Baltic Sea and birds. Seabirds: names, descriptions and photos What kind of birds are in the Baltic Sea

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Inhabitants of the Baltic Sea: Atlantic herring (herring), Baltic sprat, cod, flounder, salmon, eel, smelt, vendace, whitefish, perch), Baltic seal. Baltic Sea Location of the Baltic Sea: between the shores of Northern and Central Europe. Area of ​​the Baltic Sea: 419 thousand square meters. km. Average depth of the Baltic Sea: 70 m. Greatest depth of the Baltic Sea: 459 m. Average water temperatures: 1-3 °C in February, up to 20 °C in August. Salinity of the Baltic Sea: 6-8 ‰.

Salaka Salaka is the most abundant sea fish in our waters. This is the Baltic form (subspecies) of the Atlantic herring. Herring is half its size (usual length is 16-20 cm) and has fewer vertebrae. In addition to small herring, in the Gulf of Finland there are large fish, up to 40 cm long, called giant stremlings. Stremlings are considered a special, fast-growing race of Baltic herring.

Baltic salmon Most known species salmon This large, beautiful fish reaches one and a half meters in length and 39 kg in weight. The body of the salmon is covered with small silvery scales, and there are no spots below the lateral line. Salmon in the sea feeds on small fish and crustaceans, and when entering rivers to spawn, they stop feeding and lose a lot of weight. The mating plumage is expressed in the darkening of the body and the appearance of red and orange spots on the sides of the body and head.

TROUT TROUT is a White Sea-Baltic subspecies that lives in the Baltic Sea basin. Order: Salmoniformes - Salmoniformes Family: Salmonidae - The brown trout population in the Baltic Sea basin is declining in numbers, represented by the anadromous form, lake trout (lake trout) and brook trout. Some enthusiasts breed trout at home using cast iron baths.

Cod Cod, or Atlantic cod, is a fish of the cod family. Body length – up to 1.8 m; The fishery is dominated by fish 40-80 cm long, aged 3-10 years. There are 3 dorsal fins, 2 anal fins, and a small fleshy antennae on the chin. The color of the back is from greenish olive to brown with small brown specks, the belly is white.

FLOUSE Of the very large group of flounder-like fish in the Gulf of Finland within the Leningrad region, you can find two species of flounder belonging to two different families. First of all, this is river (or, as it is sometimes called, rough) flounder, which belongs to the family of flatfishes proper, which includes many species and genera, including the largest of the flounders - halibuts.

EEL The reservoirs of the Baltic basin are home to an interesting fish - the European freshwater, the so-called river eel. It belongs to the only family of the eel order that lives in fresh waters. All other eels (22 families, approximately 350 species) are marine fish that constantly live in the seas and oceans at great depths. The European freshwater eel has the same snake-shaped body as all eels and swims curved like a snake. It has no pelvic fins.

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On the topic: methodological developments, presentations and notes

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The salinity of which is about 20% of the salinity of the World Ocean, located in the northern part of Europe. It belongs to the type of inland seas. Its area is 419 square kilometers. It was the Baltic Sea during the reign of Peter the Great that became a window to Europe.

General characteristics

The average depth of the Baltic Sea is about 50 meters, the greatest recorded depth is 470 meters. The deepest areas are located in the Scandinavian region, the shallowest areas are in the area of ​​the Curonian Spit, where there is no depth of even 5 meters.

More than two hundred rivers flow into the Baltic Sea. The largest of them are Neman, Daugava, Vistula, Neva. Fresh river water is distributed unevenly in it, so the Baltic Sea has unequal salinity.

Ice cover in winter is established in the bays from November to April. The ice thickness reaches 60 cm. The southern regions of the sea can remain without ice cover all winter. Sometimes floating ice floes come across near the northern shores even in summer. The last case of complete freezing of the Baltic Sea was recorded in 1987.

In the autumn-winter period, the influx of North Sea salty waters increases due to a decrease in water temperature. Because of this, the salinity level in the sea increases.

Geographical features

The Baltic Sea is located in northwestern Europe. In the north it reaches almost the Arctic Circle, the coordinates of the extreme northern point of the sea are 65 degrees 40 minutes from the north. w. In the south it reaches 53 degrees 45 minutes. w. From east to west, the Baltic Sea extends from St. Petersburg (30 degrees 15 minutes east) to the city of Flensburg in Germany (30 degrees 10 minutes east).

The Baltic Sea is surrounded by coastline on almost all sides, only in the west does it have access to the North Sea. The White Sea Canal opens access to the White Sea. The largest part of the coastline belongs to Sweden and Finland (35% and 17%), Russia has about 7%, the rest of the coastline is divided between Germany, Denmark, Poland, Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia.

There are four large bays in the sea - Bothnian, Curonian, Finnish and Riga. The Curonian Lagoon is separated by the Curonian Spit and territorially belongs to Lithuania and Russia (Kaliningrad region). The Gulf of Bothnia is located between Sweden and Finland and contains the Åland archipelago. The Gulf of Finland is located in the east, adjacent to the shores of Finland, Estonia and Russia (St. Petersburg).

Baltic Sea: salinity and temperature regime

The temperature of the water surface in the central part is 15-17 degrees. In the Gulf of Bothnia, this figure does not rise above 12 degrees. The highest temperatures are recorded in the Gulf of Finland.

Due to weak water exchange and the constant supply of river water, this sea has low salinity. In addition, it does not have constant indicators. Thus, in the area of ​​​​the Danish coast, the salinity of the Baltic Sea water is 20 ppm at the surface. At depth the indicator can reach 30 ppm. Salinity surface waters The amount of the Baltic Sea changes eastward to a lesser extent. In the Gulf of Finland this figure is no more than 3 ppm.

Observations in recent years recorded a trend of increasing salinity percentage. This figure increased by 0.5% compared to previous decades. Now the average salinity of the Baltic Sea is 8 ppm. The figure indicates that a liter of sea water contains 8 g of salt. This is the salinity of the Baltic Sea in grams.

Climate of the Baltic Sea

The Baltic has a temperate maritime climate. The average January temperature above the sea surface is 1-3 degrees, in the north and east - 4-8 degrees. Sometimes the invasion of cold currents from the Arctic lowers the temperature to -35 degrees for a short time. In winter, the north wind predominates, which causes cold winters and long, drawn-out springs.

In summer, the wind direction changes to the west and southwest. Rainy and cool summer weather sets in on the coast. Dry hot days in the Baltic are very rare. The average July temperature here is 14-19 degrees.

The average salinity of surface waters of the Baltic Sea depends on seasonality. The period of strong winds occurs in late autumn and winter. During a storm in November, waves rise up to 6 meters. In winter, ice prevents the formation of high waves. At this time, salinity decreases.

Animal world

The Baltic Sea, whose water salinity varies in different places, is inhabited by quite a variety of species - from purely marine to freshwater inhabitants. Thus, various mollusks, oysters, and crustaceans live in the salty waters of the Danish Straits. In some places there is even a visitor from the North Sea - the mitten crab.

Most commercial fish species choose to live central waters, where the average salinity of the surface waters of the Baltic Sea is 7-9 ppm.

In bays with almost fresh water you can find pike, bream, crucian carp, roach, ide, burbot, and eel. Baltic herring, cod, sprat, salmon and sea trout are fished here on an industrial scale.

Resort holiday

Due to the cool climate, the resorts of the Amber Region are not to everyone’s taste. They have little in common with the hot beaches of Turkey, Egypt, and Crimea. Officially, the beach season lasts in the Baltic from June to the end of September, and in June the water does not always warm up to even 20 degrees.

However, not everyone likes hot, crowded beaches. Many people prefer to combine beach holiday with active, for example, with the study of culture and attractions. The beaches of the Baltic Sea are very good option. You can choose the resort of Palanga, Jurmala, Gdansk, Sopot, Svetlogorsk and others. The ideal time for relaxation is July and the first half of August, when the water temperature warms up to 25 degrees. In the shallow waters of the Gulf of Riga, a temperature of 25-27 degrees was recorded.

Environmental problems of the Baltic Sea

In recent years, there has been a significant deterioration in water quality due to pollution. One of the reasons is that rivers flowing into the sea carry already polluted water. And since the sea is inland and has the only exit through the Danish Straits, there is no possibility of natural self-purification.

The following main water pollutants can be identified:

  • industrial waste, agriculture And utilities, which come from urban wastewater, often discharged directly into the sea;
  • heavy metals - come from city runoff, some fall out with precipitation;
  • Spilled petroleum products - in the era of development of shipping, leakage of petroleum products is not uncommon.

The consequences of pollution are the formation of a film on the surface of the water and the cessation of oxygen access to its inhabitants.

Main sources of water pollution:

  • active shipping;
  • accidents on industrial enterprises and power plants;
  • industrial and domestic wastewater;
  • polluted rivers flowing into the sea.

Helsinki Convention

In 1992, nine Baltic states signed a convention on environmental and maritime rights. The main body is the commission, headquartered in Helsinki. The main goal of the commission is to develop and implement measures aimed at protecting the ecology of the marine environment, conducting research, and promoting the safe navigation of ships.

The commission is headed by states with access to the sea for a period of two years. From 2008 to 2010, Russia held the chairmanship.

Drunken forest and amber

In the Kaliningrad region on the Curonian Spit there is an unusual place, popularly called the Dancing or Drunken Forest. Pine trees planted during the USSR grow in a small area (within 1 square km). The point is that the trees are strangely curved, and some are even twisted into a loop. Scientists cannot accurately explain this phenomenon. There are different versions: climate factor, genetics, pest attacks and even the influence of space. There are rumors that there are no sounds in the forest and the mobile communications. The mystery of the forest annually attracts domestic and foreign tourists.

In autumn, when a storm begins, the sea throws amber ashore along with sand. Mainly on the shores of Poland, Russia, and Germany. Local craftsmen and visiting adventurers await this period. There is a belief that amber is a stone for fulfilling desires. Amber souvenirs fill the atmosphere of the home with positive energy and promote harmony in personal relationships.

This is what the Baltic Sea is like, its salinity, climate and richness attract with its uniqueness.

Baltic Titanic

In 1994, on the night of September 28, a disaster occurred at sea, the mystery of which remains a mystery today. On the evening of September 27, the ferry Estonia departed from Tallinn on its last voyage. There were about 1,000 passengers and crew on board. The ship had been making a regular voyage to Stockholm for a long time. The route was familiar, no unexpected situations were expected along the route. The sea was stormy, but neither passengers nor crew members were bothered by it. It was a normal Baltic autumn; it was believed that a storm would not be dangerous for a ship of this type.

Closer to midnight, the storm intensified, but the passengers were calm and getting ready for bed. By that time, the ferry had moved 350 km from the port. At this time, the ferry met the oncoming ship "Mariella". After one o'clock in the morning a distress signal was received from the ferry, after which the ship disappeared from radar. The Mariella and the ships nearby hurried to the scene of the tragedy. By three o'clock in the morning, rescue helicopters arrived at the crash site. Many victims no longer needed help - death occurred from hypothermia. In total, about 200 passengers were rescued, another 95 were identified and officially declared dead.

The Baltic Sea belongs to the Atlantic Ocean basin, 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 the 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. Interestingly, this natural reserve is divided between two states: Russia and Lithuania.

Inhabitants

The Baltic Sea is rich in seafood. They are mined in the 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 marine inhabitants of the 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 large quantities in the Baltic Sea. 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 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. In the rest of the space lives 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).
  • Porpoise.

Dangerous inhabitants

There are no dangerous inhabitants in the Baltic Sea; among the sharks you can only find 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.

This methodological development presents a generalization of experience in organizing excursion and field classes with schoolchildren to study the Baltic Sea and its biodiversity, conducted by the author on the coast of the Baltic Sea (Kaliningrad region). The lesson introduces key issues of the Baltic and the organisms living in it (using the example of coastal inhabitants). If necessary, the content of the lesson can be reduced or individual elements can be used to cover the necessary topics.

Level: designed for middle and high school age.

Goal: acquaintance with the main features of the Baltic Sea, the ecology of the sea, its fauna and flora.

Lesson time: 5 hours (2 hours of theoretical work and 3 hours of excursion).

Place: classroom or other educational premises, seashore.

Required equipment:

for the theoretical part - technical teaching aids (projector, computer, lesson presentation), handouts, markers;

for practice - jars, white plastic trays, sea water, tweezers, a net, binoculars, glass slides, colored markers.

Progress of the lesson

1. What do we know about the Baltic Sea?

At the beginning of the lesson, ask students to recall and list what they know about the Baltic Sea, which can be written on the board. How many countries have access to the Baltic? What are the closest neighboring countries? After this you can give them work cards No. 1 and propose to put on a contour map of the Baltic region: the countries that are part of it, remember the capitals of the countries, label the largest parts of the Baltic Sea, bays, rivers flowing into the sea.

Discuss with students: Count how many countries are in the Baltic region? ( nine), why is it indicated on the map more countries? (Norway, Czech Republic, Ukraine are part of the Baltic Sea drainage basin). Please note that Russia has access to the Baltic Sea in St. Petersburg and Kaliningrad.

Information about the Baltic Sea.

Age: about 15 thousand years

Area: 412,560 km2 with the Kattegat Strait (about 390,000 km2 without it).

Coastline length: about 8 thousand km.

Average depth: 52 m.

Maximum depth: 470 m (Landsort Basin).

Salinity: varies from 1-2‰ in the Gulf of Finland and the Gulf of Bothnia to 25-30‰ in the straits.

The largest bays: Bothnian, Riga, Finnish.

Largest islands: Åland, Bornholm, Gotland, Rügen, Saaremaa, Hiiumaa, Öland.

The largest rivers flowing into the sea: Neva, Daugava, Neman, Venta, Vistula, Oder. In total, about 250 rivers flow into it.

Climate: Temperate maritime.

2. What is salinity, and what is it like in the Baltic Sea?

Everyone knows that sea water tastes salty, since a large number of different salts are dissolved in it, incl. and table salt - sodium chloride. In the oceans and most seas, water has a fairly stable salt content, determined by the number of ions dissolved in the water, which is equal to 35‰ . Salinity is measured in ppm - the number of grams of salt dissolved in 1 liter of water, i.e. This level of salinity means that one liter contains about 35 grams of salt.

The Baltic Sea is unique in that the amount of salt in it is much less than in the ocean and other seas. Baltic – brackish water body . In the central part of the sea, the average salinity of water is 5-9‰, in the Gulf of Finland and the Gulf of Bothnia it is even lower - about 3-4‰. As you approach the straits connecting the Baltic with the North Sea, salinity increases.

Modeling in class. A conversation about water salinity can be accompanied by a small simulation of the salt content in various seas. Calculate with students and prepare solutions of the following concentrations. For greater accuracy, you can use a salt meter.

  • Dead Sea
  • - 240‰ salt
  • Mediterranean Sea
  • - 39‰ salt
  • World ocean
  • – 34.7‰ salt
  • North Sea
  • - 30‰ salt
  • Kattegat Strait
  • - 15‰ salt
  • Baltic Sea off the coast of Denmark
  • - 9‰ salt
  • Baltic Sea near Kaliningrad
  • - 7‰ salt
  • Gulf of Finland
  • - 3‰ salt

Some students can carefully begin the “tasting” with the most concentrated water, and the other part with the least concentrated water. Discuss your results.

3. Organisms living in the Baltic Sea

Ask students to name the species of animals and plants that live in the Baltic Sea. Why are there no “real” marine animals in the Baltic Sea - whales, sharks, octopuses, corals? (collect various options answers given by students). The discussion should suggest that the Baltic is somehow fundamentally different from other seas, and this feature is associated with salinity of water.

Compared to real seas, the Baltic Sea with its brackish water has poor flora and fauna. This is due to the fact that many marine organisms are unable to survive in low salinity, while for freshwater organisms a slight increase in salt in the water also causes death. However, plant and animal species of both marine and freshwater origin successfully exist in the Baltic Sea.

Work in groups (3-4 people). Hand out cards ( work card № 2 ) depicting various organisms living in the Baltic Sea. The task is to correctly name the organism (or group of organisms); based on existing knowledge, compose brief description (where it lives, what it eats, etc..). Next, the groups do mini-performances. Then ask students to think about how these organisms are connected in the ecosystem, try to create a food web with them ( you can add other types). Discuss how other organisms are related to each other? ( For example, habitat - other algae, mollusks and crustaceans live on fucus; some animals use bivalve shells as substrate).

4. Excursion to the Baltic Sea coast

During an excursion to the sea coast, collect a collection of storm emissions, i.e. marine organisms that can be collected on the seashore. Label your collections with the date, location of collection and distance of release from the water line. In the classroom or field station (during summer camps it can be any room, incl. and veranda) analyze the collection, identify the collected species of animals and plants. Based on the results of the excursion, you can arrange an exhibition or display “ Nature of the Baltic”, and also, having accumulated more material, use it for the research work “Storm emissions of the Baltic Sea”.

Pick up stones, planks thrown up by the sea, sweep a net through thickets of green algae clinging to huge stones, and look at the piles of breakwaters. Collect all organisms you come across, incl. empty shellfish shells. In addition, organisms that lead a stationary, attached lifestyle are interesting and diverse. Such organisms belong to the ecological group of periphyton. Using a scraper, inspect fouling on wooden piles and stones. Here you can find green algae Cladophora and Eneteromorpha, houses of Balanus crustaceans, bryozoans, and settled mussels.

After the excursion, sort out the collected material, dividing it into groups. You can place algae, invertebrate animals (crustaceans, mollusks), and fish in separate trays. Try to identify the found animals and plants, guided by the identifiers. To work, you may need qualifiers. Release live animals into the sea, and take empty mollusk shells and other similar finds to replenish your collections. The results of your work should be displayed on the coastal survey card ( work card No. 3).

What can be found in storm emissions?

Shellfish: Mussel (Mytilus edulis) – lives at depths from 1 to 60 m. The most common mollusks of the Baltic. They are held firmly in place by strong threads called byssus. They get food by filtering water. A large mussel can filter 5 liters of water in an hour. Within a year, all the mussels manage to filter all the Baltic water.

Baltic makoma (Macoma baltica) – pale triangular shells of the Baltic makoma shell are easy to find in storm emissions. They can be white, yellowish, pale pink. The makoma lives throughout the Baltic waters and survives even in desalinated bays.

Sand Shell Mia (Mya arenaria) is the largest Baltic mollusk, its shell reaches 12 cm in length. The shell is of a dirtier color compared to the elegant Baltic shell. These mollusks can burrow to a depth of 1 m.

Heart shape (Cerastoderma spp.) - if you find a grayish-white shell that resembles a heart on the coast, then it is a heart-shaped shell. These mollusks prefer clay and sand and burrow, exposing siphons to filter water.

Crustaceans: sea ​​acorn (Balanus spp.) is a barnacle crustacean that attaches to stones, algae, and shells. Their body is hidden inside a special shell that forms a small house.

Amphipod (Gammarus sp.) are small crustaceans that are easy to find in algae accumulations. They actively rush around and swim in circles.

sea ​​flea (Talitrus saltator) are small crustaceans that are easy to find on the coast burrowing into the sand or hiding under algae.

Seaweed: Fucus (Fucus spp.) – A marine brown algae that grows on rocks. Usually only floating bubbles are visible on the surface of the water. You can often find other algae and balanus crustaceans settling on the fucus.

filamentous algae - a whole group various types green algae, which is thrown out during a strong storm. It is here that you can find a huge number of amphipods. The most common types of filamentous algae are Cladophora and Ceramium.

Furcellaria (Furcellaria sp.) – belongs to the division of red algae. It can often be found after storms in the form of black branchy lumps. Sometimes the algae throws out whole thickets. On furcellaria branches you can often find net-shaped plaques - these are colonial organisms - bryozoans.

Higher vegetation: Zoostera (Zoostera marina) – after a storm, a large amount of algae appears on the sandy shores, which looks like unwound ribbons stretching along the coast. This is zoostera, or sea grass. It forms entire underwater meadows at the bottom of the sea, where numerous inhabitants of the Baltic find their refuge.

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 we say about the katran if we 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. Katran's people culinary purposes they are not used for the reason that its meat is too saturated with urea, and therefore the game 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.

When going fishing, think about what kind of float rod equipment for crucian carp is better. If you visit our website, you will be pleasantly surprised by the large selection available.

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 the temperature, but the degree of salinity of the water. The Baltic Sea contains 6 times less salt than the World Ocean. And large predators desperately need salt; salty 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 home pool, then 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 the 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 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, removed the shark-safe status from Russian seas, 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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