Do you know what the Black Sea is? Most people will say, “Yes, of course!” After reading this article, you will understand that you used to be familiar with the Black Sea very superficially.
Flora and fauna of the Black Sea
The current appearance of the Black Sea has evolved over the past millennium. Surprisingly, this sea has the lowest salt content in the entire globe. Due to this, it very gently affects our skin.
The Black Sea is the northernmost subtropics. On its coasts you can admire palm trees, eucalyptus trees, magnolias, meadow grasses and many other representatives of the plant world. The connection of the Black Sea with the Mediterranean determines a diverse fauna. The Black Sea, of course, is not so rich in representatives of the animal world, however, it is quite interesting for research. Now about everything in more detail.
Vegetable world
Today, the fauna of the sea includes 270 species of algae: green, brown, red bottom (cystozira, phyllophora, zoster, cladophore, ulva, etc.). Phytoplankton is very diverse - about 600 species. Among them are dinoflagellates, diatoms and others.
Animal world
When compared with the Mediterranean Sea, Black has a much poorer fauna. The Black Sea has become a haven for 2.5 thousand species of animals. Among them are 500 unicellular, 500 crustaceans, 200 mollusks, and 160 vertebrates. Everything else is various invertebrates. The fauna of the Mediterranean Sea, for comparison, is represented by 9 thousand species.
The Black Sea is characterized by a wide range of salinity, moderately cold water and the presence of hydrogen sulfide at great depths. All this is due to the relatively poor fauna. The Black Sea is suitable for habitat of unpretentious species, which at all stages of their development do not need great depths.
At the bottom of the sea there are oysters, mussels, pecten and a predatory mollusk - a rapana, which was brought in by Far Eastern ships. Among the stones and crevices of coastal cliffs, you can find crabs and shrimp. The fauna of the chordate Black Sea is rather poor, but for divers and researchers it is quite enough. There are also several types of jellyfish (mainly cornerotus and aurelia), sponges and sea anemones.
Flora and fauna of the Black Sea: fish names
The following species of fish are found in the Black Sea:
- goby (golovach, whip, round timber, martovik, rotan),
- hamsa (Azov and Black Sea),
- Katran Shark
- five types of mullet,
- Floss Glossa
- hake (hake),
- Bluefin
- bump,
- sea ruff ,
- mackerel,
- horse mackerel,
- haddock,
- herring,
- Tulk and others.
Also sturgeon species are found: beluga, sturgeon (Azov and Black Sea). Not so poor fauna of the Black Sea - there are quite a lot of fish here.
There are also dangerous types of fish: sea dragon (the most dangerous - poisonous spines of gill covers and dorsal fin), scorpion, stingray-tail, on the tail of which poisonous spines are located.
Birds and mammals
So, the inhabitants of the Black Sea, who are they? Let's talk a little about the small representatives of the fauna. Of the birds, one can distinguish: gulls, petrels, duck ducks and cormorants. Mammals are represented by dolphins (white cask and bottlenose dolphin), porpoise (it is also called the Azov dolphin) and white-bellied seal.
Rapana - a guest from the Far East
Some inhabitants of the Black Sea did not initially live in it. Most of them came here through the Bosporus and Dardanelles. The reason for this was the course or their personal curiosity.
Rapaned predatory mollusk entered the Black Sea in 1947. To date, he has eaten almost the entire population of oysters and scallops. Having found a victim, young rapans drill their shell and drink the contents. Adult individuals hunt a little differently - they secrete mucus, which paralyzes the leaflets of the prey and allows the predator to eat the mollusk without any problems. Rapan itself is not in danger, because of the low salinity of the water in the sea, there are no main enemies - starfish.
Rapana is edible. It resembles sturgeon to taste. It is generally accepted that rapan is the closest relative to endangered mollusks, from the shells of which the Phoenicians made a purple dye.
Shark katran
The marine fauna of the Black Sea is not very diverse, but quite interesting. There is even one species of shark in it. This is a prickly shark, or, as it is also called, a katran. She rarely grows more than a meter in length and tries to stay in depths, where the water is colder and there are no people. Among fishermen, katran is considered a real trophy. The fact is that shark liver oil has healing properties. However, a shark can be dangerous to humans, since its dorsal fins have spikes with poison.
Jellyfish
Most often, two types of jellyfish are found in the sea: aurelia and cornerot. Cornerot is the largest jellyfish in the Black Sea, while aurelia, on the contrary, is the smallest. Aurelia, as a rule, does not grow more than 30 centimeters in diameter. But the cornerot can reach 50 cm.
Aurelia is not poisonous, and cornerot in case of contact with a person can cause a burn similar to a nettle burn. It causes slight redness, burning, in rare cases - even blisters. Cornerot has a bluish color with a purple dome. If you see this jellyfish in the water, just grab it by the dome and take it away from you. The dome, unlike the tentacles, is not poisonous.
Some vacationers on the beaches of the Black Sea are consciously looking for a meeting with a poisonous jellyfish. They believe that Cornerot venom has healing properties. Rumor has it that rubbing your body with a jellyfish, you can cure yourself of radiculitis. This is a fallacy that has no scientific or practical justification. Such therapy will not bring any relief, and it will cause suffering to both the patient and the jellyfish.
Luminous sea
Among the plankton that lives in the waters of the Black Sea, there is one unusual species - noctiluca, which is also night light. This is a predator seaweed, the diet of which consists of ready-made organic substances. But the main feature of noctiluca is the ability to phosphoresce. Thanks to this seaweed in August it may seem that the Black Sea is glowing.
Sea of the Dead
Having become acquainted with the inhabitants of the beloved sea, we will consider a couple of interesting facts. The Black Sea is by far the largest oxygen-free body of water in the world. Life in its waters is impossible at a depth of more than 200 meters due to the high concentration of hydrogen sulfide there. Over the years, the sea has accumulated more than a billion tons of hydrogen sulfide, which is a waste product of bacteria. There is a version that during the appearance of the Black Sea (7200 years ago), freshwater inhabitants of the Black Sea Lake, which was here earlier, died in it. Because of them, methane and hydrogen sulfide reserves have accumulated at the bottom. But these are just guesses, which so far have no confirmation. And the fact is that due to the high content of hydrogen sulfide in the sea, such a poor fauna.
The Black Sea, in addition, has a high fresh water content, which also negatively affects some of its inhabitants. The fact is that the water coming from the rivers does not have time to fully evaporate. And salt water enters the sea mainly from the Bosphorus Strait, which is not enough to maintain salt balance.
There are many hypotheses regarding the origin of the name of the Black Sea. But one of them looks the most believable. Pulling out anchors from the waters of the Black Sea, sailors marveled at their color - the anchors blackened. This was due to the reaction of metal and hydrogen sulfide. Perhaps that is why the sea received the name that we know now. By the way, one of the first names sounded like "the sea of the dead depths." Now we know what this is due to.
Submarine river
Surprisingly, a real river flows along the bottom of the Black Sea. It originates in the Bosphorus Strait and extends almost a hundred kilometers in the water column. According to unverified (so far) data of scientists, during the formation of the Black Sea, when the isthmus between the Crimean plain and the Mediterranean Sea was destroyed, the water filling the territory of the present Black Sea formed a network of gutters in the ground. One of them today is an underwater river with salt water, which does not change its direction.
Why is the water of the underwater river not mixed with seawater? It's all about the difference in densities and temperatures. The underwater river is several degrees colder than the sea. And denser due to the high salt content, because it is nourished by the more salty Mediterranean Sea. The river flows along the bottom, carrying its waters to the bottom plains. These plains, like deserts on land, have virtually no life. The underwater river brings oxygen and food to them, which is very helpful, given the abundance of hydrogen sulfide in the depths of the Black Sea. It is possible that there is life in these plains. Life under the "sea of hydrogen sulfide" located under the Black Sea. Such an intriguing play on words.
By the way, there is a hunch that the ancient Greeks knew about the existence of an underwater river. Sailing out to sea, they threw a load secured to a rope from a ship. The river pulled the load, and with it the ship, facilitating the work of the sailors.
Conclusion
So, today we found out who the inhabitants of the Black Sea are. The list and names helped us get to know them better. We also learned how the Black Sea differs from others, and what mysteries of nature lurk behind its mighty waters. Now, going on vacation to your beloved sea, there will be something to surprise friends and what to tell inquisitive children.