DIVERSITY, PRODUCTIVITY AND STRUCTURE ZOOBENTHOS COMMUNITIES OF SOME RIVERS IN THE EASTERN BLACK SEA REGION (WITHIN THE NOVOROSSIYSK AREA)
The work provides information on the taxonomic diversity, abundance, biomass and structure of zoobenthic communities of the main rivers of the Novorossiysk section of the Eastern Black Sea area - Mezyb with the tributary Aderbievka, Vulan, Shapsugo, Nechesuho with the tributary Psebe. It was found that they include 17 large benthic invertebrate taxa. The most widespread representatives of the zoobenthos of the studied watercourses were Nematoda, larvae of Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, Trichoptera and Diptera, as well as Coleoptera, recorded in all rivers. The highest abundance of zoobenthos was found in the rivers Shapsugo and Aderbievka, the lowest - in the river Vulan. By the biomass of zoobenthos, the rivers Aderbievka and Shapsugo also stood out. In all watercourses, larvae Diptera, Trichoptera and Ephemeroptera predominated in number. The biomass was predominantly dominated by larvae of Ephemeroptera and Trichoptera, less commonly Gastropoda. Most of the zoobenthos groups were concentrated in the upper and middle parts of the rivers, which indicates their important role in maintaining the biodiversity of zoobenthic communities.