Changes in plankton composition and abundance at the Albatros and Foros stations in Crimea, following the 2024 fuel oil spill near the Kerch Strait

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Abstract

This article presents the results of a comparative study of planktonic organisms at the Albatros and Foros stations in Crimea in January 2024 and 2025, before and after the man-made disaster. On December 15, 2024, the tankers Volgoneft-212 and Volgoneft-239 sank south of the Kerch Strait, releasing approximately 2400 t of fuel oil into the sea. After the accident, a significant decline in biodiversity and a reduction in the number of plankton morphotypes were observed at the Foros station, which is closer to the disaster’s epicenter compared to the Albatros station. These changes in communities’ structure are likely linked to the negative effects of the anthropogenic pollution. The results of this study highlight the importance of the ongoing monitoring of marine ecosystems to assess recovery dynamics and develop effective protection strategies.

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About the authors

D. V. Shemetova

Sokolov State Budgetary Educational Institution, Secondary School No. 45

Email: kuznet@ibss-ras.ru
Russian Federation, Sevastopol, 299003

M. A. Savitsky

Russian State Agrarian University – Moscow Timiryazev Agricultural Academy

Email: kuznet@ibss-ras.ru
Russian Federation, Moscow, 127434

I. A. Rozhdestvenskaya

Gelovani Sevastopol Multidisciplinary College

Email: kuznet@ibss-ras.ru
Russian Federation, Sevastopol, 299028

A. A. Bragina

Ostryakov State Budgetary Educational Institution,
Secondary School No. 22

Email: kuznet@ibss-ras.ru
Russian Federation, Sevastopol, 299040

A. V. Kuznetsov

Kovalevsky Institute of Biology of the Southern Seas,
Russian Academy of Sciences; Sevastopol State University

Author for correspondence.
Email: kuznet@ibss-ras.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-0015-7994
Russian Federation, Sevastopol, 299011; Sevastopol, 299053

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2. Fig. 1. The disaster site, coastal plankton sampling and sequential filtration at experimental stations: a – fuel oil spill, 15.12.2024; b, c – Albatros station, 10.01.2025; d, d – Foros station, 11.01.2025.

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3. Fig. 2. Number of planktonic morphotypes: a – at stations in size fractions No. 1 (300–2000 µm), No. 2 (150–300 µm) and No. 3 (84–150 µm) before and after the disaster; b – combination of morphotypes for stations before and after the disaster, which correspond to the results traditionally obtained using the Juday net.

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