On the populations of Melinna palmata grube at the Romanian littoral of the Black Sea

Abstract

On the basis of the samples collected in 1982 it was established that the populations of the tube polychaeta Melinna palmata at the Romanian littoral that had been scarce before, have become extremely abundant lately (on an average 2,331specimens/m² and 73.2g/m², but the maximum exceeds 17,700specimens/m² and 570g/m²); they live at depths of 20 – 40m in a zone larger than 2,200km².The increase of the Melinna populations which is the result of recent accumulations of organic matter in sediments has a great importance. Under the circumstances of organic pollution in the north-western part of the Black Sea and of frequent decreases in the oxygen concentration as a result of the "red tide", Melinna is the only organism able to stand these conditions, to use the organic matter and thus become an important trophic basis for demersal fishes (for sturgeons, especially).