Employees of Russian protected areas outline plans for future research

The press service of the Ministry of Natural Resources reported that with the onset of autumn, the summing up of the field season begins in national parks and reserves. Sometimes employees of protected areas and scientific institutions also analyze long-term research.

In addition, specialists hold business events during which they identify relevant topics for upcoming projects. For example, a meeting of the Scientific and Technical Council of the Altai Nature Reserve was held in the Altai Republic. During this event, actions were planned to solve the problem of the noise impact of airboats in the Lake Teletskoye basin.

A round table "Environmental assessment and monitoring of microplastics in the Volga Delta" was held in the Astrakhan Nature Reserve, during which the interim results of the expedition to identify the content of microplastics in reservoirs in the Damchik and Obzhorovsky areas of the reserve were considered. This study will allow us to understand how well the Volga Delta microplastic filters during high water and during low water levels.

Experts have proposed several basic ways to combat microplastics. These include recycling of waste, more thorough filtration of water at wastewater treatment plants, control of discharged water, reduction of plastic consumption and other measures.

An expedition to the area of the southeastern coast of the Unskaya Bay and Cape Krasnogorsky took place in the Onega Pomorie National Park. Specialists studied the vegetation of low tidal shores, took samples for zoobenthos and phytobenthos, samples for zooplankton.

"Preliminary studies of marine vegetation have shown that there are changes in its structure and composition. For example, the coastal zone is actively captured by the common reed. Already now it is part of a variety of communities where its growth is not typical: it develops spaces with sea plantain on marches, grows on beaches. The height of the reeds on the coast in places reaches 3.5 meters, which indicates favorable growing conditions," the report says.

Scientists associate the appearance of this species in the communities of coastal vegetation with an increase in water temperature in the Unskaya Bay, active suspension and accumulation of biogens on the shores.

As expected, comprehensive research and monitoring of the condition of the communities of the Unskaya Bay will continue. Changes in the coastal zone may affect fish resources, bird communities living on its territory, so specialists need to identify their causes in detail.