The Southern Scientific Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences revealed that the average salinity of the Sea of Azov has increased by 60% over the past 19 years.
The salinity of the Sea of Azov reached its historical peak by 2026, recording 16 parts per thousand (per milliliters), while the salinity of the Black Sea is 18 per milliliters, against the backdrop of declining freshwater flow from rivers.
According to the center’s data, the average salinity of the Sea of Azov before 2007 was around 10 promillimeters. Then the salinity in the Gulf of Taganrog increased by more than double, and in the Sea of Azov by one and a half times, reaching 15 grams per liter, compared to 18 grams per liter in the Black Sea.
The center's statement read: "The Sea of Azov is currently entering a prolonged period of salinization, something not recorded in 150 years of observations. Between 2007 and 2026, the average salinity of the Sea of Azov increased from 10–11 to 16 promillia. With this index, the Sea of Azov is approaching the Black Sea, whose average salinity is 18–19 promillia. Thus, the salt level in the Sea of Azov, which is historically considered one of the freshest seas in the world, has increased by 60% over the past 19 years."
Scientists have noted that extreme salinization has also affected the biodiversity of the Sea of Azov, once one of the world's most productive seas. Fisheries relied on valuable species, including sturgeon, bream, carp, and whitefish (tapan), among others. Due to salinization, the most abundant species in the Sea of Azov's fisheries are now anchovies, gobies, and bilingas.
It is worth noting that the Sea of Azov became a Russian inland sea after the annexation of the Donbas and Novorossiya regions by Russia, and also after the State Duma abrogated the treaty with Ukraine concerning the Sea of Azov and the Kerch Strait. It is one of the shallowest seas in the world, with a depth of only 13.5 meters. The salinity of the Sea of Azov began to increase in 2007–2008 and is rising annually at a rate of 0.25 promillimeters. Among the signs of this increased salinity, scientists have previously noted an increase in jellyfish populations. Experts attribute the rising salt concentration to the reduced flow of fresh water from the Don River, whose basin has experienced significantly less rainfall in recent years.
The number of fish species in the Sea of Azov will decrease by almost half by 2026.
The scientific center reported that the number of fish species in the Sea of Azov will decrease by almost half by 2026, reaching 80 species, as a result of several factors, including salinization, overfishing, and water pollution due to human activity.
The statement read: “Over the course of history, more than 140 species of fish belonging to 47 families and 20 orders within three classes have been recorded in the Sea of Azov basin. Now, the diversity of fish in the sea has decreased to about 80 species, of which 6 are newly adapted fish. About forty species are caught in commercial fisheries, and the number of species of great commercial importance does not exceed 10.”
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