Population investigations of marine benthos

The main aim of the work is to investigate of the life cycle characteristics of marine benthic mass species populations, mainly bivalves: the study of reproductive ecology (the gametogenesis, larval development, the population recruitment); development of methodological approaches to the bivalve age determination and population age structure; the study of survival and mortality patterns at the local habitats (life tables, elimination rate, survival curves), the growth rate (length and weight), etc. The basis of the research is the results of long-term monitoring of the bed structure of the White Sea common bivalve molluscs performed by students and staff of the Ichthyology and Hydrobiology Department, Biological Faculty, St. Petersburg State University at the Marine Biological Station of Saint Petersburg State University since 1975. The fundamental objective of the monitoring is to get an understanding of the mechanisms of structure formation and maintenance of long-living marine bivalve populations.
We studied the beds of bivalve molluscs common in the subtidal and intertidal zones of the White Sea with a relatively long life span (over 6 years). At present the monitoring covers 22 beds of 9 bivalve species at 12 locations. The duration of some observations (of Macoma balthica, Mya arenaria, Mytilus edulis, Arctica islandica) was over 20 or even 30 years. To our knowledge no such studies on Bivalvia beds (in respect of duration as well as the number and diversity of studied objects) have been carried out either at the White Sea or in other seas.

Team

Nikolay Vladimirovich Maximovich, Grand PhD
Alexandra Vladimirovna Gerasimova, PhD
Nadezhda Andreevna Filippova

Publications

Gerasimova A, Maximovich N (2013) Age-size structure of common bivalve mollusc populations in the White Sea: the causes of instability. Hydrobiologia 706 (1): 119-137
Gerasimova A, Maximovich N, Filippova N (2015) Cohort life tables for a population of the soft-shell clam, Mya arenaria L., in the White Sea. Helgol Mar Res 69 (2): 141-158
Gerasimova AV, Filippova NA, Kuznetsova EK (2009) The salinity tolerance of Arctica islandica L. (Mollusca, Bivalvia) in the White Sea. In: Proceedings of the X Scientific Session of the Marine Biological Station of St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, Russia, February 9 2009. St. Petersburg, pp 15-17 (in Russian)
Gerasimova AV, Ivonina NY, Maximovich NV (2014) The length growth rate variability of Mytilus edulis L. (Mollusca, Bivalvia) in the waters of the Keret Archipelago (Kandalaksha Bay, the White Sea). Vestnik St Petersburg University, Series 3 Biology 4: 22–38 (in Russian)
Gerasimova AV, Maximovich NV (1988) The structure and production characteristics of the Arctica islandica bed and biocoenosis in the Chupa Inlet (White Sea). Vestnik the Leningrad University, Series 3 Biology 2 (№ 10): 3-10 (in Russian)
Gerasimova AV, Maximovich NV (2001) About ecology of Arctica islandica L. and Serripes groenlandicus Briguiere in the White Sea. Vestnik St Petersburg University, Series 3 Biology 4 (№ 27): 87 – 91 (in Russian)
Gerasimova AV, Maximovich NV (2009) About the bed organization patterns of the White Sea bivalve common species. Vestnik St Petersburg University, Series 3 Biology 3: 82–97. (in Russian)
Gerasimova AV, Maximovich NV, Saminskaya AA (2002) The bed structure and length growth of Serripes groenlandicus Briguiere in the Chupa Inlet (The Kandalaksha Bay, the White Sea). Vestnik St Petersburg University, Series 3 Biology 4 (27): 84 – 90 (in Russian)
Gerasimova AV, Maximovich NV, Saminskaya AA (2003) The length growth of Serripes groenlandicus Briguiere in the Chupa Inlet (The Kandalaksha Bay, the White Sea). Vestnik St Petersburg University, Series 3 Biology 4 (27): 28-36 (in Russian)
Martynov FM, Gerasimova AV, Maximovich NV (2007) Length growth of Mya arenaria L. in the intertidal zone of the Keret Archipelago (Kandalakshsky Bay, White Sea). Vestnik St Petersburg University, Series 3 Biology 1: 28-36 (in Russian)
Maximovich NV (1985) Peculiarities of ecology and reproductive cycle of Macoma balthica L. in the Chupa Inlet. In: Skarlato OA (ed) Biocenoses of the White Sea Chupa Inlet and their seasonal dynamics. Exploration of fauna of the seas, vol 31(39). Nauka, Leningrad, pp 230-243 (in Russian)
Maximovich NV (1985) The reproductive cycle of Mytilus edulis L. in the Chupa Inlet. In: Investigation of White Sea mussels. Leningrad, pp 22-35 (in Russian)
Maximovich NV (1989) Dynamics of production traits in littoral bed of Mya arenaria L. (The Chupa Inlet, The White Sea). Vestnik the Leningrad University, Series 3 Biology 1: 19-24 (in Russian)
Maximovich NV (1989) Statistical comparison of growth curves. Vestnik the Leningrad University, Series 3 Biology 4 (24): 18-25 (in Russian)
Maximovich NV, Gerasimova AV (1997) On fecundity of the White Sea bivalves. Vestnik St Petersburg University, Series 3 Biology 4 (21): 30-37 (in Russian)
Maximovich NV, Gerasimova AV, Kunina TA (1991) Dynamics of structural characteristics in littoral beds of Macoma balthica L. in the Chupa Inlet (the White Sea). Vestnik the Leningrad University, Series 3 Biology 2 (10): 23-31 (in Russian)
Maximovich NV, Guerassimova AV (2003) Life History characteristics of the clam Mya arenaria in the White Sea. Helgol Mar Res 57: 91-99
Maximovich NV, Shilin MB (2012) Spatial-temporal distribution of Bivalve planktonic larvae in the semi-isolated waters (for example, Chupa Inlet of the White Sea). Biosphera 4 (3): 293-306 (in Russian)