Chronology of Mnemiopsis and Beroe invasions to the Black, Azov

and Caspian Seas.Risk of Mnemiopsis invasion to the

Baltic Sea.Aladin N.V. (Zoological Institute RAS)

in co-operation with: Chuikov Yu.S. (Environment Protection Agency of Astrakhan Region),

Panov V.E. and Plotnikov I.S. (Zoological Institute RAS)

HELCOM-BSRP Meeting on Ballast Waters

Klaipeda-Palanga, February 22-24, 2005

Caspian Sea regarding the largest lakes of the WorldIn the brackets there is area in sq. km, area of the Aral Sea is given for 1960

0 500 1000 km

15. Ladoga Lake, Russia(18 300)

14. Lake OntarioCanada/USA

(19 400)

11. Lake Erie,Canada/USA

(25 680)

6. Lake M ichigan, USA

(58 020)

5. Lake Guron, Canada(59 580)

3. Lake Victoria, A frica(68 800)

4. The Aral Sea,Uzbekistan/Kazkhstan

(65 500)

1. The Caspian Sea(371 000)

7. Lake Tanganyika, A frica

(32 900)

13. Lake M alaw i, A frica

(22 490)

10. G reat S lave LakeCanada (28 570)

9. Lake Baikal, Russia

(31 500)

8. G reat Bear Lake, Canada(31 330)

12. Lake W innipeg, Canada(24 890)

2. Lake Superior,Canada, USA

(82 900)

,

Water bodies of the Palaeocaspian(by Aladin, Plotnikov, 2000)

A – Balakhanian; B – Akchagylian; C – Postakchagylian; D – Apsheronian; E – Turkianian; F – Bakuvian; G – Venedian or Ushtalian;

H – the Early Khazarian; I – the Late Khazarian; J – Atelian; K – the Early Khvalynian; L – Enotaevian; M – the Late Khvalynian; N – Mangyshlakian; O – the New Caspian; P – the present.

Caspian Sea sanlinity by Ostracoda

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

110

100010000100000100000010000000

Time B.P.

Sa

linit

y, g

/lChanges in palaeohalinity of Pont-Aral-Caspian

during last 15 mln. years

Main parameters of the Caspian Sea

The Caspian SeaMax. length 1204 kmMax. width 566 kmMean width 204 kmVolume 77000 km3

Max. depth 1025 mMean depth 184 mArea 436000 km2

The Northern Caspian Sea(huge estuary of

Volga and Ural rivers)Volume 0.94%Area 27.73%Max. depth 10 mMean depth 6.2 m

The Middle Caspian Sea(Caspian Sea sensu stricta)

Volume 35.39%Area 36.63%Max. depth 770 mMean depth 175.5 m

The Southern Caspian Sea(Caspian Sea sensu stricta)

Volume 63.67%Area 35.64%Max. depth 1025 mMean depth 325 m

Caspian Sea water surface area

N othern C aspian

Peshnye Islands

K azakhstan

R ussia

A zerba ijan

Tu

rkmen

istan

Iran

M idd le C aspian

S outhern C asp ian

Gasan-Kuli

Astara

Ogerchinskiy Island

Svinoi Is land

Krasnovodsk

Kuuli-M ayakBaku

Sum gait

Kara Bogaz G ol

Bekdash

Kosa Ada

Derbent

Izberbash

M akhachkala

KaraBogaz

GolBay

Iskusstvennyi Island

Tiuleniy Is landKulaly Is land

Fort Shevchenko

Zhiloy Island

Vo lga

Ura l

K ura

Average Ion Composition in the World Ocean, the Caspian Sea and River Volga

World Ocean (Lyman, Fleming, 1940)

Caspian Sea (Blinov, 1962)

Volga at Astrakhan (Bruyevich, 1938) Ions

g/kg % equ. g/kg % equ. mg/kg % equ. Na+ 10.556 38.67 3.156 31.58 13.24 7.93 K+ 0.380 0.82 0.100 0.58 Ca2+ 0.400 1.72 0.334 3.83 46.35 31.90 Mg2+ 1.272 8.79 0.740 14.00 8.88 10.17 Cl- 18.980 45.07 5.347 34.69 10.86 4.20 Br- 0.065 0.06 0.007 0.02 SO4

2- 2.649 4.64 3.038 14.55 50.92 14.48 CO3

2- 0.071 0.23 0.100 0.73 68.31 31.32 H3BO3 0.026 Total 34.399 100 12.822 99.98 198.56

(0.198 g/kg) 100

According to our studies Baltic Sea water with salinity 5 g/l is equivalent to Caspian water with salinity 6.65 g/l and Baltic Sea water with salinity 8 g/l is

equivalent to Caspian water with salinity 10.57 g/l.

Mean salinity (g/l) on the surface in the Caspian Sea

1212.5 13

13

12.5

11

12

13

12.512

11

12.511910

12

1110

12.5

1211 14

1313

12.5

12

11

10

9 1011

12

12.5

11

13

10

111212.5

February April August November

Mean salinity (g/l) in the Northern Caspian Sea

12

4 56

8

10

12

1210866

4

21

3

12

46 8 10 12

10

8

1 2 46

21

46

8 1012

12

10

8

6

421 1 2

124

6 8 10 12

10

8

12

46

April June

August October

Mean temperature (˚C) on the surface in the Caspian Sea

67

89

101111 10

9

8

9

10

11

12

1314

15

2345

6

7

8

910

24 25

2324

2022

2321

2224

25

26

2728

1011121314

15

14

16

17

18

1920

21

February April August October

Faunal Composition of Free-Living Metazoa of the Black, Azov and Caspian Seas

Number of species Number of species Groups

Black and Azov Seas Caspian Sea Groups

Black and Azov Seas Caspian Sea Porifera 28 1 Branchiopoda 17 30 Hydrozoa 28 5 Ostracoda 111 27 Scyphozoa 3 – Copepoda 184 16 Anthozoa 4 – Cirripedia 5 2 Ctenophora 1 1 Amphipoda 108 72 Isopoda 29 2 Turbellaria 103 25 Tanaidacea 6 – Nemertini 33 1 Mysidacea 19 20 Nematodes 141 52* Cumacea 24 18 Gordiacea 1 – Decapoda 37 5 Rotatoria 102 32 Acarina 27 2 Gastrotricha 23 – Pantopoda 8 – Kinorhyncha 10 – Insecta 13 8 Tardigrada 5 – Polychaeta 192 7 Oligochaeta 33 22 Asteroidea 1 – Hirudinea 10 3 Ophiuroidea 4 – Sipunculida 1 – Echinoidea 1 – Holothurioidea 8 – Bryozoa 20 6 Kamptozoa 2 1 Chaetognatha 2 – Phoronidea 1 – Ascidiacea 8 – Loricata 2 – Appendicularia 1 – Bivalvia 90 25 Acrania 1 – Gastropoda 113 82 Cyclostomata 1 1 Scaphopoda 1 – Pisces 161 76 Reptilia 2 – Mammalia 4 1 Total 1729 543

Faunal composition of free-living Metazoa of the Caspian Sea, %. a – In systematic groups: 1. Turbellaria, 2. Nematodes, 3. Rotatoria, 4. Annelida, 5.

Crustacea, 6. Mollusca, 7. Pisces & Cyclostomata, 8. others. b – In faunal complexes: 1.Autochthonous, 2. Freshwater, 3. Mediterranean, 4. Arctic.

1 2 3 4

5 6 7 8

1 2 3 4

a b

Middle and Southern Caspian

Autochthons

Freshwater

Arctic

Atlantic

The Northern Caspian

Autochthones

Freshwater

Atlantic

Arctic

Number of species in the Caspian Sea

Derzhavin (1951) & Zenkevich (1963)

476

Chesunov (1978) ~ 550

Kasymov (1987) ~ 950

Dumont (1998) ~ 1800

Aladin et al. (2001) > 2000

Filming of Aurelia and Mnemiopsis by Kamakin & Ushivtsev in 1999

Mnemiopsis leidyiThe native habitat of the ctenophore Mnemiopsis leidyi is in temperate to subtropical estuaries along the Atlantic coast of North and South America, where it is found in an extremely wide range of environmental conditions.

Winter low and summer high temperatures of2ºC and 32ºC, respectively, and salinities of < 2 to 39 g/l.

Mnemiopsis spreading over Caspian Sea

1999 2000 2001

Beroe ovataPhotograph is taken from Internet

author and place of filming are unknown

Beroe ovataThis photograph is taken by Dr Ahmet Kideys.

Beroe ovata was caught near Istanbul.

Mnemiopsis population density control by Beroe

Fragment of Beroe ovata stained with alcyan blue, 50 mg/l(fixatives - acetic acid 2.5% + formaldehyde 1.5%)

Photograph is taken by Dr Igor Plotnikov

Fragment of Beroe ovata stained with alcyan blue, 50 mg/l(fixatives - acetic acid 2.5% + formaldehyde 1.5%)

Photograph is taken by Dr Igor Plotnikov

•In the early 1980s, Mnemiopsis leidyi was accidentally introduced to the Black Sea, where it flourished and expanded into the Azov, Marmara, Mediterranean, and Caspian Seas.

•In November 1982 M. leidyi for the first time was found in Sudak Bay of the Black Sea.

•In 1986 M. leidyi was recorded again in the coastal area of north-western Black Sea.

•In 1987 Mnemiopsis appeared in the north-eastern, north-western coastal waters and in the Bosporus area.

•June-September 1988 M. leidyi was found everywhere, at an average biomass of 1 kg WW m-2 (40 g WW m-3) and average abundance of c. 310 m-2 (12.4 m-3).

•In autumn 1989, the greatest mean biomass ever in the open sea 4.6 kg WW m-2 (184 g m-3) and greatest abundance, 7,600 ind. m-2 (304 ind. m-3) were measured.

Chronology of Mnemiopsis invasions to the Black Sea

•August 1988. Mnemiopsis leidyi was observed in the Sea of Azov for the first time.

•In 1989 it was a peak of Mnemiopsis abundance there which coincided with the its peak in the Black Sea.

•Since 1990 Mnemiopsis abundance decreased and during following years it had inter-annual fluctuations in abundance and biomass. The organisms can only survive there during the warm seasons. It is being re-introduced every year in spring - summer months through the Kerch Strait.

Chronology of Mnemiopsis invasions to the Sea of Azov

Chronology of Mnemiopsis and probably Beroe invasions to the Caspian Sea

• 1995-1998. Rumors about new jelly-fishes invasion to the Caspian Sea. It could be: Mnemiopsis, Beroe, or Aurelia.

• November 1999. Mnemiopsis leidyi was found for the first time in the Caspian Sea at the temperature 16.5-19.5ºC and salinity 11.76-13.07 g/l.

• July 2000 M .leidyi was found everywhere in the Southern and Middle Caspian.• September 2000 M .leidyi was spread to the Northern Caspian where salinity was higher

than 4 g/l. • September 2000 Beroe ovata was found for the first time in the Caspian Sea near

Turkmenian coast (reported by Lavrov). Confirmation of this report with photographs or preserved specimens is not available.

• June-August 2001. It was shown that the main area of distribution and overwintering of M .leidyi is the Southern Caspian, and during spring-early summer it penetrates to the Middle and by August to the Northern Caspian.

• September 2001. Fragments of Beroe ovata was found in the Caspian Sea near Azerbaijan coast (reported by Richter, Jorgensen and Aladin). Tarasov reported in Internet that Boroe ovata invaded to the Caspian Sea couldn’t naturalize in it .

• September 2001. M. leidyi reached average density and biomass for all Caspian were maximal–3756 ind.m-2 and 960 mg.m-2, respectively. The density reached 15587.5 ind.m-2 in the Southern Caspian, which were in two times higher, than highest density in the Black.

• June-August 2003. Beroe ovata was found in the Caspian Sea near Dagestan coast (reported by Mamedov). Confirmation of this report with photographs or preserved specimens is not available.

• May 2004. Specimens of Beroe ovata collected in the Caspian Sea near Azerbaijan coast preserved in formaldehyde and acetic acid were delivered by anonym collector to Zoological Institute RAS.

Mnemiopsis leidyi abundance in August 1999-2004 depending on sea area (ind./m3)

from various sources including Karpyuk et al., 2003, Volovik et al. 2003, Chuikov et al. 2004

Year Northern Caspian

Middle Caspian

Southern Caspian

1999 0 0.01 0

2000 1.5-2 2-3 0.5-2

2001 5 12 53

2002 42 375 682

2003 509 920 602

2004 less 400 less 700 no dataMay be Beroe already harvesting Mnemiopsis because its density is going down now?

Mnemiopsis could survive in Baltic Sea waters with high

thermal pollution.

Distribution of Mnemiopsis leidyi in Europe

Some scientists including us believe that Mnemiopsis could invade Baltic Sea from via Baltic Straits.

1. What we have to do in order to prevent Mnemiopsis invasion to the Baltic Sea?

• We need to control ballast waters of coming ships.• We need to decrease thermal pollution of the Baltic Sea. • We need to monitor biodiversity of thermal polluted and

harbor zones. • We need to study all parameters of Mnemiopsis natural

history.2. What we have to do if Mnemiopsis will appear

in the Baltic Sea?• We need to monitor invasion.• We need to compare chronology of previous invasions with

those to the Baltic Sea.• We need to find mechanical, chemical or biochemical, or

even biological ways to stop or at least decrease invasion. • We need to find the most “fragile” part of Mnemiopsis life

cycle and use it for attack.

Conclusions:1. Risk of Mnemiopsis invasion is very high due to intensive

traffic between Baltic Sea and water areas that are rich with Mnemiopsis.

2. Risk of Mnemiopsis invasion is going to be higher due to global warming process and process of Baltic Sea possible salinization.

3. Mnemiopsis could survive at low temperatures up to 4°C and at low salinities up to 3 g/l. In winter time Mnemiopsis could survive in warm waters near power plants which release water to Baltic Sea.

4. Baltic Sea littoral states should be ready for Mnemiopsis invasion. Possible measures should be discussed prior to invasion. Negative experience of invasion to Black, Azov and Caspian Seas should be studied.

5. Baltic Sea littoral states should discuss in advance possible measures of Mnemiopsis abundance control (including introduction of Beroe).

6. It could happen that in the case of Baltic Sea Beroe couldn’t help because in many water areas of this sea salinity and temperature are too low for Beroe naturalization.