Traditionally, Capoeta populations from the southern Caspian Sea basin have been considered as Capoeta capoeta gracilis. Study on the phylogenetic relationship of Capoeta species using mitochondrial cytochrome b gene sequences show that Capoeta population from the southern Caspian Sea basin is distinct species and receive well support (posterior probability of 100%). Based on the tree topologie...

The invasion of the zebra mussel, Dreissena polymorpha, into North American waters has resulted in profound ecological disturbances and large monetary losses. This study examined the invasion history and patterns of genetic diversity among endemic and invading populations of zebra mussels using DNA sequences from the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I (COI) gene. Patterns of haplotype frequency...

Kouraev et al. 2003: Polar Research 22(1), 43–50 A stable and strong ice cover forms during winter months in the Aral Sea and northern part of the Caspian Sea. The presence of ice cover negatively affects navigation and fi shery condi tions and endangers facilities located on the coast as well as on the shelf, such as oil rigs that have recently been installed in the northern Caspian by Russia ...

Persistent organic pollutants including organochlorine pesticides, PCBs, and PCDDs/DFs were determined in the blubber of Caspian seals, which died during an outbreak of canine distemper virus in 2000 and 2001. DDTs were the predominant contaminants that ranged from 3.1 to 560 microg/g lipid. A negative correlation was observed between concentration of contaminants and blubber thickness. During ...

We developed and tested eight polymorphic microsatellite loci for Ponto-Caspian 'neogobiin' gobies, many of which are invasive in Eurasia and North America, whose study will aid understanding of the population genetics underlying their success. We tested samples from one to two locations from 12 taxa in the recently revised genera Babka, Benthophilus, Mesogobius, Neogobius = Apollonia, Ponticol...

Global warming has led to an increase in the frequency, duration, and intensity of heat waves summer, which can cause frequent acute stress on ectotherms. Thus, determining how ectothermic animals respond been attracting growing interest among ecologists. However, physiological biochemical responses reptiles, especially aquatic are still poorly understood. The current study investigated oxidant...

Tides are the main type of sea level variability in the world oceans. However, oceanic tides penetrate weakly, or do not penetrate at all, into enclosed basins such as the Baltic, Black, and Caspian seas. Consequently, only directly forced tides are formed in these basins. Long observation time series (up to 123 years in the Baltic Sea and 38 years in the Black and Caspian seas) at numerous sta...