ZOOPLANKTON STUDIES IN THE NEVA ESTUARY (BALTIC SEA): A BRIEF EXCURSION INTO HISTORY

Abstract

Zooplankton studies in the Neva estuary started in the early 20th century. During those pioneer investigations and in the following several decades mostly qualitative data were collected. Until the end of the 1970s, plankton research in the area was irregular and numerical data were scarce. In the 1980s zooplankton studies became an important part of comprehensive hydrobiological investigations aimed at evaluation of the functioning of the estuarine ecosystem. Recent studies have demonstrated the necessity to pay more attention to the problem of biological invasions of aquatic alien species to and from the ecosystem of the Neva estuary. At present this problem, together with the assessment of the response of zooplankton communities to anthropogenic stress, is among the major items of zooplankton research in the Neva estuary.