In Russia published the Atlas

Atlas “the Black and Azov seas” was released in Russia. This Atlas is designed for a wide range of readers. At least written by a geologist, the head would be understandable to the biologist and Vice versa. This is the fourth Atlas in the series and the third devoted to the ecology of the seas. Before it was published the Atlas of the Kara sea, the Laptev sea and species Atlas of marine mammals of the Arctic and the Far East. First and foremost, the Atlas is intended for students, as well as all those whose activity is connected with the sea, and specific marine ecosystems.

the Fourth book in the series “Environmental Atlas of the seas of Russia” prepared in the framework of joint project implemented by the oil company “Rosneft” and the non-governmental Institute for the development of “Inpractice”, says the Deputy Executive Director for research and development of “Inpractice” Vladimir Lakeev.

“Inpractice” in the framework of the project “Environmental Atlas” has formed a unique team of authors, explains in an interview with radio station “Vesti FM” the scientific project Manager and head of the laboratory of ecology of coastal benthic communities of the Institute of Oceanology named after P. P. Shirshov of RAS, doctor of biological Sciences Vadim Mokievsky. Is consistent with our mission, the mission of our company – we act as mediators between the representatives of science, business and government. Building communication, we analyze the business needs to innovate and offer effective from our point of view decisions.”

work on the “Atlas of the Black and Azov seas” attracted more than 40 authors, including 20 candidates of science and 8 doctors of specialized institutions, among them the Moscow State University named after Lomonosov, Institute of Oceanology behalf Shirshov, RAS, Kuban state University, southern scientific center of RAS, all-Russian research Institute of fisheries and Oceanography, Azovo-Chernomorscue the branch of FSBI “VNIRO”, Institute of problems of ecology and evolution named Severtsov, Caucasian nature biosphere reserve, Sochi national Park.

Knowledge about the seas washing the Russian coast, change, and accumulate quite quickly, so these summaries, generalizations based on fresh literature, we must go out periodically, the publishers of the Atlas.

“We together with the Institute of Oceanology in 2018 summer began a comprehensive project to study the dolphins of the Black sea. Such comprehensive studies have been conducted since the 1980-ies, — the expert continues “Arctic research center”, part of the joint-stock company “Rosneft”, candidate of biological Sciences Artem Isachenko. — Their objective is to obtain current data on the number and populations of three species of cetaceans that live in the Black sea, to learn about their distribution, to build a map of this distribution, estimate the density of species in the waters and that for us the most important is to develop recommendations for the conservation of these marine mammals”.

How does the Atlas says Vadim Mokievsky. According to him, for a story about any sea need to know a few basic things: relief, geographical position, characteristics of water masses, i.e. temperature, salinity, nature of the flow.

“Actually, according to this principle and built the structure of the Atlas, he said. — We start with a story about the climate, the story of the broad position of the Black and Azov seas, in this case, this structure is repeated in all of our atlases. Then we talk about the topography, geological history, because the traces of history we always find in the modern fauna and flora of any of the seas”. Then we are talking about the structure of water, nature of currents, chemical properties of water, and then the authors go on to talk about natural, biological components, consistently describing the composition and distribution of plankton, phytoplankton, zooplnkton, benthos, including algae, sea grasses, zoobenthos, that is, animals living organisms.

Also in the Atlas is talking about fish, birds, marine mammals.

“Ends each of the atlases, the black sea including the Chapter on the classification of banks. The coastal zone is a place where the most frequent human contact with marine ecosystem, therefore, a detailed knowledge about the nature and structure of the coasts is a very important element of any story about the marine ecosystem. Actually, this structure, built all atlases, including last of the published volumes,” adds Mokievsky.

in Addition to the scientists who wrote the relevant sections of the Atlas, the initiative was supported by the Russian geographical society.

“Atlas PRO in prepared opening remarks, stressing the relevance of the work to publish up-to-date data on the ecology of the seas. Now we also based on this Atlas are preparing online educational courses on the biology of the Black and Azov seas, adds Artem Isachenko. — I hope that our initiative will support those who are on these courses will be recorded”.