Abstract
Marine benthic habitats, such as sandy beaches, intertidal flats, and tide pools, are characterized by a high abundance and specific diversity of dinoflagellates. Sandy habitats constitute 90% of the Northwestern Black Sea coast. This shelf zone is significantly influenced by river discharge, which shapes its eutrophic conditions and creates a highly dynamic hydrological regime. A key feature of this region is the presence of various estuaries with a wide range of salinity and connections to the sea. Although research on benthic dinoflagellates in European seas has intensified in recent years, knowledge of this group of Protista in the Black Sea region remains limited, with only 17 species recorded (Terenko 2010; Snigirova et al. 2014).
This study, initiated in 2021, investigated the spatial distribution and biodiversity of benthic sand-dwelling dinoflagellates at six locations in the Northwestern Black Sea. Dinoflagellates were identified in 12 samples collected from the Gulf of Odessa, Tylihul and Hryhorivsky Estuaries, Budaki and Tuzly Lagoons, and the area around Zmiinyi Island. In total, 13 species from 7 genera were recorded, including three species – Amphidiniopsis swedmarkii (Balech) J.D.Dodge, Prorocentrum lima (Ehrenberg) F.Stein, and P. fukuyoi Sh.Murray & Y.Nagahama – that had previously been identified as sand-dwelling in the region. The remaining 10 species, from the genera Amphidiniopsis, Amphidinium, Blixaea, Bysmatrum, Herdmania, and Speroidium, had been recorded in plankton but are reported here for the first time in Black Sea benthic habitats. Light and Scanning Electron Microscopic documentation of these species is provided for the first time.
This study, initiated in 2021, investigated the spatial distribution and biodiversity of benthic sand-dwelling dinoflagellates at six locations in the Northwestern Black Sea. Dinoflagellates were identified in 12 samples collected from the Gulf of Odessa, Tylihul and Hryhorivsky Estuaries, Budaki and Tuzly Lagoons, and the area around Zmiinyi Island. In total, 13 species from 7 genera were recorded, including three species – Amphidiniopsis swedmarkii (Balech) J.D.Dodge, Prorocentrum lima (Ehrenberg) F.Stein, and P. fukuyoi Sh.Murray & Y.Nagahama – that had previously been identified as sand-dwelling in the region. The remaining 10 species, from the genera Amphidiniopsis, Amphidinium, Blixaea, Bysmatrum, Herdmania, and Speroidium, had been recorded in plankton but are reported here for the first time in Black Sea benthic habitats. Light and Scanning Electron Microscopic documentation of these species is provided for the first time.
Original language | English |
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Pages | 76 |
Number of pages | 1 |
Publication status | Published - 4 Nov 2024 |
Event | The Asian Pacific Congress of Protistology (APCOP-V) 2024 - The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia Duration: 4 Nov 2024 → 6 Nov 2024 https://protist-au.org/ |
Conference
Conference | The Asian Pacific Congress of Protistology (APCOP-V) 2024 |
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Country/Territory | Australia |
City | Brisbane |
Period | 4/11/24 → 6/11/24 |
Internet address |
Keywords
- Sand-dwelling Dinoflagellates
- Black Sea
- Marine Benthic Habitats