the most promising places for the development of underwater farms in the Black Sea.
The southern coast of Crimea is mountainous. Crimean mountains They are not particularly high, but their summit plateaus - yayls - lie very close to the sea and fall in sheer cliffs several hundred meters high. Sheltering the coasts from northern winds, they create here climatic conditions subtropics. Beaches South Shore The Crimea is not sandy, but pebble and much narrower than the north-western coast of the Black Sea. The underwater landscape of the southern coast of Crimea is very beautiful: clear water, many rocks (some of them rise above the sea surface) and blocks overgrown with algae, mussels and other organisms. The species diversity of fauna and flora makes these places convenient for acquaintance with the inhabitants of the sea, especially for scuba divers.
The southern coast of the Kerch Peninsula, as well as the southern coast of Taman, is distinguished by wide sandy beaches and shallow waters of the coastal strip of the sea, somewhat reminiscent of the northwestern coast. Salty seaside reservoirs are found here again. On Kerch Peninsula- these are Uzunlarskoye, Koyashskoye and Tobechikskoye lakes, on Tamanskoye - Tsokur, Kiziltashsky, Bugazsky and Vityazevsky estuaries. And the water is more turbid than that of the southern coast of Crimea, and desalinated by the runoff of the Sea of Azov through the Kerch Strait. From Anapa to the southeast to Batumi, the Caucasian coastline with a predominance of pebble beaches stretches. The coastal mountains are covered with dense forest, numerous evergreen trees and shrubs, citrus fruits. Great depths come close to the shore. Mountain rivers bring little turbidity, and the sea water is transparent, like on the southern coast of Crimea.
Turkey's Black Sea coast is mountainous, with narrow, mostly pebble beaches and rapidly increasing depths.
The shores of Romania and Bulgaria resemble the northwestern ones and are also famous for their wide sandy beaches. As in the Odessa region, clay cliffs prevail here, there are salt lakes and estuaries, and the sea is freshened by the Danube runoff.
Acquaintance with the wildlife of the Black Sea coast is greatly facilitated by visiting local museums of local lore, available in all cities, as well as botanical gardens and marine aquariums.
Among the botanical attractions on the Black Sea coast, one should mention the botanical garden of Odessa State University, founded in 1867, the Nikitsky Botanical Garden in Crimea, created in 1812, the Arboretum in Sochi, founded at the end of the last century, the tisosamshitovy grove, located two kilometers from the sea up the the Khosta river, - the remains of the ancient relict flora, the subtropical park in Gagra, the Pitsunda relict long-coniferous pine reserve at Cape Pitsunda, the Sukhum Botanical Garden, and finally the Batumi Botanical Garden, founded in 1912, one of the largest and most famous in our country.
Marine aquariums are less ancient and famous than botanical gardens... They are very helpful in getting to know the inhabitants of the Black Sea, their appearance and habits. In our country, marine aquariums have been created in Sevastopol at the Institute of Biology southern seas, in Kerch at the Azov-Black Sea Scientific Research Institute of Marine Fisheries and Oceanography, in Sochi in the Arboretum and in Batumi at the Georgian branch of the All-Union Institute of Marine Fisheries and Oceanography. The Black Sea fauna is most fully represented in the Sevastopol Aquarium, opened back in 1897 at the biological station and subsequently modernized several times. Today it is a very popular institution that showcases the inhabitants of the Black and other seas. There is a central round pool with a diameter of 9.2 and a depth of 1.5 meters, as well as 12 wall aquariums with a volume of up to 7 cubic meters. Several dozen species of Black Sea fish, crabs, molluscs and other animals can be observed in the aquarium at the same time.
The first scientific demonstration dolphinarium in our country was recently opened in Batumi, where there is an opportunity to get acquainted with the Black Sea dolphins and the work that scientists and trainers carry out with them.
There are several nature reserves on the Black Sea coast. The largest of them is the Black Sea State Reserve of the Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR with an area of more than 60 thousand hectares, founded in 1927. It is located between the Dnieper-Bug estuary and the Karkinitsky bay on the sands of the Kinburn and Tendrovsky spits, the islands of Krugly, Dolgiy, Orlov, Babin and others. The area occupied by the reserve is 12 606 hectares. The rest of the area is shallow sea water.
The biggest attraction of the Black Sea Reserve is a large colony of black-headed or Mediterranean gulls, numbering up to 200,000 pairs. This beautiful white bird with a brilliant black head (the so-called "mating outfit", in winter the seagull's head is white), during the nesting period is found in many places - in Greece, Asia Minor, Romania and even in Mongolia, but its largest colony is in the Black Sea reserve. The black-headed gull deserves protection not only as one of the adornments of the sea coast, where there are fewer and fewer deserted places near the sea, but also as a human assistant in the fight against agricultural pests. The fact is that, in addition to small fish and marine invertebrates, this gull feeds on insects that it hunts in the steppe. Scientists have calculated that over the summer, black-headed gulls from the Black Sea Reserve, together with chicks, eat more than 5 thousand tons of insects, thereby preventing annual losses agriculture in the amount of up to 2 million rubles. An excellent example of a combination of nature protection and a biological method of pest control that is safe for humans!
Another protected place on the Black Sea coast is located around Cape Kaliakra in Bulgaria. On the secluded coastal cliffs of this steep cape, the only species of seal in the Black Sea - the monk seal - breeds. It is listed in the International "Red Book" of rare and endangered species. According to Bulgarian scientists, only a few pairs of seals remain there today, which are under the strict protection of the state.
Yes, it is more and more difficult now for birds and animals to find secluded places on the shores of the Black Sea. People are so fond of them that sometimes it seems: a little more time will pass - and all coastal settlements will merge into a continuous ring of cities and resorts. In any case, they talk about the resort development of the entire coastline back in this century. Of course, the sea should help people in rest and treatment, this is indisputable. But what are the reasonable limits of this "human load" per unit of coastline has not yet been calculated. This is one of the immediate and important tasks of science. In the meantime, the ranks of all kinds of recreation centers, camps, campgrounds, medical institutions, sports centers, beaches, boat docks and other forms of "sea use" are growing without hindrance, why not introduce such a term, by analogy with "nature management"? Our relations with the sea must be built in such a way as to ensure a gentle regime for it. Indeed (in addition to these seasonal recreational and medical facilities) around the Black Sea there are about forty settlements of the rank of ports with a population of about 4 million people and with a certain negative impact on the marine environment. Thus, for one permanent resident the Black Sea coast accounts, according to statistics, about 1 meter of coastline. But in the summer, the population at least doubles, and then the share of the coastline per person is reduced to half a meter. And if we take into account that “sea use” is not evenly distributed along the coast, then in settlements, resorts and other places, the “personal” section of the coast is sometimes reduced to a few centimeters. This is the tense ecological situation, requiring from a person special thrift and attentiveness to the natural environment around him, for the sake of meeting with which he sometimes overcomes thousands of kilometers and bears so many bright plans during the year. And since the concept of "nature protection" implies, first of all, the protection of its living inhabitants, let's move on to getting to know them.
Yu.P. Zaitsev
Photo beautiful places Crimea
