bibliography:

Zolotarev, V., S. Stadnichenko. 2021. Thanatocoenoses of mollusc shells in the north-western part of the Black Sea. Geo&Bio, 20: 50–57. (In English)

title:

Thanatocoenoses of mollusc shells in the north-western part of the Black Sea

doi: http://doi.org/10.15407/gb2007

authors (with orcid and affiliation):

Valentin Zolotarev

Institute of Marine Biology, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (Odesa, Ukraine)

Svetlana Stadnichenko orcid https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5944-3170

Institute of Marine Biology, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (Odesa, Ukraine)

pdf: gb2007-zolotarev.pdf

summary:

Following death, mollusc shells become elements of thanatocoenoses of bottom and coastal deposits. At the early stages of succession of storm strands, the conservation of mollusc shells in the coastal deposits is high, which allows to obtain a larger number of shells to determine their traits. The probability of finding shells of rare mollusc species in the coastal strands is significantly higher than in bottom grab samples. Therefore, the taxonomic composition of the thanatocoenoses may correspond to the actual composition of mollusc assemblage in the adjacent coastal waters. Determination of the maximum age of molluscs from coastal emissions by sclerochronological methods can be more accurate characteristics of the lifespan of the considered mollusc species. Wind waves are one of the hydrodynamic processes influencing the formation of coastal emissions. The maximum wave activity in the coastal zone of the sea contributes to an increase in the deposition of storm emissions in the coastal zone. Studies of thanatocoenoses of marine molluscs in storm emissions in the north-western part of the Black Sea were carried out at three test sites, differing in the degree of wave load on the coastal zone. Analysis of coastal emissions in different parts of the coastal zone — various distance from the water's edge—allows us to determine the frequency and power of wave activity, as well as to identify the dominant species of macrozoobenthos in each area. The composition and quantitative characteristics of storm emissions created by wave activity of various intensities demonstrates the relationship between benthic biocoenoses of molluscs and thanatocoenoses of the coastal zone. The dominance of bivalve mollusc shells in emissions corresponds to the ruling species of molluscs in benthic biocoenoses. Shells of molluscs of the family Mytilidae were dominant in coastal emissions of the analysed areas. The maximum concentration of aquatic organisms is presented in emissions located near the edge of seawater. A dependence between the total mass of biogenic components in coastal sediments and different distances from the water edge has been revealed for the north-western part of the Black Sea.

Key words: Black Sea, thanatocenosis, bivalve mollusc shells, storm strands

Correspondence to: S. Stadnichenko; Institute of Marine Biology, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine; 37 Pushkinskaya St, Odessa, 65048  Ukraine; e-mail: svestad63@gmail.com, orcid: 0000-0001-5944-3170

References (DOI = 18)

Adobovsky, V. V., E. B. Krasnodembsky. 2015. Hydrometeorological conditions in the coastal zone of Odessa region in 2013–2014. Bulletin of Odessa State Environmental University, 19: 134−141.

Agarkova-Lyakh, I. V. 2005. Environmental monitoring program for the coastal zone of the sea. Ecology sea, 68: 7−12. (In Russian)

Barthagaray, A. I., A. Carranza. 2007. Mussels as ecosystem engineers: Their contribution to species richness in a rocky littoral community. Acta oecologica, 31 (3): 243−250. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actao.2006.10.008

Basso, D., C. Corselli. 2007. Molluscan paleoecology in the reconstruction of coastal changes. The Black Sea flood question: changes in coastal, climate, and human settlement.  Dordrecht, Springer, 23–46. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-5302-3_2

Bezuglova, M. A. 2012. Seasonal changes in the species composition of mollusks in storm emissions of Odessa Bay. Scientific Issues of TNPU. Seties: Biology, 2 (51): 33−36. (In Russian)

Gomoiu, M., M. Skolka. 2005. Invasive Species in the Black Sea. Ovidius University Press Publishers, Constanta, 1–150.

Gutiérrez, J. I., D. L. Strayer, O. O. Iribarne. 2003. Mollusks as ecosystem engineeers: the role of shell production in aquatic habitats. Oikos, 101 (1): 79−90. https://doi.org/10.1034/j.1600-0706.2003.12322.x

Kidwell, S. M. 2007. Discordance between living and death assamblages as evidence for antropogenic ecological changes. Proceedings of the National Academy of Science of the USA, 104 (45): 17701–17706. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0707194104

Kidwell, S. M., D. W. J. Bosense. 1991. Taphonomy and time-avering of marine shelly faunas. Taphonomy: Releasing the data located in the fossil record. New York, Plenum Publishers, 116−209. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-5034-5_4

Kidwell, S. M., F. T. Fürsich, T. Algner. 1986. Conceptual framework for the analysis and classification of fossil concentrations. Palaios, 1 (3): 228−238. https://doi.org/10.2307/3514687

Kosyan, A. R., N. V. Kucheruk, M. V. Flint. 2012. Role of bivalve mollusks in the sediment balance of the Anapa Bay Bar. Oceanology, 52 (1): 72−78. https://doi.org/10.1134/S0001437012010122

Lockwood, C., A.R. Chastant. 2006. Quantifying taphonomic bias of compositional fidelity, species richness, and rank abundance in molluscan death assemblages from the upper Cheapeake Bay. Palaios, 21 (4): 376−383. https://doi.org/10.2110/palo.2005.P05-74e

Lópes, R. A., P. E. Penchaszadeh, S. C. Marcomini. 2008. Storm-related standings of mollusks on the northeast coast of Buenos Aires, Argentina. Journal of Coastal Research, 24 (4): 925−935.  https://doi.org/10.2112/05-0621.1

Northwestern Black Sea: biology and ecology. Kyiv, Naukova dumka, 1−701.

Olenin, S., J. P. Ducrotoy. 2006. The concept of biote in marine ecology and coastal management. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 53 (1−4): 20−29. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2006.01.003

Olszewski T. 2012. Remembrance of things past: modelling the relationship between species’ abundances in living communities and death assemblages. Biology Letters, 8(1):131−134. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2011.0337

Ponomareva, E. A., E. V. Krasnov. 2012. Bivalve mollusks as indicators of the geoecological state of the coastal waters of thw Southern Baltic. Scientific Journal: Natural Sciences Series, 21 (140): 59−62. http://dspace.bsu.edu.ru/handle/123456789/17896.

Prado, L., C. Castilla. 2006. The bioengineer Perumytilus purpuratus (Mollusca: Bivalvia) in central Chile: biodiversity, habitat structural complexity and environmental heterogenity. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, 86 (2): 417−421. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0025315406013282

Shadrin, N. 2013.Coupling of shoreline erosion and biodiversity loss: examples from the Black Sea. International Journal of Marine Science, 3 (43): 352−360.https://doi.org/10.5376/ijms.2013.03.0043

Shalovenkov, N. N. 2000. Tendencies of invasion of alien zoobenthic species into the Black Sea. Russian Journal of Biological Invasions, 11: 164−171. https://doi.org/10.1134/S2075111720020095

Shalovenkov, N. N. 2017. Non-native zoobenthic species of the Crimean Black Sea coast. Mediterranean Marine Science, 18 (2): 260−270. https://doi.org/10.12681/mms.1925

Shurova, N. M. 2000. Influence of hypoxia on the population of the Black Sea mussels. The Black Sea ecological problems: Collected papers. Odessa, SCSEIO:286−290.

Taylor, J. M. Layman. 1972. The mechanical properties of bivalve (Mollusca) shell structures. Paleontology, 15: 73−87.

Zolotarev, V. N. 1989. Sclerochronology of marine bivalve mollusks. Kiev, Naukova dumka, 1−112. (In Russian)

Zolotarev, V. N. 1996. The Black Sea ecosystem changes related to the introduction of new mollusk species. Marine Ecology, 17 (1−3): 227−236. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1439-0485.1996.tb00504.x

Zolotarev, V. N. 2014. Thanatocenoses of coastal sediments as indicators of structural and functional characteristics of mollusks. Biodiversity and sustainable development. Simferopol, 131−133. (In Russian)

Zolotarev, V. N., V.V. Adobovsky. 2015. Role of seasonal thermocline in forming structurte of off-shore settlements of mussels  Mytilus galloprovincialis in the Black Sea. Scientific Issues of TNPU. Seties: Biology. 3−4 (64): 248−251. (In Russian)

Zuschin, M., M. Stachowitsch, R. Jr. Stanton. 2003. Patterns and processes of shell fragmentation in modern and ancient marine environments. Earth-Science Reviews 63 (1−2): 33−82. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0012-8252(03)00014-X

Zuschin, M., R. Jr. Stanton. 2001. Experimental measurement of shell strength and its taphonomic interpretation. Palaios 16 (2): 161−170. https://doi.org/10.1669/0883-1351(2001)016<0161:EMOSSA>2.0.CO;2