Aims and Challenges

We aim to summarize and communicate findings on the ecological effects of the War, focusing on the aquatic biodiversity and habitats in the Black Sea region of Ukraine as little is known and published. Dr. Kvach and Dr. Stepien have been collaborating since 2002 on Black Sea aquatic biodiversity, including native and invasive species, and provide an evolutionary ecological and historical biogeographic perspective about this unique area and its biota and habitats. Field conditions in Ukraine have been hazardous for sampling, and one of our team died during the course of this study (Dr. Pavlo Tkachenko).

Our Approach

We analyze and compile data and results from studies conducted by scientists from the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, in relation to other work. We evaluate both negative and positive effects on the aquatic biota, species diversity, and their habitats from marine, estuarine and freshwaters. Our data include effects of oil spills, flooding, invasive species, pollutants, and habitat changes from the War, with sampling of plant, plankton, benthos, invertebrate, and fish communities before and after the Kakhovka Dam’s destruction on June 6 2023.

Key findings

Our results reveal a fascinating perspective of mixed findings:

• Negative effects of the War include toxins and habitat damage from oil spills, shelling, mining, explosions, flooding, and fires; along with neglect for Protected Areas and protection of their species.
• Positive effects are reduced anthropogenic loads from less shipping, fishing, trawling, recreation, hydraulic engineering, construction, and tourism.
• The Kakhovka Dam’s destruction on June 6, 2023 has comprised the greatest ecological catastrophe to date. This caused extreme downstream flooding with freshwaters and pollutants that destroyed many populations and habitats (as well as houses and towns) resulting in permanent habitat and species assemblage changes to estuarine communities.
• However, some of the estuarine habitats and species have been replenishing,  reverting to their historical biota characteristic of lower salinity regimes. Thus, the original riverine,  marshland, and fishery nursery habitats and biological communities that existed prior to the Dam's construction in the 1960s have been returning.

The bigger picture

Since many of the native species evolved under conditions of broad salinity, temperature, and oxygen tolerances, the northern Black Sea ecosystem appears pre-adapted for ecological recovery and persistence. This may equate to ecological resilience during and after the War, and may accelerate species and habitat recovery. Our study is important in providing the baseline data for evaluating how this and other biological systems may be able to recover from pronounced disturbance.

Why this matters

Our study provides an important perspective and baseline data for future comparisons, in order to document species and habitat changes.

The path ahead

We hope that protection of species and habitats in the Northern Black Sea resumes in the future. This region is important in harboring many unique species and species assemblages, as well as fisheries communities. We plan to do further work and follow-up studies when it is again safe to sample.