HYPOXIA AND ITS ECOLOGICAL CONSEQUENCES IN THE SEA OF AZOV
Based on long-term data (1960-2012) we have considered changes in the boundaries of hypoxic zones in the Azov Sea in summer. The most important factors determining hypoxia development in the near-bottom sediments have been revealed. It is shown that the primary reason of near-bottom oxygen deficiency in an eutrophic water body with sufficient amounts of organic matter, such as the Azov Sea, is the considerable consumption of oxygen to oxidize the organic matter, primarily, of bottom sediments, and the trigger mechanism is the vertical stability of water masses.