In our article we want to talk about the wonderful Primorsky Territory. It is located in Russia, in the very south of the Far East. This land is beautiful. Here the ocean meets the taiga. Here live animals that you will not meet anywhere else. On this amazing land is the Far Eastern Marine Reserve. He is faced with the task of preserving the unique nature of Peter the Great Bay.
Far Eastern Marine Reserve: geographical location
As we have already said, the reserve is located in the Primorsky Territory. And to be more precise, it occupies part of the territory of the Khasansky and Pervomaisky districts of the city of Vladivostok on the island of Popov. The area of the conservation zone is more than sixty-four thousand hectares, together with the water area consisting of eleven islands.
It must be said that the Far Eastern Marine Reserve consists of four completely different and divided regions, each of which has its own protective regime.
Areas of the conservation area
The eastern region is the center of the reserve. There are practically no people here, the seizure of absolutely all living organisms is prohibited.
The southern region is a scientific and experimental one. Here, research work is carried out, primarily related to the restoration and conservation of populations of individual animal species.
The western region was initially separated in order to grow young scallop in order to restore its abundance in nature. Currently, when biological marine resources have been significantly damaged, the conservation area should become a source of replenishment for animals.
The northern region is engaged in educational activities. There are environmental institutions for the teaching activities of tourist groups and guests of the reserve.
Climate
Where is the Far Eastern Marine Reserve, we found out. Let's talk about climate now. In the area of the conservation zone, it is monsoon with pronounced strong winds. A direct influence on climate is exerted by the zone of interaction between the ocean and the mainland. Winter is not snowy, and summers are warm enough with rains, fogs and storms. In August, the average temperature is twenty-one degrees. In winter, the waters of the conservation zone are similar to the Arctic in temperature, and in summer with subtropics.
Far Eastern Marine Reserve: animals
The Far Eastern Reserve is characterized by a variety of marine communities, which are considered the richest in the seas of Russia. Here, mixed water of cold and warm currents, which have become home to more than 1200 species of plants and animals. Among them there are subtropical and boreal. The Far Eastern Marine Reserve is rich in marine invertebrates. These are mollusks, crustaceans, echinoderms.
Huge underwater boulders are completely covered with sea anemones, there are sea urchins and one and a half meter Kamchatka crabs. There are many scallops on the sandy silted ground. The bottom is full of starfish. The underwater world of the reserve is beautiful and reminiscent of a fairytale.
As for vertebrates, they are represented by 200 species of fish alone. There are also amphibians and reptiles. There are more than 390 species of birds in the reserve, and 35 species of mammals.
Fish and reptiles
The bulk of fish are bottom and bottom species. Moreover, subtropical ones are also present: flying fish, hedgehog-fish, large coryfen, mackerel tuna, moon fish. Here you can even meet a shaggy sea dog. Katran shark lives in the waters of the reserve .
Representatives of subtropics such as anchovy, half-winged, yellow-tail settled in open places. Of the two hundred mollusks inhabiting the reserve, seven are listed in the Red Book of the Russian Federation.
Of the reptiles in this region, there are already Japanese and a snake patterned. But the presence of poisonous snakes was not observed. Once in the water area of the conservation area discovered a sea snake (large kraut), which is an inhabitant of purely tropical waters.
Mammals Reserve
Of the small mammals on the islands live field mice, a small shrew, a Far Eastern vole. But among the predators here you can meet a raccoon dog, a column, an ordinary fox.
Of marine mammals, larga seals are of particular interest. Their rookeries are located at Cape Leo and are very heavily protected, since the Far Eastern Marine Reserve is the only place where these cute animals breed and reproduce their cubs. There are also cetaceans: minke whale, saivail, northern pond, dolphin.
Birds of the marine reserve
The Far Eastern Marine Reserve (photos are in the article) is rich in birds. Almost 390 species live here. It should be noted that nowhere else in the Far East is there such a diversity. The bulk of the birds here are wintering, migrating and migratory. Especially a lot of cormorants, guillemots, gulls in the reserve. And on the island of Furogelma is the largest colony of black-tailed gulls in the world. Rare gray herons also breed here.
In general, many birds have found shelter here due to the fact that this is a protected area, and they are here in complete safety.
Flora
The marine reserve has a rich and heterogeneous flora. On the islands, plant communities have perfectly adapted to unusual marine conditions. Indeed, for millennia, plants developed in complete isolation from the mainland, but survived and were able to get used to new living conditions.
The slopes and peaks of the islands are covered with deciduous forests. There are limes, oaks, ash, hornbeam, lilac, cherries and even the famous yew. A large number of cherries gives the land an oriental flavor. After all, they look like sakura. The peculiarity of the forests of the conservation zone is that they have a small height and very low density. Strong winds prevail here, there is not enough moisture, and therefore it makes the trees cling to the ground and scrub. Only fir trunks rise above all this abundance. Shrubbery species and large fern plants grow magnificently under the trees.
The bays of the mainland and the slopes are covered with groves of densely flowered pine. This type of pine is remarkable for its growth on bare rocks, in places where no other trees can grow.
The reserve has one hundred and seventy species of algae. The dominant underwater plants are kelp, dichloria, costaria. Many plants of the marine reserve are listed in the Red Book. Such species are protected.
Security activity
The protection of the reserve is a special topic. A specialized unit was created back in 1979, a year after the founding of the protected area itself.
The department is engaged in the protection of territories, prevents the attacks of poachers. Its main task is to detain offenders and prevent their destructive activities on protected lands. The inaccessibility of territories makes them inaccessible, which facilitates the work of the guard.
Here is such an amazing Far Eastern Marine Reserve. Briefly we talked about its main beauties. This is an amazing and unique place, striking with a variety of flora and fauna.