2025 Ecosystem Transformation 8 (4), 93-119

Monitoring long-term changes in the environment and macrobenthos of the Vostok Bay, the Sea of Japan

Galysheva Yu.A. , Khristoforova N.K., Boychenko T.V., Pelekh A.D., Lazaryuk A.Yu., Chichenko V.A.

The changes of the macrobenthos and environmental characteristics in the Vostok Bay, the Sea of Japan, have been analyzed for the periods starting from the 1970s and 2000s to the present, respectively. Anthropogenic impact on the Vostok Bay has been ongoing for over 150 years: recreational load is rapidly increasing, fishing industry and ship repair enterprises are operating, and the coastline is being actively developed. The water temperature in spring and autumn have increased over the past 20 years, indicating an increase in the heating rate and a decrease in the cooling rate of the bay's water mass at present. This fact contributes to the deterioration of oxygen indicators and stimulates the restructuring of production-destruction processes, affecting the balance of nutrient compounds. The abundance of heterotrophic microorganisms indicates a high content of organic matter in the aquatic environment. Anthropogenic pollution is confirmed by high abundance of enterobacteria (including E. coli), as well as a high number of bacteria that degrade oil, diesel fuel, and phenols. The abundance of metalresistant bacteria reflects the high concentrations of heavy metals in the bay. Macrobenthos community is currently stable. However, the biomass of the Gray mussel and the Kuril horse mussel has significantly decreased over the past 50 years. Cadmium levels exceeding toxicological standards were detected in the soft tissue of Gray mussels. Assessing the human health risk, based on the combined cadmium and
lead levels, revealed a significant risk of cancer from continuous consumption of mussel soft tissue during the recreational season and beyond. The ongoing transformation of the Vostok Bay ecosystem requires continuous environmental monitoring and relevant environmental management decisions.

Yu. A. Galysheva
Institute of the World Ocean, Far Eastern Federal University
Ayaks settlement 10, Russky Island, Vladivostok, Primorsky Krai, 690922 Russia

galysheva.yua@dvfu.ru

N. K. Khristoforova
Far Eastern Federal University
Ajax 10, Vladivostok, Primorsky Krai, 690922 Russia


T. V. Boychenko
Institute of the World Ocean, Far Eastern Federal University
Ayaks settlement 10, Russky Island, Vladivostok, Primorsky Krai, 690922 Russia


A. D. Pelekh
Institute of the World Ocean, Far Eastern Federal University
Ayaks settlement 10, Russky Island, Vladivostok, Primorsky Krai, 690922 Russia


A. Yu. Lazaryuk
V.I. Ilyichev Pacific Oceanological Institute, Far Eastern Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences
Baltiyskaya St. 43, Vladivostok, 690041 Russia


V. A. Chichenko
Institute of the World Ocean, Far Eastern Federal University
Ayaks settlement 10, Russky Island, Vladivostok, Primorsky Krai, 690922 Russia

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