The Black Sea is unique; it is the only one in the world that is divided into zones oriented by depth. Most of its inhabitants live on the top layer, where there is the most oxygen. Here animals and plants interact closely.

On the shores you can find a curious type of algae - peridenea. The sea glows at night with the help of small night lights and jellyfish - as it turns out, some of the varieties can also glow. For example, Aurelia is a small but very common jellyfish. The cornet is lilac in color and much larger, some individuals are up to 50 cm in diameter, and the tentacles can cause burns. If you accidentally encounter such a jellyfish, touch the dome carefully and move it away from the route.

Among the mollusks, there are mussels that grow like grapes on rocks. It is worth collecting them further from the port line, not only for safety reasons. In their body, mussels accumulate everything that floats in the water nearby. You can also find pearls in some of them.

Oysters are not as common and are more commonly grown in certain areas.

Scallops - they do not live attached to one place, but move like a projectile, using the jets of water formed by the slamming of the shell. Although the scallop has eyes, it does not see with them. When one is lost, a new one grows.

Rapan is a natural enemy of mussels and oysters, so it is widespread on the shores of the Kuban. Its meat is similar to sturgeon and many dishes are prepared from rapan.

On the coast of Anapa you can find crabs; they run back and forth like guerrillas and immediately hide in the sand as soon as danger is noticed in the air.

In the shallow waters of the shores of Anapa you can find more than 180 different species of fish, occupying a large niche in the food chain. Of these, the small ones are sardines, the same sprat eat algae, small fish, and move in schools, attracting predators. Larger fish are found here: mackerel, the same flounder, beluga, etc., the most commercially available for fishermen.

Sharks are also found in the Black Sea - these are katran and scyllium, but both species are not dangerous to people, although there are also two-meter-long specimens. They are considered the orderlies of the sea, eating wounded and sick fish. Sharks live in schools and their lives are always on the move. Spending a large amount of energy, they eat everything they meet on the way, even when they are full. Viviparous. The female can give birth to up to 15 litters, each up to 25cm long.

Katrana is also eaten. What is most valued in it is the balyk, fins and liver, which are included in medicines that even help people suffering from cancer.

Dolphins

In recent years, the sea has become cleaner, the water is clearer and the coast is often visited by dolphins. They are not afraid of people and, on the contrary, are drawn to them, even swimming up to swimmers. There are three species here - the Azov dolphin, the white-sided common dolphin, and the most curious species, the bottlenose dolphin, on which scientists from many countries are working and conducting experiments. Bottlenose dolphins also perform in various dolphinariums, gathering their own group of admirers.

Dolphins swim faster than fish, their speed is up to 60 km/h and often accompany ships. They have keen eyesight, well-developed hearing and a natural sonar apparatus, thanks to which they are excellent at orienting themselves in space.
Dolphins breathe the same air as people, and to do this they periodically emerge from the water. They sleep on the surface with their tail under water. Their diseases are the same as those of people.

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The sea coast is a rather limited space between land and water. It occupies the territory between the levels of low (during low tide) and high (during inflow) water. Biologists divide the coast into several zones.

The upper zones are more often drained and exposed to air than the lower ones, and therefore a wide variety of animal and plant species find shelter here. Life on the coast depends entirely on the ebb and flow of the tides, as well as the influence of waves. Many plants and animals have adapted well to these conditions; they have developed special adaptations that help them stay firmly on the rocks so as not to be washed away into the sea. In addition, many animals were covered with a hard shell, protecting them from wave impacts.

Inhabitants of the sea coast

Seagulls

The tides alternate daily on the coast. When the water recedes after high tide, a small amount of it is retained between the rocks, forming small puddles (so-called splashes), where entire communities of plants and animals live. Regular guests of these places are seagulls, who fly here in search of fish washed ashore by the tide.

Ibis

The red ibis has a long, downward-curved beak, with which it easily extracts food - fish, insects and frogs - from the mud or by searching for it between the roots of mangrove plants. Until recently, there were huge colonies of red ibises that nested in trees along the northern coast of South America. However, people mercilessly exterminated them for the sake of their beautiful plumage, so now they are considered an endangered species.

Porcelain snails (cowries) live mainly along tropical coasts. Many of them have amazingly beautiful variegated sparkling shells. The snails themselves are also very colorful. They usually hunt for prey at night. One of the Mediterranean species of these snails (Luria lurida), escaping from its most terrible natural enemy, the octopus, disguises itself as a sea sponge.

Octopus

An octopus - a cephalopod - usually hides in a hole under rocks during the day, and at night comes out to hunt other mollusks, crabs and other living creatures. On each “arm” (tentacle) it has two rows of suction cups, with the help of which the octopus can stay on rocks, move and hold its prey. He puts the caught fish into a beak-like mouth located in the lower part of the body. The octopus can change color and, in case of danger, release a dark-colored liquid, the so-called “ink”.

Red crab

Red land crabs spend most of their lives deep in the forests of Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean. However, their larvae can only develop in water, so every year up to 130 million red crabs make the pilgrimage to the coast, where they mate and the females lay their eggs in the sea. A month later, young crabs climb ashore and go to their parents in the forest.

The landscapes of the Black Sea region are extremely diverse, from subtropics to snowy peaks. The human imagination is amazed by mud volcanoes and wild gorges, bizarre rocks and glaciers, waterfalls, caves, rare plants and animals.

Just one hundred and two hundred years ago, the territory of the Black Sea coast abounded in wild animals, among which there were many endemic species found only here. Such animals include, for example, the Western Caucasian tur (Severtsov's tur), Promethean mouse, Caucasian snowcock (mountain turkey), Caucasian black grouse, Caucasian viper (Koznakov's snake) and others. The presence of endemic species is explained by the fact that in the distant past the Caucasus existed for a long time as an island surrounded by the sea.

At the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries, the region developed, and, naturally, the animal world began to experience increasing pressure from humans. The Adyghe tribes, who lived in harmony with nature, left the shores of the Caucasus, and new settlers began to gradually exterminate the rarest species. The tsarist government really had a very dismissive attitude towards the protection of wildlife. For example, in 1909, the Russian Geographical Society sent a letter to the government with a proposal to organize a reserve in the North Caucasus to preserve natural landscapes and reproduce the remaining animals. The archives preserved the answer: “The protection of rare zoological species does not correspond to the concept of a nationwide useful measure for the sake of which one can sacrifice the inviolable right of private property.” Naturally, with this approach, hunters soon exterminated many valuable animals. Among those exterminated or brought to the brink of extinction were bison, deer, and aurochs.

The problem of private land ownership was resolved by the Bolsheviks in 1918, and the Caucasian State Biosphere Reserve was created in 1924. By the time of its organization, only 230 deer and several hundred aurochs and only a few bison remained in the forests. The last Caucasian bison was killed by poachers in 1927. Now there are 7,000 deer and 4,000 aurochs living in the reserve. It's more difficult with bison. By 1927, there were only about 50 bison left in the world. Moreover, half of them could no longer produce offspring. The theory of absorption crossing saved the bison. The staff of the reserve, carrying out work on crossing bison with bison, restored the herd of bison, which now numbers 1,200 animals. But, unfortunately, these are completely different bison. The past cannot be returned.

A whole chain of state reserves has been created on the Black Sea coast. In Tamansko-Zaporozhye they protect waterfowl - geese, swans, ducks, herons. Golovinsky and Tuapse were created so that deer, wild boars, martens, minks, foxes and other inhabitants of mountain forests could live and reproduce in peace.

New inhabitants also appeared in the Caucasus. In 1937-1940, they were released into the forests of the Northwestern Caucasus Altai squirrel and raccoon dog, and later North American raccoon, muskrat, nutria, which were not here before. Already in the 80s, sika deer, European fallow deer, stone partridge and gray partridge were brought to the region.

When vacationing on the coast, a person spends his time at sea more often and therefore sees dolphins and seagulls much more often than forest animals and birds. However, once you move a few kilometers into the mountains, an encounter with the inhabitants of the subtropical forest becomes inevitable.

The “master of the forest” is the Caucasian bear. In terms of height and strength, it is inferior to the brown bear of central Russia. He walks around his possessions slowly and confidently, not as warily as other animals. In summer it can be seen in forest clearings and meadows. In autumn, when chestnuts, wild pears, and beech nuts ripen, the clubfoot feeds on them. Due to the abundance of plant food, the Caucasian bear almost never resorts to hunting large mammals. An encounter with a Caucasian bear is not dangerous for humans. The clubfoot is very cowardly, and it is easy to turn him into a stampede with an unexpected cry, whistle, or shot.

Widely distributed in the forest zone and wild pigs. Unlike domestic ones, they are shorter in body length, but taller on the legs. Their body is covered with thick dark brown bristles. Already at the first glance, they are struck by their exorbitantly large, but narrow and long head and disproportionately narrow body. Males are armed with long and sharp, dagger-like fangs, reaching a length of 12 centimeters. Wild pigs usually go out to feed at night. They feed on various fruits, acorns, nuts, and chestnuts. Main habitat: coniferous and beech thickets.

One of the representatives of predators is wild cat. It is larger and stronger than a domestic cat. The coat color is dark. Its favorite habitat is dense deciduous forests, lowlands, river valleys, rock crevices, caves, hollows and holes. The main food is small rodents. The fur of wild cats is particularly durable.

A ferocious but rarely seen predator is the lynx.. She, like a wild cat, huddles in hollows, caves, and rock crevices. When visiting watering places, the lynx sets up ambushes, usually hiding on a tree or rock, from where it deftly attacks roe deer, chamois, deer, aurochs and other large four-legged animals. Jumping onto the victim's back, the bloodthirsty predator bites the arteries in the neck with its sharp fangs and knocks the animal to the ground.

The pride of local forests is Caucasian red deer. This large, slender and graceful animal truly adorns the forests of the Western Caucasus. The male is especially beautiful, whose head is crowned with branched horns. Females do not have horns. The males' antlers fall off in early spring, and new ones begin to grow soon after.

It is not inferior in beauty to a deer roe. She is also slender, proud and graceful. In these animals, only males have horns. They have few branches, but are extremely beautiful. Males shed them in the fall, and new ones grow in February. These animals run with incredible speed, easily overcoming barriers, making jumps up to 8 meters in length.

They are famous for their valuable fur otters and minks. The latter are less common. These are the predators of our rivers. They dive expertly and can remain underwater for a long time, while their ears and nostrils close. Their thick and short fur does not allow water to pass through, it is strong and beautiful.

Sometimes you can find killed trout on the shore. This is the otter's job. During each hunt, the animal destroys a lot of fish. The otter's body needs phosphorus, and therefore it often sucks out only the brain of the trout and does not eat the fish. The feathered inhabitants of the local forests and meadows are also numerous. There are up to 200 species. The mountain turkey - snowcock - nests among the inaccessible rocks, and the Caucasian black grouse lives in the subalpine meadows. Larks, white-throated blackbirds and alpine jackdaws sing in every possible way.

Often along the banks of rivers there is a small, dark brown bird with a large white spot on its chest. Her life is closely connected with water. This is a dipper, or water sparrow. The dipper freely dives into the water and walks along the river bottom, looking for food among the stones. Its feathers are lubricated with special fat, and therefore it always comes out of the water dry.

Few reptiles and amphibians. There are lizards. Of the snakes - the common grass snake, the copperhead, less often - the Koznakov viper, not a large, but poisonous snake, copper-red in color, with a characteristic zigzag stripe on the back.

In the surrounding rivers there is a silvery one, with black and red specks. trout. Chilly, crystal clear water, rocky bottom and fast current are a favorite environment for trout. In October, choosing shallow places with a pebble bottom on the river riffles, trout begin to spawn. Using its tail and pectoral fins, it digs a hole, lays eggs in it and covers it with pebbles.

Slowly crawling along the sunny slopes turtles. Their life is not at all easy. After all, every child dreams of taking a turtle from the south. At one time there were so few turtles left that they decided to limit their export. Now the situation has stabilized a little, but still the turtle likes living in his native forest much more than in a box in the kitchen. If you meet this calm creature, then let him calmly go about his turtle business.

The world of insects that you may encounter in the Caucasus is diverse. Butterflies, the most beautiful of which can be considered the mourning butterfly, the admiral, the swallowtail and the wren, flutter from flower to flower. Towards evening, hawk moths appear. They, like hummingbirds, hover over a flower and drink sunset nectar through a long proboscis.

You can often see a frozen praying mantis on bare branches. It can be 10 centimeters long. Frozen in a prayerful pose, this hunter waits for a careless fly to fly by, and then, with lightning speed, he grabs it and immediately eats it. Mantises have an interesting mating ritual. Its finale is the act of the female eating the male who has just fertilized her.

In the first ten days of June, when the nights become quite warm and humid, Fireflies appear on most of the Black Sea coast. During the day, a firefly is a small, inconspicuous bug, but at night they rise into the air and arrange a circle of stars flickering with a warm, yellow light among the trees. The lights flicker. One flash follows another with an interval of a fraction of a second, but during this time the firefly can unexpectedly change its flight direction. The trajectory becomes unpredictable. The night dance of fireflies is mesmerizing. It is impossible to describe it. You can only see.

Do you know what the Black Sea is? Most people will say, “Yes, of course!” After reading this article, you will understand that you were previously familiar with the Black Sea very superficially.

The current appearance of the Black Sea has evolved over the last millennium. Surprisingly, this sea has the lowest salt content in the entire globe. Thanks to this, it has a very gentle effect on our skin.

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 between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean is responsible for the diverse fauna. The Black Sea, of course, is not so rich in representatives of the animal world, nevertheless, 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 (cystoseira, phyllophora, zoster, cladophora, ulva, etc.). Phytoplankton is highly diverse - about 600 species. Among them are dinoflagellates, diatoms and others.

Animal world

Compared to the Mediterranean Sea, the Black Sea has a much poorer fauna. The Black Sea has become a haven for 2.5 thousand species of animals. Among them are 500 unicellular organisms, 500 crustaceans, 200 molluscs, 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 water 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 that do not require great depths at all stages of their development.

At the bottom of the sea live oysters, mussels, pecten and a predatory mollusk - rapana, which was brought by Far Eastern ships. Crabs and shrimp can be found among the stones and crevices of the coastal cliffs. The Black Sea chordate fauna is quite poor, but it is quite sufficient for divers and researchers. There are also several species of jellyfish (mainly Corneros and Aurelia), sponges and sea anemones.

The following types of fish are found in the Black Sea:

• goby (goby, whip, round, martovik, rotan),
• anchovy (Azov and Black Sea),
• dogfish shark,
• five types of mullet,
• flounder glossa,
• hake (hake),
• bluefish,
• mullet,
• mackerel,
• horse mackerel,
• haddock,
• herring,
• sprat and others.

There are also sturgeon species: beluga, sturgeon (Azov and Black Sea). The fauna of the Black Sea is not so poor - there are quite a lot of fish here.

There are also dangerous species of fish: (the most dangerous - the spines of the gill covers and dorsal fin are poisonous), scorpion fish, stingray, which has poisonous spines on its tail.

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. Birds include: gulls, petrels, diving ducks and cormorants. Mammals are represented by: dolphins (white-sided and bottlenose dolphins), porpoise (also called the Azov dolphin) and white-bellied seal.

Rapana - a guest from the Far East

Some inhabitants of the Black Sea did not originally live in it. Most of them came here through the Bosporus and Dardanelles straits. The reason for this was the current or their personal curiosity.

The predatory mollusk rapana entered the Black Sea in 1947. To date, he has eaten almost the entire population of oysters and scallops. Young rapana, having found a victim, drill into its shell and drink the contents. Adults hunt a little differently - they secrete mucus, which paralyzes the valves of the prey and allows the predator to eat the mollusk without any problems. Rapana itself is not threatened by anything, because due to the low salinity of the water in the sea there are no its main enemies - starfish.

Rapana is edible. It tastes like sturgeon. It is generally accepted that rapana is the closest relative of the endangered mollusks, from whose shells the Phoenicians made purple dye.

Katran shark

The marine fauna of the Black Sea is not very diverse, but quite interesting. There is even one species of shark found there. This is a spiny shark, or, as it is also called, katran. It rarely grows more than a meter in length and tries to stay deep, where the water is colder and there are no people. Among fishermen, the katran is considered a real trophy. The fact is that shark liver oil has medicinal properties. At the same time, the shark can be dangerous to humans, since its dorsal fins have spines with poison.

Jellyfish

Most often, two types of jellyfish are found in the sea: Aurelia and Cornerot. Cornerot is the largest while Aurelia, on the contrary, is the smallest. Aurelia, as a rule, does not grow more than 30 centimeters in diameter. But the root can reach 50 cm.

Aurelia is not poisonous, and in case of contact with a person, the root can cause a burn similar to a nettle burn. It causes mild redness, burning, and in rare cases even blisters. The cornet has a bluish color with a purple dome. If you see this jellyfish in the water, just grab it by the dome and move it away from you. The dome, unlike the tentacles, is not poisonous.

Some vacationers on the beaches of the Black Sea deliberately seek meetings with They believe that the poison of the cornet has healing properties. There are rumors that by rubbing your body with jellyfish, you can cure yourself of sciatica. This is a misconception that has neither scientific nor practical justification. Such therapy will not bring any relief, and will cause suffering to both the patient and the jellyfish.

Glowing Sea

Among the plankton living in the waters of the Black Sea, there is one unusual species - noctiluca, also known as the night light. This is a predator algae whose diet consists of ready-made organic substances. But the main feature of the noctiluca is the ability to phosphorescent. Thanks to this algae, in August the Black Sea may seem to glow.

Sea of ​​dead depths

Having become acquainted with the inhabitants of everyone’s favorite sea, let’s consider a couple of interesting facts. The Black Sea is by far the largest anoxic 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 product of bacterial activity. There is a version that during the emergence of the Black Sea (7200 years ago), the freshwater inhabitants of the Black Sea lake, which was here earlier, died in it. Because of them, reserves of methane and hydrogen sulfide have accumulated at the bottom. But these are just guesses that have not yet been confirmed. But the fact is that due to the high content of hydrogen sulfide in the sea, the fauna is so poor.

The Black Sea, in addition, has a high content of fresh water, which also negatively affects some of its inhabitants. The fact is that the water coming from the rivers does not have time to completely evaporate. And salt water enters the sea mainly from the Bosphorus Strait, which is not enough to maintain the salt balance.

There are many hypotheses regarding the origin of the name of the Black Sea. But one of them looks the most plausible. Retrieving anchors from the waters of the Black Sea, the sailors were surprised at their color - the anchors turned black. This was due to the reaction of the metal and hydrogen sulfide. Perhaps this is why the sea received the name that we know now. By the way, one of the first names sounded like “sea of ​​dead depths.” Now we know what causes this.

Underwater 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 into the water column. According to unverified (yet) data from scientists, during the formation of the Black Sea, when the isthmus between the Crimean plain and the Mediterranean Sea was destroyed, the water that filled the territory of the present Black Sea formed a network of gutters in the ground. Today, an underwater river with salt water flows along one of them, which does not change its direction.

Why doesn't the water of an underwater river mix with sea water? 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 fed by the saltier 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 useful, given the abundance of hydrogen sulfide in it. It is possible that there is life in these plains. Life under the “sea of ​​hydrogen sulfide” located under the Black Sea. This is an intriguing play on words.

By the way, there is a guess that the ancient Greeks knew about the existence of the underwater river. Swimming out to sea, they threw a load attached to a rope from the ship. The river pulled the cargo, and with it the ship, making the work of the sailors easier.

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 are hidden behind its powerful waters. Now, when you go on vacation to your favorite sea, you will have something to surprise your friends and something to tell your inquisitive children.

The Black Sea coast of the Caucasus is the territory that stretches along the Black Sea coast from the Turkish border to the Taman Peninsula. This zone includes Georgia, Abkhazia and the coastal regions of the Krasnodar Territory.

The fauna of the coast is represented by 60 species of inhabitants. Predators include the lynx, Caucasian bear, jackal and leopard. Roe deer, deer, wild boar, otters, chamois and aurochs also live here. There are many bats.

2 Caucasian bear

In these places there are a large number of interesting birds, in addition to the usual species, the following unusual birds also live here: the great buzzard, the lamb eagle, the dipper, the yellow grouse, the Caucasian grouse, and the vituten.

7 lamb eagle

9 woodpecker is yellow

10 Caucasian grouse

11 Vityuten - large pigeon

What is scarce here are amphibians and reptiles; sometimes you can see a turtle, there are lizards, snakes, large toads and newts. And among the rare species are red vipers and boa constrictors.

The Black Sea coast of the Caucasus is home to many beautiful and amazing insects. The chirping of cicadas can be heard from afar, and sometimes you can see incredibly beautiful butterflies, for example, the rare oleander hawk moth. Fireflies, large beetles called ground beetles, mollusks and centipedes also live here. There are also insect pests: fruit moths, grape weevils, worms that destroy wooden structures.

Among the marine animals in these places you can find dolphins, seahorses, pipefish, various strange fish, crabs and jellyfish.

The flora of the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus includes more than 6,000 species that grow here due to the mild subtropical climate. There are many relict plants: tall juniper, cherry laurel, Colchis holly, rhododendron and others. Rare plants of this region are included in the Red Book of Russia, such as Colchis broom, Colchis boxwood, and yew.

The woody vegetation that covers the mountains is represented by such species as hornbeam, oak and coniferous trees. But in the southern part of the area there are evergreen shrubs, vines, magnolias and palm trees. The climate is conducive to the cultivation of grapes, citrus fruits, tea and other crops.

To preserve rare species of plants and animals characteristic of this region, nature reserves and reserves have been created in the region. The most famous of them is Sochi National Park. It preserves the unique nature of the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus.

Video: Beautiful nature of the Caucasus.