Ust-Luga Seaport of Russia: Biological Invasions and Resting Stages Accumulation

Abstract

This article describes the results of a three-year study of invasive species of aquatic ecosystems in the vicinity of Ust-Luga, the largest Russian seaport in the Baltic. Taking into account the great importance of the participation of marine vessels in the dispersal of invasive species, an experimental study of the seasonality of accumulation of resting stages of aquatic invertebrates in the ballast compartments of a vessel located in the Baltic Sea of the Gulf of Finland was carried out. Experiments show that the time of filling the ballast compartments in late summer and autumn poses the greatest risk for the spread of aquatic invertebrates with ship ballast water. In the Baltic Russian port, 11 invasive species of zooplankton and zoobenthos were found, which comprises 15% of the biodiversity in the samples. Copepoda demonstrated the highest presence of invasive species in class among zooplankton groups (14%) and Malacostraca among benthos groups (80%). Alien species findings correspond to the main vectors of invasive species dispersal for the Baltic Sea: North America, Indochina, and the Ponto-Caspian region.