MARINE PLANTS OF THE BLACK SEA - An Illustrated Field Guide

Very delicate and complicated relationships underlie the universe in which marine plants and animals dwell; nowadays inhabitants of the World Ocean too often surrender, being unable to withstand human pressures and consequent impacts.

Everyone who steps from the beach into the sea meets algae and seagrasses, those basic primary producers which account for proper functioning of the coastal marine ecosystem. Seaweeds and seagrasses are coastal resources of inestimable value throughout the world. They create stable habitats for many types of food chains that support the goods and services of marine ecosystems (commercial species, recreation, utilization of land-based and ship-borne pollution, etc.). These marine plants also stabilize bottom sediments thus preventing coastal erosion, and aid in maintaining clear coastal waters since they buffer strong currents and wave action. The extremely high biodiversity of seaweed communities is well known. Besides, a variety of marine plants are used as food and for chemical compounds required in many industries. The first records about using seaweed and seagrass as medicinal agents were made about two thousand years ago.

The greatest risks for disruption and extinction of marine plants are in the shallow coastal zones which, along with estuaries, are the places where most of the high concentrations of population occur in the world. This is where shipping and port activities take place, where large rivers end after draining vast areas of agricultural activities, and where largest tourist resorts are located. The loads resulting from human activities, marine traffic and tourism coupled with the global climate change have disturbed the coastal seaweed and seagrass communities significantly in the long-term run. Regrettably, many countries ignore the ecological importance of the coastal zone and abandon any activity that suggests conservation of the seaweed beds. The recent oil blowout and spill in the Gulf of Mexico has demonstrated how human activity may kill off marine life; the most gravely endangered are semi-enclosed seas, e.g., the Black Sea, which is one of the worst polluted seas in the world. Therefore, preserving and conserving the diversity of the Black Sea life is a challenge of special importance.

Though key species of marine plants and their natural habitats in the Black Sea have been placed under protection of regional and national laws and international conventions, too many underwater communities along the shoreline are still affected by degradation. Marine protected areas (MPAs) have proved efficient in preserving, restoring and maintaining the biological diversity but at present their total area is not large. Their expansion through the Black Sea net of MPAs acquires high priority in nature conservation.

Unacceptably, present legislation level of designation of MPAs fail to adequately preserve the diversity of marine organisms. Besides, the general public awareness is low, people are not well challenged to acquire and enlarge their knowledge of plants and animals inhabiting the sea, their 9 life cycles and natural habitats. Marine biologists should better communicate their research on underwater life to public–today the number of illustrated manuals describing seaweeds and marine life is insufficient. This Guide was written to bridge this gap and acquaint the reader with common seaweed and seagrasses of the Black Sea.

Chapters of this book describe the Black Sea, marine plants growing on the sea floor, commercial use and protection and techniques which are applied to prepare a seaweed herbarium. The most extensive part of the Guide describes 74 macroscopic marine plants which are widespread along the shorelines of the Black Sea and form extensive beds and communities. They belong to the Kindom Plantae (Phylum Chlorophyta, Rhodophyta and Magnoliophyta) and Kindom Chromista (Phylum Heterokontophyta).

Species names are cited in alphabetic order and in concordance with the recent taxonomic revisions and nomenclature alterations synonyms are also given. The descriptions include details of the taxonomy, morphology, ecology, vegetation, reproduction, distribution and economic use. In compiling this Guide, the author used her own materials and data as well as thematic handbooks, monographs and other references. Almost each species is illustrated with underwater photos that permit identification of the marine plant. Most of the photos are from the archives of the Laboratory of Phytoresources (Institute of Biology of the Southern Seas, IBSS).

Annexes to the Guide include a list of researchers working in different fields of marine biology, an MPAs inventory for the Black Sea, the pertinent international conventions and agreements on preservation of the biological and landscape diversity. The glossary explains special scientific terms. The names and publications of all those who contributed to the general topics of the Guide are included in the references section.

The author was fortunate enough to had been taught by friendly and competent tutors in marine biology and to work in cooperation with colleagues who are as enthusiastic as I am. As a student of Rostov-on-Don State University, I repeatedly went to IBSS, one of the oldest European marine research institutes. Later, in this Institute I have specialized in biology and the ecology of the Black Sea marine plants. Some of the results obtained are included in this Guide and may be of use to algologists, ecologists, hydrobiologists, specialists in nature protection management, students, and to anyone sincerely interested in marine life.

I would appreciate any comments or suggestions from interested readers.