"ALGA" Coalition.
Methodology of Caspian Sea Phyto-Monitoring by Means of Macrophytic Algae

The methodology was developed in order to create a simple original tool to determine sea water quality and ecological status of sea environment. The methodology is based on the results of a large-scale survey of a number of representative sites in Caspian coastal waters, performed by "ALGA" Coalition within a project "Creation a Methodology of Caspian Sea Phyto-Monitoring" with support of ISAR's Caspian Program, as well as on the multi-year observation data of one of the project participants, Ninel Karaeva, Doctor of biology, correspondent member of Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences. Environmental experts, students of Baku school and colleges, and people from settlements of Apsheron peninsula actively participated in the project as volunteers. The methodology is recommended to specialists, NGO staff and all interested parties as a tool of obtaining objective information about the status of Caspian Sea flora and water environment. The methodology may be used both for Azerbaijan sector of Caspian Sea, and for the rest of the Sea.

Basis

Plants are important elements of Caspian Sea ecosystems. Due to their physiological features they, similar to terrain plants, support the life of all living beings. Biosozological studies of macrophytic algae will serve as a basis for developing a theory of biodiversity conservation, which is one of key features of the biosphere, ensuring stability and sustainability, and thus the security of existence and survival of humanity. At that time studies of various and increasing anthropogenic impacts on Caspian Sea biota, including algae, show the shrinkage of habitats of certain species in this waterbody, vanishing of some of them, change in their morphology and reproductivity. Young fish and many sea invertebrates - that in turn are food for other fish - feed on algae, macrophytic ones in particular. Macrophytic algae are shelters for many sea organisms, their thallus serve as a spawning substrate for many fish species. Macrophytes are also agents of the sea self-purification, determining its capacity to recover from pollution thank to water aeration (enrichment with air) that occurs when they photosynthesize. Besides, cells of many algae are able to extract different chemical elements from water and accumulate them. Biologically active compounds emitted by plants play important role in disinfecting water and suppressing pathogenic microflora. At the same time, differences in response to polluting factors among various phytobentos species and presence of stenotopic species among them makes promising their use as indicator organisms in environmental monitoring. It is the analysis of composition and distribution of water plants (especially algae) that makes possible to conduct diagnostic monitoring of Caspian Sea.

Historical Reference

Flora of macrophytic algae in the Caspian Sea differs from such of Black and Mediterranean seas (and even more from other seas with salinity 30-35‰) in its species composition and taxonomic structure. This is reflected in very few species and low quantitative development of the division of brown algae (Phaeophyta) at Caspian, low number of red species (Rhodophyta), lack of many sea families of green algae (Chlorophyta) that always present in typical seas. Among Caspian macrophytic algae's peculiarities there are morphological parameters: small species prevail with height not exceeding 0.5 m. Large algae with massive thallus and complex anatomy are absent in Caspian. This is explained by low salinity of the sea water and its origin. It is known that in tertiary period Caspian sea was part of ancient Thetis ocean, and typical sea flora was developed in its waters. It is believed that in the process of Caspian separation from Thetis in early Pliocene and of metamorphization of its water by rivers inflow only very few representatives of euryhalic representatives of red and brown algae. Geological history of Caspian sea determined development of endemic (specific for particular area) species in the period of isolation. Thus, it is possible to say that red and brown algae of this waterbody are tertiary relics except for invasive species. Freshwater algae - halophytes - penetrated into the sea from fresh waters. Peculiar composition of Caspian macrophytes makes impossible the use of phyto-monitoring methods used in other seas, where observations to great extent are based on behavior of brown algae. In Caspian Sea the latter are represented by very few species that do not form sufficient biomass. Red algae, relatively more abundant, formed significant thickets, according to observations from 1930-s of Soviet researchers Kireeva and Schapova (1957). These researchers noted continuos underwater carpets, going along Azerbaijan coastline and reaching Baku bay. In late 50-s - early 60-s these thickets were observed by N.I. Karaeva (1960, 1972) near city of Sumgait, isles of Bakinsky and Apsheron archipelagos, between capes Bailov and Byandovan (but not in the central part of Baku bay, where they were not observed). Significant underwater growth of red algae were observed by K.M. Petrov (1967), who studied with aqualung underwater vegetation to the South from cape of Amiya till the beginning of Shakhovaya sand (including isles of Apsheron archipelago) and between cape of Puta and isle of Oblivnoy. A detailed history of studies of Caspian Sea macrophytic algae is described by Zaberzhinskaya (1968), and the complete history of macrophytic algae research is described in a publication by Zaberzhinskaya, Karaeva, and Makarova (1972). Summarizing the aforesaid, anthropogenic impact on Caspian Sea flora was not purposefully studied. However, in 20th century human impact on Caspian became of a diverse mature, including pollution, invasion, hydrotechnical construction and other factors, influencing biota.

Selection of the Sampling Site

The impact of pollution on Caspian macrophytes near Azerbaijan coastline is closely related to the development of oil and chemical industry that took place here after 1950, primarily near Apsheron peninsula. At the same time the largest Azerbaijan city - Baku - is located at this coastline. Thus, Apsheron peninsula is one of the most urbanized and industrialized sites, one of the most polluted both with municipal and industrial discharges. In spite of that, purposeful studies of macrophytic flora of Apsheron peninsula coastal waters undertaken from 1957 to mid 70-s shown that in this period flora of the region was still rather representative, and included species of the main divisions, including endemic and rare genus and species.

Objects and Methods

The object of this study was qualitative and quantitative phytobenthos samples, collected at 15 stations along Apsheron coastline. The selection of stations was determined by pollution: we tried to cover areas with different pollution levels. The sampling took place from the swamp zone down to the depth of 5 meters, that is at the depths where macrophytic vegetation is the most typical and representative, because vegetation is scarcer at depths of more than 5 meters (Zaberzhinskaya, 1968). Besides, particular attention was paid to bottom areas with outcrops of bed-rocks or bottom areas formed by a crust of contemporary lithificated deposits, favorable for macrophytic algae, as it is known, that Caspian macrophytic algae are mostly represented by lithophytic species (Petrov, 1967) (except for stoneworts which role near Apsheron peninsula is not important). Attention was also paid to flora of coastal stones and rocks, as usually if oil compounds occur, they are beaten down to the coastline, and oil debris cover fouling of these substrates. Samples from 1-5 m are taken with a dredge or with aqualung, while from coastal substrates by means of a scraper, where if possible substrate fragments were taken with algae. Sampling was performed from June to October 2002, totally 64 samples were collected and processed. Each sample was divided into three parts: the first one for investigation alive, the second was fixed with 4 percent formaldehyde solution and was also studied in laboratory, while the third one was used for herbarium. Quantitative samples were taken by means of a square frame (0.5 m width), placed at the bottom. Algae picked within the frame were dried with filter paper, then their wet weight was measured. Laboratory processing involved sample separation into species and then had three stages: