Heterotrophic bacteria, zooflagellates, and ciliates in coastal waters of northeastern Black Sea

According to the parameters of density and biomass of heterotrophic bacterioplankton, waters in the ports of Novorossiysk and Tuapse were eutrophic-hypereutrophic and in the resort cities of Gelendzhik and Anapa they were hypereutrophic. The abundance of heterotrophic bacteria reached maximum values of 12.7-14.2 million cells/mL during the period of abnormally high water temperatures (August 2010) in recreational zones. Chainlike and filamentous forms (57-65%) of bacteria, which were typical for the strong coastal pollution of waters, prevailed. The abundance of zooflagellates (kinetoplastids) in semi-isolated water areas (port of Novorossiysk and Gelendzhik Bay) reached the level of highly eutrophic waters, 6.2-9.7 million ind/m(3). However, the biomass of naked ciliates was 1.5 times lower than their maximum values earlier registered in coastal waters of the northeastern shelf. The peak of abundance of alien tintinnids of the genera Eutintinnus, Tintinnopsis, and Amphorellopsis, which were introduced via ballast waters of ships, was recorded in Novorossiysk Bay. The ratio of titinnids to the total abundance of ciliates increased 5 times and reached 25-40%. Protozoans developed poorly in the oil-polluted port of Tuapse and the open Anapa Bay.