Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Strong biopollution in the southern Caspian Sea: the comb jelly Mnemiopsis leidyi case study

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Biological Invasions Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The invasive ctenophore Mnemiopsis leidyi was first recorded in the Caspian Sea in 1995 in the southern part of the sea (Iranian waters). This study assesses the magnitude of the M. leidyi bioinvasion impacts on the region’s ecosystem using the biopollution level (BPL) index. For this purpose, biomass and distribution range of the invasive ctenophore were analyzed for the period 1996–2010. In addition, the impacts of the IAS on native species, communities, habitats and ecosystem functioning were assessed. The BPL for the period of our study remained relatively stable at the level 4 (massive). The BPLs caused by M. Leidyi in the southern Caspian Sea were compared with those of the Black and Baltic Seas. The method used in this study seems to be applicable for evaluating spatial and temporal variations of the invasive impacts of gelatinous zooplankton in other marine regions.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Abdoli A, Naderi M (2009) Biodiversity of fishes of the southern basin of the Caspian Sea, 1st edn. Abzian Scientific Publication, Tehran. ISBN 978-964-9984-26-1

    Google Scholar 

  • Bagheri S, Niermann U, Sabkara J, Mirzajani A, Babaei H (2012) State of Mnemiopsis leidyi (Ctenophora: Lobata) and mesozooplankton in Iranian waters of the Caspian Sea during 2008 in comparison with previous surveys. Iran J Fish Sci 11:732–754

    Google Scholar 

  • Bilio M, Niermann U (2004) Is the comb jelly really to blame for it all? Mnemiopsis leidyi and the ecological concerns about the Caspian Sea. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 269:173–183

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Caroni R, Bund W, Clarke RT, Johnson RK (2013) Combination of multiple biological quality elements into waterbody assessment of surface waters. Hydrobiologia 704:437–451

    Google Scholar 

  • CEP (2002) Caspian Sea transboundary diagnostic analysis for the Caspian Sea. Caspian Environment Program. Baku, Azerbaijan, 2, p 128

  • Christianou M, Ebenman B (2005) Keystone species and vulnerable species in ecological communities: strong or weak interactors. Theor Biol 235:95–103

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Darvish Bastami K, Bagheri H, Kheirabadi V, Ghorbanzadeh Zaferani G, Teymori MB, Hamzehpoor A, Soltani F, Haghparast S, Mossavi Harami SR, Farzaneh Ghorghani N, Ganji S (2014) Distribution and ecological risk assessment of heavy metals in surface sediments along southeast coast of the Caspian Sea. Mar Pollut Bull 81:262–267

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dinasquet J, Granhag L, Riemann L (2012) Stimulated bacterioplankton growth and selection for certain bacterial taxa in the vicinity of the ctenophore Mnemiopsis leidyi. Front Microbiol 3(302):1–8. doi:10.3389/fmicb.2012.00302

    Google Scholar 

  • Fazli H (2011) Some environmental factors effects on species composition, catch and CPUE of kilkas in the Caspian Sea. Int J Nat Resour Mar Sci 1(2):157–164

    Google Scholar 

  • Fazli H, Roohi A (2002) The impacts of Mnemiopsis leidyi on species composition, catch and CPUE of Kilka in Iranian commercial catch. UNESCO Casp Float Univ Res Bull Astrakhan (KaspNIRKh) 3:99–104

    Google Scholar 

  • Fazli H, Zhang CI, Hay DE, Lee CW (2009) Stock assessment and management implications of anchovy kilka (Clupeonella engrauliformis) in Iranian waters of the Caspian Sea. Fish Res 100:103–108

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fazli H, Daryanabard G, Salman Mahiny A, Abdolmaleki S, Bandani G, Afraei Bandpei A (2012) Fingerling release program, biomass trend and evolution of the condition factor of Caspian Kutum during the 1991–2011 period. Cybium 36(4):545–550

    Google Scholar 

  • Ivanov VP (2000) Biological resources of the Caspian Sea. Kasp-NIRKh, Astrakhan p 96

    Google Scholar 

  • Janbaz AA, Fazli H, Pourgholam R, Kaymaram F, Afraei Bandpei MA, Abdolmaleki S, Khedmati K (2012) Fishery and biological aspects of anchovy Kilka (Clupeonella engrauliformis) in the southern Caspian Sea. Iran J Fish Sci 11(4):796–806

    Google Scholar 

  • Janbaz AA, Fazli H, Pourgholam R, Kor D, Abdolmalaki S (2013) Catch and stocks of common kilka (Clupeonella cultriventris caspia) in Iranian waters of the Caspian Sea (1996-2011). Iran Sci Fish J 22(3):13–21

    Google Scholar 

  • Jorda’n F (2009) Keystone species and food webs. Philos Trans R Soc Bull 364:1733–1741

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Karimzadeh G, Gabrielyan B, Fazli H (2010) Population dynamics and biological characteristics of kilka species (Pisces: Clupeidae) in the southeastern coast of the Caspian Sea. Iran J Fish Sci 9(3):422–433

    Google Scholar 

  • Kideys AE, Moghim M (2003) Distribution of the alien ctenophore Mnemiopsis leidyi in the Caspian Sea in August 2001. Mar Biol 142:163–171

    Google Scholar 

  • Kideys AE, Ghasemi S, Ghninejad D, Roohi A, Bagheri S (2001) Strategy for combating Mnemiopsis in the Caspian waters of Iran. A report prepared for the Caspian Environment Programme, Baku, Azerbaijan, Final Report, p 22

  • Kideys AE, Finenko GA, Anninsky BE, Shiganova TA, Roohi A, Tabari MR, Youseffyan M, Rostamian MT, Rostami H, Negarestan H (2004) Physiological characteristics of the ctenophore Beroe ovata in Caspian Sea water. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 266:111–121

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nasrollahzadeh SH, Din ZB, Foong SY, Makhlough A (2008) Spatial and temporal distribution of macronutrients and phytoplankton before and after the invasion of the ctenophore, Mnemiopsis leidyi, in the southern Caspian Sea. Chem Ecol 24(4):233–246

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nasrollahzadeh SH, Makhloogh A, Roshan Tabari M, Solaymaniroodi A, Mokarami A (2012) Study on hydrology, hydrobiology and environmental pollutants in the Southern Caspian Sea (In Persian). Final Report. Iranian Fisheries Science Research Institute, p 89

  • Olenin S, Minchin D, Daunys D (2007) Assessment of biopollution in aquatic ecosystems. Mar Pollut Bull 55(7–9):379–394

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Olenin S, Minchin D, Daunys D, Zaiko A (2014) Atlas of biodiversity risk. In: Chapter 6: Biological pollution of aquatic ecosystems in Europe. Pensoft, Sofia, pp 136–137

  • Olenina I, Wasmund N, Hajdu S, Jurgensone I, Gromisz S, Kownacka J, Toming K, Vaiciute D, Olenin S (2010) Assessing impacts of invasive phytoplankton: the Baltic Sea case. Mar Pollut Bull 60:1691–1700

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Parafkandeh Haghighi F, Kaymaram F (2012) Significant changes in pelagic fish stocks of Clupeonella spp. in the south Caspian Sea. Iran J Fish Sci 11(3):559–569

    Google Scholar 

  • Pourang N, Tanabe S, Rezvani S, Dennis H (2005) Trace elements accumulation in edible tissues of five sturgeon species from the Caspian Sea. Environ Monit Assess 100(1–3):89–108

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Pourang N, Eslami F, Nasrolahzadeh Saravi H, Fazli H (2014) Quantitative assessment of biopollution caused by Mnemiopsis leidyi in the southern part of the Caspian Sea (In Persian). Final Report. Iranian Fisheries Science Research Institute, p 56

  • Roohi A, Kideys A, Sajjadi A, Hashemian A, Pourgholam R, Fazli H, Ganjian Khanari A, Eker-Develi E (2010) Changes in biodiversity of phytoplankton, zooplankton, fishes and macrobenthos in the Southern Caspian Sea after the invasion of the ctenophore Mnemiopsis leidyi. Biol Invasions 12:2343–2361

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Roohi A, Negarestan H, Nasrollahzadeh SH, Roshan Tabari M, Makhloogh A (2016) Population dynamics of Mnemiopsis leidyi in the southern Caspian Sea: A modelling study (In Persian). Final Report. Iranian Fisheries Science Research Institute, p 94

  • Rowshan Tabari M, Fatemi SMR, Pourgholam R, Mousavi Nadoushan R (2014) Latest diversity trend and seasonal abundance of population of zooplankton (holoplankton) communities in the South Caspian Sea, Iran. Iran J Fish Sci 13(2):437–448

    Google Scholar 

  • Sedov SI, Paritsky YA (2001) Biology and fisheries of marine fish. CaspNIRKh, Astrakhan, p 409

    Google Scholar 

  • Shiganova TA, Sapozhnikov VV, Musaeva EI, Domanov MM, Bulgakova YV, Belov AA, Zazulya NI, Zernova VV, Kuleshov AF, Sokol’skii F, Imirbaeva RI, Mikuiza AS (2003) Factors determining the conditions of distribution and quantitative characteristics of the Ctenophore Mnemiopsis leidyi in the North Caspian. Oceanology 43(5):676–693

    Google Scholar 

  • Shiganova T, Dumont H, Sokolsky A, Kamakin A, Tinenkova D, Kurasheva A (2004) Aquatic invasions in the Black, Caspian, and Mediterranean Seas, 71–111. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Berlin

    Google Scholar 

  • Wittfoth AKJ, Zettler ML (2013) The application of a Biopollution Index in German Baltic estuarine and lagoon waters. Manag Biol Invasions 4(1):43–50

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zaiko A, Lehtiniemi M, Narščius A, Olenin S (2011) Assessment of bioinvasion impacts on a regional scale: a comparative approach. Biol Invasions 13:1739–1765

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zaiko A, Minchin D, Olenin S (2014) “The day after tomorrow”: anatomy of an ‘r’ strategist aquatic invasion. Aquat Invasions 9(2):145–155

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Iranian Fisheries Science Research Institute, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization, Tehran, Iran

    N. Pourang & F. Eslami

  2. Caspian Sea Ecology Research Center, Iranian Fisheries Science Research Institute, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization, Sari, Iran

    H. Nasrollahzadeh Saravi & H. Fazli

Authors
  1. N. Pourang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. F. Eslami
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. H. Nasrollahzadeh Saravi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. H. Fazli
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to N. Pourang.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Pourang, N., Eslami, F., Nasrollahzadeh Saravi, H. et al. Strong biopollution in the southern Caspian Sea: the comb jelly Mnemiopsis leidyi case study. Biol Invasions 18, 2403–2414 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-016-1171-9

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-016-1171-9

Keywords

Search

Navigation