Legends of the Curonian Spit: Baltic Sea, birds and dunes. Sharks in the Baltic Sea Underwater world of the Baltic Sea

It is very different from all its world brethren. First of all, the water salinity level in it does not exceed 7-8 percent. Moreover, we are talking about these indicators only in the southwestern part of the Baltic. In the central water area this level drops to 6 percent, and in the Gulf of Finland, Bothnia and Riga - even to 2-3 percent.

Of course, the Baltic Sea cannot be called fresh. But it is quite obvious that it differs from the salty waters of other seas and oceans (the average salinity on the planet is about 35 percent) as day and night. This factor left its mark not only on the nature of coastal areas, but also on the composition of the inhabitants of the Baltic depths.

The very low degree of salinity (especially in the northern and northwestern parts of the Baltic) has led to the fact that, along with marine fish, river fish also thrive in the Baltic Sea. The most common species are perch, bream, whitefish and grayling. But in general, freshwater inhabitants of the Baltic do not go far into the sea, preferring to stay close to water that is not at all salty. Therefore, gudgeons, roach, pike, pike perch or ruffe can be found mainly in the immediate vicinity of rivers where they flow into the Baltic Sea.

By the way, fishermen from countries with access to the Baltic (and this includes, in addition to Russia, Germany, Finland, Sweden, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia) use this fact very competently and in certain seasons, seiners do not even have to go far to sea to return with a rich catch traditionally river fish.

However, in deep areas with saltier water, the composition of the inhabitants of the Baltic changes significantly. Here you can find cod, mackerel, many types of herring (along with sprat, it makes up main interest for fishing) and even flounder, gobies, eelpout and sea trout.

Back in the middle of the last century, it was believed that from Baltic Sea seals, which had been mercilessly exterminated for many years, completely disappeared. But in last years(especially in the summer) they began to be noticed again.

This mainly happens off the coast of Sweden, Finland and Russia.

The appearance of seals in the Baltic Sea again became possible only thanks to a complete ban on hunting them and a significantly improved environmental situation.

The ringed seal lives in the Baltic. This seal got its name from the pattern on its fur - light rings with a dark frame.

Interestingly, ringed seals do not form colonies, preferring to live alone. So it’s unlikely that anyone will be able to see a whole herd of these cute animals, although occasionally they gather in small flocks. However, even in this case, Baltic seals behave separately.

By the way, Baltic seals are considered the largest of this species in the world. They can reach a size of 140 centimeters, and adult males weigh up to a hundredweight! Often in Lately they go to the beaches to take a break from being in the water for a long time.

In 2000, according to experts, about 10 thousand ringed seals lived in the Baltic. Now their number (due to the fact that seals have no natural enemies in this region) is constantly increasing and has already reached 25-30 thousand. But compared to data from a hundred years ago, this is sheer nonsense. At that time, more than 100 thousand of these cute animals lived in the Baltic Sea.

But in addition to commercial fish and harmless animals, the Baltic Sea is also home to much more dangerous creatures. The sea dragon, a small but very poisonous fish, is found here (albeit quite rarely). Her injection causes, at best, itchy skin, and at worst, paralysis, interruptions in heart function, and even death. One thing is good - it can be found much less often in the Baltic Sea than in the Black or Atlantic. Another dangerous inhabitant of the depths is the sea cat (it looks like a stingray and also has a sharp spike at the end of its tail), a poisonous snake fish.

Few people know that there are also sharks in the Baltic. Moreover, there are as many as 31 species of them, together with related cartilaginous fish! But do not be afraid - these are small sharks that are more afraid of humans than they are of them. At least that's what environmental activists say. And in Sweden they even officially banned shark fishing.

The geographical location and originality of the landscape structure gives nature Leningrad region Quite a varied look. This is reflected in the diversity and richness of its avifauna, which includes 313 bird species. Of these, 224 species have ever nested (198 regularly nesting, 18 – irregularly nesting; 2 (Roller and Garcock) – nested regularly, although in small numbers, but, apparently, have stopped nesting in the region in recent decades (nesting Garcock can still be expected in some places), 3 species (Snake Eagle, Quail and Crested Lark) - nested irregularly at the beginning of the century, but have ceased breeding in the area by now). Another 3 species (ringed dove, black redstart and European finch) unexpectedly appeared in the 70s of this century, but then disappeared again and now do not nest or occur in the region, with the exception of the ringed dove, migrations of which were noted in the 90s. x years. Among non-breeding species, 26 species are found on migration, on wintering grounds - 2 species, in summer - 2 species, and another 59 species are noted as vagrants. Table 1 provides a list of birds (non-passerines) that can be found in the Gulf of Finland region.

A significant number of bird species are located at the edge of their ranges, penetrating into the region from border areas. The presence of significant water areas of the Gulf of Finland and Lake Ladoga and associated coastal and island wetlands, the location of the region on the White Sea-Baltic Flyway enhances the uniqueness of the avifauna and introduces into its composition a significant number of migratory species that have important traditional migration stopping points in the region.

The complex of seabirds in the described area is quite typical for the Baltic marine fauna. However, most of the breeding species included in it find the southeastern limit of their distribution in the Baltic states on the Kurgal Peninsula. Therefore, for the Leningrad region and for North-West Russia in general, they represent (along with the similar avifauna of the islands of the central part of the Gulf of Finland) a unique phenomenon.

There are 14 bird species under the greatest threat of extinction in the Leningrad region (Table 2).

The main habitats that are most valuable for birds in the region are: reed beds and shallow waters of fish ponds, lakes and coasts of the Gulf of Finland and Lake Ladoga, raised bogs and adjacent areas of forest, wetlands in places of former peat mining, skerries of Lake Ladoga and Finnish bay. The area of ​​such habitats is especially significant on the shores of the Gulf of Finland and the southern and southeastern Ladoga region.

Species living on the border of their range are characterized by significant interannual fluctuations in numbers (up to the complete absence of the species in some years). In the described area, they are most clearly manifested in the great cormorant, shelduck, scoter, eider, black guillemot, guillemot, and auk. Local populations of these birds are very unstable and require enhanced protection. At the same time, species such as sea gulls, black whales and arctic terns are represented by quite stable viable populations. The number of mute swan has a clear upward trend.

In addition to nesting birds, the most important component of marine ecosystems are mass concentrations of migratory waterfowl in the narrow migration corridor and at traditional stopover sites in the Gulf of Finland. Maintaining the well-being of migrants at this site is of international importance as part of overall biodiversity management. Three territories on the coast of the Gulf of Finland - the Kurgalsky, Lebyazhy and Berezovye Islands nature reserves - have the status of wetlands of international importance and are protected by the Ramsar Convention as particularly important areas for resting and feeding birds along the route of annual migrations from the Central and Northern Europe to nesting sites in the Russian North and back.

Currently, the ecological state of seabird communities can be assessed as satisfactory or good. Main anthropogenic factors posing a threat:

• increasing eutrophication and pollution of the Gulf of Finland, leading to changes in the food supply, biotopic changes, and also causing direct harm to birds (oil pollution, pesticides, etc.);
• hunting and fishing as a factor of disturbance (scaring away birds with shots, movement of small vessels);
• transport and tourism, especially in the future of construction of ports in Ust-Luga Bay, Batareinaya Bay, in the cities. Vysotsk and Primorsk;
• the presence of a military bomb range on the islands of Kurgal Reima.

Although military activity has decreased in recent years, there are still periodic bombings of the islands where seabird nesting colonies are located.

A possible way to conserve seabird communities that undoubtedly represent special value, is the inclusion of their habitat area in the projected reserve “Ingermanlandsky”.

The Baltic Sea belongs to the basin Atlantic Ocean, is located in Northern Europe and has a surface area of ​​415 km 2. Many rivers flow into it, so it has a medium salinity, it is one of the largest seas in the world with this feature. There are no big storms in the Baltic, the maximum wave height rarely reaches more than 4 meters, so it is considered calm in comparison with other seas. The water temperature is quite cold, no more than 17-19 degrees Celsius, but this still does not stop local residents from swimming in summer.

9 Baltic neighbors

The Baltic Sea washes the shores of several countries: Russia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Germany, Denmark, Sweden and Finland. It has four bays: Finnish, Bothnian, Riga and Curonian. The latter is separated from the sea by a strip of land - the Curonian Spit, which is a national natural park and is protected by the state. It's interesting that this nature reserve divided between two states: Russia and Lithuania.

Inhabitants

The Baltic Sea is rich in seafood. They are mined in Kaliningrad region and European countries. The water here is not as salty as in other seas. Therefore, some scientists conditionally divide the inhabitants of the Baltic Sea into freshwater and marine. The bays are mainly inhabited by freshwater fish. The sea one is located far from the shore. In the Baltic there is:

• Salaka. This small fish rarely grows more than 25 cm. It is the main commercial fish of the Baltic Sea, approximately half of the total catch comes from it. Herring is smoked, fried and canned.

• Baltic sprat. A very common fish in Europe, one of the well-known names is “European sprat”. Sprat is smaller than herring, an adult grows no more than 15 cm. This fish is versatile in preparation, like herring, but most often it is used to make canned food.
• Cod. This sea meat is rich in protein and minerals, it is a good source of B vitamins. Cod meat also contains a lot of niacin, which is useful for liver diseases. It grows up to 1 meter long, the largest individuals can reach a size of up to 2 meters, but this happens very rarely. Cod is loved in many countries around the world; there are a huge number of recipes for preparing dishes from it; a special delicacy is cod liver preserved in oil. Cod is one of the most delicious sea ​​creatures Baltic Sea.

• Flounder. This is a sea bottom fish with a bizarre flat shape. Its most memorable feature is its flat body and eyes located on one side, so it is impossible to confuse the flounder with another fish. The scales of this fish are rough like sandpaper. On average, flounder lives 5 years and grows up to 40 cm in length. It has white, tasty, tender meat, although when cooked it gives off a specific smell that not everyone may like. To get rid of discomfort during cooking, you need to remove the skin from the fish. Flounder meat contains proteins and beneficial amino acids that are well absorbed by the body. Flounder is considered a dietary fish.

• Acne. This amazing inhabitant of the Baltic Sea is included in the list for a reason. It is found in all reservoirs of the Kaliningrad region. You can catch eels not only in sea water, but also in freshwater rivers. Externally, the eel looks like a snake, has a long body and swims, wriggling like snakes. An adult grows up to 1.5 m in length and weighs about 2 kg. Eel meat contains proteins, fats and carbohydrates, and is also a source of omega-3. The most common method of preparing eel is smoking.

• Perch. A very bony and tenacious fish, it can live up to 15 years. Meat can be stored for a long time and contains many vitamins and nutrients.

Valuable fish

• Salmon. This is a fish from the salmon family; Atlantic salmon, which is sometimes called “Baltic”, is found in the lightly salted waters of the Baltic. This is the kind of "noble" sea ​​fish popularly known as “salmon”, it is quite large, an adult male can reach a length of more than 1.5 m. The taste of salmon meat is tender and buttery, the color varies from light pink to red. Salmon fillet contains virtually no bones, so it is popular among those who do not like fish for fear of swallowing a small bone. Many dishes are prepared from this fish, including the well-known red salmon caviar, which appears on our tables on special occasions.
• Smelt. Surprisingly, the well-known smelt belongs to the salmon family. It is generally accepted that this fish is not valuable, despite the fact that it is caught in the Baltic Sea in large quantities. Smelt meat is rich in iron and fluorine; doctors recommend that older people include it in their diet.

• Vendace. This small fish is also from the salmon family; its peculiarity is that it lives exclusively in the waters of the Baltic Sea. Vendace is a noble fish and is therefore considered a valuable raw material. She is loved in Europe and Scandinavian countries. In many regions of Russia, vendace is protected and you cannot just catch it.
• Whitefish. Fish of the salmon family is considered a valuable commercial fish and has more than 40 species. Despite the fact that whitefish belongs to the salmon family, its meat is white and very fatty. Because of this feature, whitefish meat is not stored for long, so it is consumed or salted immediately after catching.

Mollusks, crustaceans and jellyfish

In addition to the listed fish, the Baltic waters are inhabited by mollusks, squid, small crustaceans and bottom fish. The mitten crab, which appeared here relatively recently, is very rare. Jellyfish are also found in the Baltic Sea; the largest, the cyanea, lives near the waters of Denmark. The rest of the space is inhabited by the harmless Aurelia, an inhabitant of the Baltic Sea, whose photo is not as frightening as the one presented above.

Mammals

Of the mammals in the Baltic Sea, only three species of seals live:

• Tyuvyak (gray seal).
• Nerpa (common seal).
• Harbour porpoise.

Dangerous inhabitants

Dangerous inhabitants It is not found in the Baltic Sea; the only shark you can find is the katrana - a small shark with spikes on its fins, it is not dangerous to humans. It does not swim to the Russian shores; it lives in the Danish straits, where the Baltic Sea connects with the North Sea.

Thousands, and maybe even more, years ago, seabirds separated from the total huge number of birds living on land. Their names are very diverse and depend on belonging to a particular order or family.

Classification

There is the following classification of seabirds:

Seabird family: description

These birds, in comparison with their other brothers belonging to other groups, are considered long-lived. In general, their life cycle has a slightly shifted time frame. For example, representatives of the marine group pair and reproduce much later than their comrades. Over the entire cycle, they have fewer chicks, but they devote relatively more time to their offspring. Life expectancy is also significantly increased. Seabirds usually nest in large colonies. Some of them live permanently in one area, others can migrate over significant distances every year, and some even travel by air around the entire Earth.

There are varieties that spend almost their entire life cycle away from the shores, in the endless waters of the oceans. And their brothers settle only on land, going to drift on the waves only for the sake of prey. However, in addition to these two opposing types, there is also a third. Its representatives spend part of their time in the coastal zone, and the rest in the waters of the seas and oceans.

As one might expect, the world of birds has not been without human intervention. People often used birds as a food source. And for experienced fishermen and experienced sailors, they served as a guide. Of course, human activity does not go unnoticed, and now many species are on the verge of extinction. Unfortunately, some exist only on the pages of the Red Book.

Birds and their structure

Specialists who have a wealth of knowledge about the characteristic features of a particular species can easily determine how its representatives feed, how they hunt, and in what area they live. The shape and length of the wings are of great importance. Thus, representatives of birds with a small scope are classified as diving species. Whereas birds with long wings most often live in deep ocean areas. For example, the wandering albatross is a bird that travels countless kilometers in the hope of a meal. However, representatives of this species over time waste their ability to make long-distance flights. Many of them have already chosen the bays or piers where fishing boats often moor.

Everything in nature tends to adapt to convenience. Why fly into the vast expanses of water if food is so available on the shore? The albatross is a bird that, in the process of evolution, even slightly changed the structure of its wings. Now these beauties often do not use active flight techniques, but have switched to dynamic or inclined soaring. That is, albatrosses simply catch the flow of air masses and maneuver.

Webbed feet and sense of smell

Almost all seabirds have webbed feet, which makes it much easier for them to move in the water. But this is not all the advantages of the building. For example, many petrels have a highly developed sense of smell. Thanks to this, they can accurately determine the location of prey in the vast expanses of the ocean.

Cormorant is a bird with a special feather structure

All representatives marine species, except for cormorants and certain varieties of terns, have plumage impregnated with a layer of fat. This water-repellent property serves as reliable protection against getting wet, and the dense down ensures a constant body temperature even in cold water. The cormorant is a bird that has an advantage over its other relatives in the special structure of its feathers. This allows him not to freeze even if he has to dive a lot and for a long time. The greater specific gravity provides this representative of birds with the opportunity to stay under water for a long time.

Penguin

Almost all representatives of the seabird family have plumage colors of black, gray or white. However, there are birds that have brighter and more variegated colors. For example, a penguin is a bird, some species of which have multi-colored plumage in the neck and chest. Color is very important in conditions wildlife. Its main function is camouflage, that is, the ability to blend in color scheme certain area. This allows not only birds, but all animals to hide from a predator’s attack or not give themselves away while hunting for prey.

Description

The penguin is the bird that scientists believe is the most socialized. Their colonies consist of a huge number of individuals. They spend most of their life cycle in water. Penguins come to land only to conceive and raise offspring. The peculiarities of their structure allow these representatives of the bird family to survive in extremely low temperatures. Dense straight plumage creates a powerful barrier to the cold.

Heavy bones and wings that function as fins make penguins fast swimmers capable of diving very deep. The streamlined shape of the body helps them to excellently cut through the expanses of water, and in case of danger, to deftly escape from a predator. Their feathers do not get wet and effectively retain heat thanks to constant processing with fat secreted by the gland in the tail area. All species except the emperor penguin breed. They settle in the rocks, preparing a place for future offspring from stones and earthy breasts. Those who do not need nests place the eggs under the skin pouch. The chick is also located there for the first time after birth. In a pair, the female and male take turns incubating the egg.

Seagull and other interesting birds

Another waterfowl seabird is the gull. It feeds mainly on small fish. It obtains food in different ways: catching on the surface, diving from the air to a certain depth, hunting under water with pursuit, and does not disdain representatives of higher vertebrates.

The first principle is explained by the presence of different water currents, which often contribute to pushing small inhabitants of the seas and oceans to shallow depths. This is what birds expect when they are on the surface. They just need to dip their head into the water, and the prey ends up in the beak. The second type of food production is used by typhoon birds, frigate birds and storm petrels. They deftly soar over the surface of the sea, making an instant dive into the water and picking up food as they go. Most of them have a hard time taking off if they land on the water surface. Some gulls, including petrels, on the contrary, hunt afloat. Although the previous type of hunting is by no means alien to them. Sooty albatrosses, slender-billed petrels and many other seabirds are capable of diving to depths of up to 70 m in pursuit of prey. The structure of the beak is of particular importance. Thus, many albatrosses have plate-like growths along the perimeter, which allows them to filter and retain plankton from the water. Phaetons, gannets, terns and pelicans dive into the waves directly from above. They often work in tandem with other ocean inhabitants.

Since for effective aerial viewing the water must have a maximum degree of transparency, hunting in the wild does not always occur according to the intended principle. When visibility is limited, representatives of this species look for concentrations of dolphins, as well as tuna. By swimming, they help push schools of fish to a shallow depth from the surface, where they are caught by pelicans and the like.

Bird colony settlements are found at tropical latitudes, for example, on the Pacific Island. Christmas, outside the Arctic Circle - in Antarctica. Albatrosses nest in small numbers, while guillemots and guillemots hold the record for colony density.

Hatchets and guillemots

The northern seabird is a regular at numerous traditional bird markets. Puffins and guillemots are considered record holders among those that are able to gather in such a densely populated area. Thanks to their short wings, they dive perfectly into the water, providing themselves with food. These representatives can be called the most adapted to sea waters. Their chicks, which do not yet know how to fly, fall from their nests in rocky terrain directly into the waves.

Here they are fed and further grow. Many, of course, die, crashing on the rocky terrain. When cold weather approaches, all the inhabitants of the colonies fly away into the endless expanses of water. Some of the seabirds are migratory. They wait out the cold in warmer regions, then return home. Others are nomadic. Many seabirds fly long distances, sometimes changing latitude, and can only return to their place of birth in a circle. Sometimes the entire life cycle is not enough for such a route.

Conclusion

Seabirds, like many other water inhabitants, often become victims of environmental disasters or poaching. The number of birds largely depends on human actions.

Somehow it turned out that of the sharks in the Baltic Sea, only two species are represented: the ubiquitous katran and herring sharks.

And if the katran is of only decorative interest to people, neither as a hunter nor as a prey the katran is not interesting to humans, then the herring shark can engage in cannibalism.

What can you say about katran, if you don’t focus on the fact that it’s just a beautiful small predatory fish? He doesn't attack people, he just doesn't see the point in it. People do not use katran for culinary purposes for the reason that its meat is too saturated with urea, and therefore it is not worth the candle. Let it float.

And the herring shark is a relative of the mako shark, which, according to the latest scientific data, is more closely related to the megalodon than the great white shark. This means that the herring shark is potentially dangerous to humans. She's fast and aggressive, so don't mess with her anyway. Although they don't often swim into the Baltic Sea from the Atlantic Basin, if you spot these silvery silhouettes in the water from your boat, it's best to stay away from them.

True, it can be noted with regret that the Atlantic herring shark is no longer such a frequent visitor to northern waters, but this is due to the fact that it has become an endangered species. This is how the glory of the world passes, as the ancients said.

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Baltic jaws

Shark Days were celebrated in Europe. Towards the date, the Baltic media burst out with stories, the meaning of which: the year is not far off when our Baltic Sea will literally be swarming with sharks. The cause is global warming. Some unnamed Lithuanian scientists allegedly said that in the near future frightening fins could be observed in our area.

There are more than 4,000 species of sharks in the world. Many of them are able to live in water whose temperature does not reach 5 degrees above zero. The Baltic Sea warms up well in summer to 1520 degrees or more. According to the Lithuanians, scientific facts also indicate that our sea will soon become suitable for the bloodthirsty inhabitants of the oceans. Thus, a dead swordfish was discovered on the Klaipeda beach in the 1990s.

Are we facing a shark attack? What do not anonymous, but very real researchers say about this? As it turns out, fear has big eyes. Riga biologist Andris Kalnins just laughed when he heard my question about a television story dedicated to the smaller toothy brothers.

According to him, in the near foreseeable future, residents of the Baltic states who decide to swim are unlikely to fear for their lives. The main barrier for sharks is not temperature at all, but the degree of salinity of the water. The Baltic Sea contains 6 times less salt than the World Ocean. A large predators salt is essential; salt water makes it easier for a heavy body to hold on. After all, sharks don’t even have an air bladder. They are forced to be in motion all the time, otherwise they will simply fall to the bottom. In addition, the water in the Baltic is too dirty, because the channel of exchange with the World Ocean, the Danish Straits, is too narrow.

If you take a little liquid from our sea and pour it into your home pool, the container will immediately begin to become overgrown with all sorts of nasty things. But fish pass water through membranes. In addition, there are areas in the Baltic Sea where oxygen levels are extremely low, which means that all living things die. Cod is in big trouble right now. Floating eggs are often carried into dead zones, which, alas, increase in number every year.

In a word, in the near future we will be faced not with an invasion of sharks, but with the complete disappearance of the remaining inhabitants of the Baltic. And the appearance of all sorts of nasty things with a purple tint along the shores is further confirmation of this.

The seas washing the Russian coast have traditionally been considered completely safe from the point of view of the possibility of being attacked by a shark.

Western sea waters and the waters of the Arctic Ocean are not the favorite habitats of dangerous predators. Black, Baltic and Sea of ​​Azov sheltered in their waters the common dogfish, which threatens the unwary fisherman only with the prickly spines on its dorsal fin.

In addition to the katran, the Black Sea is visited by the even less dangerous common cat shark. which in warm weather sails from Mediterranean Sea. This is a small species of bottom sharks, individuals of which only in exceptional cases reach a meter in length and weigh a little more than a kilogram.

To be fair, it should be noted that dubious information appeared in the press about the capture of a goblin shark in the waters of the Black Sea. and also at the mouth of the Neva the herring shark. But this information is not documented and is highly doubtful. Therefore, we can safely say that in the seas of the Atlantic basin adjacent to the shores of Russia there are no other sharks except the katran and catfish. Both of these species are not dangerous to humans.

The seas of the Arctic also did not react too kindly to the attempts of toothy robbers to penetrate their waters. Only the polar shark feels like a full-fledged mistress here, and the ubiquitous katran and herring sharks found in the White and Barents Seas. The waters of the Barents Sea are often visited by the giant shark, a planktivorous representative of cartilaginous fish.

Sharks are somewhat richer in the waters of the Far Eastern seas of Russia, especially the Sea of ​​Japan. The presence of more than a dozen different species of sharks has been noted here, including predators dangerous to humans.

It is quite possible that in depths inaccessible to swimmers and divers, other rare species of sharks are also found - the frilled shark. goblin. comb-toothed and others. In the depths of the ocean, the water temperature is relatively stable and these predators may well violate our maritime state borders.

The greatest danger to humans in the Sea of ​​Japan are the great white shark and mako, which are included in the list of the most dangerous species. The giant hammerhead is potentially dangerous. salmon, sharptooth mustel and gray shortfin shark. Sometimes the fox shark behaves quite boldly in the presence of divers, but it is not found off the coast.

The events of the summer of 2011, when sharks bit our compatriots in Primorye, were removed from Russian seas shark-safe status, and forced us to take a closer look at the issue of ensuring the safety of Russians’ favorite vacation spots.

Sources: www.akyla.info, scubascuta.com, akully.ru, morefishes.ru, newsland.com

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