Abstract:
In modern science, zooplankton is considered one of the most sensitive to climate change links in aquatic ecosystems. This is explained by the fact that zooplankton has a high reproduction rate, a short life cycle and correlations between physiological processes and the temperature factor. It should be noted that zooplankton in water bodies is an important element of the trophic chain, as it connects primary producers, namely phytoplankton, with higher-order consumers, in particular marine mammals and commercially valuable fish species. At the same time, zooplankton is an important component of the «biological carbon pump», as it provides vertical transport of organic matter to the abyssal layers of aquatic ecosystems through the mechanisms of gravitational sedimentation of fecal pellets and active vertical migration. Accordingly, modern scientific data and regional studies of the Black and Azov Seas indicate that climate transformation leads to changes in the biogeography, structure and functional characteristics of zooplankton .
