Eastern coast of the Caspian Sea. Why can the Caspian Sea be called neither a sea nor a lake? Kura - the largest river in Transcaucasia
, Kura
42° N. w. 51° east d.HGIOL Caspian Sea
- the largest closed body of water on Earth, which can be classified as the largest closed lake, or as a full-fledged sea, due to its size, and also because its bed is composed of oceanic-type crust. Located at the junction of Europe and Asia. The water in the Caspian Sea is brackish, from 0.05 ‰ near the mouth of the Volga to 11-13 ‰ in the southeast. The water level is subject to fluctuations, according to 2009 data it was 27.16 m below sea level. The area of the Caspian Sea is currently approximately 371,000 km², the maximum depth is 1025 m.
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Etymology
Geographical position
The Caspian Sea is located at the junction of Europe and Asia. The length of the sea from north to south is approximately 1200 kilometers (36°34"-47°13" N), from west to east - from 195 to 435 kilometers, on average 310-320 kilometers (46°-56° in .d.).
According to physical and geographical conditions, the Caspian Sea is conventionally divided into three parts - the Northern Caspian (25% of the sea area), the Middle Caspian (36%) and the Southern Caspian (39%). The conditional border between the Northern and Middle Caspian runs along the line Chechen Island - Cape Tyub-Karagan, between the Middle and Southern Caspian - along the line Chilov Island - Cape Gan-Gulu.
Coast
The territory adjacent to the Caspian Sea is called the Caspian region.
- Peninsulas
- Absheron Peninsula, located on the western coast of the Caspian Sea on the territory of Azerbaijan, at the northeastern end of the Greater Caucasus, on its territory the cities of Baku and Sumgait are located
Mangyshlak, located on the eastern coast of the Caspian Sea, on the territory of Kazakhstan, on its territory is the city of Aktau
Islands There are about 50 large and medium-sized islands in the Caspian Sea with total area
approximately 350 square kilometers.
Largest islands:
Bays
Large bays:
On the eastern coast is the salt lake Kara-Bogaz-Gol, which until 1980 was a bay-lagoon of the Caspian Sea, connected to it by a narrow strait. In 1980, a dam was built separating Kara-Bogaz-Gol from the Caspian Sea, and in 1984 a culvert was built, after which the level of Kara-Bogaz-Gol dropped by several meters. In 1992, the strait was restored, through which water flows from the Caspian Sea to Kara-Bogaz-Gol and evaporates there. Every year, 8-10 cubic kilometers of water (according to other sources - 25 cubic kilometers) and about 15 million tons of salt flow into Kara-Bogaz-Gol from the Caspian Sea.
Rivers flowing into the Caspian Sea
130 rivers flow into the Caspian Sea, of which 9 rivers have a delta-shaped mouth. Large rivers flowing into the Caspian Sea are Volga, Terek, Sulak, Samur (Russia), Ural, Emba (Kazakhstan), Kura (Azerbaijan), Atrek (Turkmenistan), Sefidrud (Iran). The largest river flowing into the Caspian Sea is the Volga, its average annual flow is 215-224 cubic kilometers. The Volga, Ural, Terek, Sulak and Emba provide up to 88-90% of the annual flow into the Caspian Sea.
Basin of the Caspian Sea
Coastal states
According to the Intergovernmental Economic Conference Caspian states:
The Caspian Sea washes the shores of five coastal states:
Cities on the Caspian Sea coast
On the Russian coast there are cities - Lagan, Makhachkala, Kaspiysk, Izberbash, Dagestan Lights and the most Southern City Russia Derbent. port city The Caspian Sea is also considered Astrakhan, which, however, is not located on the shores of the Caspian Sea, but in the Volga delta, 60 kilometers from north coast Caspian Sea.
Physiography
Area, depth, volume of water
The area and volume of water in the Caspian Sea varies significantly depending on fluctuations in water levels. At a water level of −26.75 m, the area is approximately 371,000 square kilometers, the volume of water is 78,648 cubic kilometers, which is approximately 44% of the world's lake water reserves. The maximum depth of the Caspian Sea is in the South Caspian depression, 1025 meters from its surface level. In terms of maximum depth, the Caspian Sea is second only to Baikal (1620 m) and Tanganyika (1435 m). The average depth of the Caspian Sea, calculated from the bathygraphic curve, is 208 meters. At the same time, the northern part of the Caspian Sea is shallow, its maximum depth does not exceed 25 meters, and the average depth is 4 meters.
Water level fluctuations
Vegetable world
The flora of the Caspian Sea and its coast is represented by 728 species. The predominant plants in the Caspian Sea are algae - blue-green, diatoms, red, brown, characeae and others, and flowering plants - zoster and ruppia. In origin, the flora is predominantly of Neogene age, however, some plants were brought into the Caspian Sea by humans deliberately, or on the bottoms of ships.
Story
Origin
The Caspian Sea is of oceanic origin - its bed is composed of oceanic-type crust. 13 million l. n. the resulting Alps separated the Sarmatian Sea from the Mediterranean. 3.4 - 1.8 million l. n. (Pliocene) there was the Akchagyl Sea, the sediments of which were studied by N. I. Andrusov. It was originally formed on the site of the dried-up Pontic Sea, from which Lake Balakhanskoe (in the southern Caspian Sea) remained. The Akchagyl transgression gave way to the Domashkin regression (a drop of 20 - 40 m from the level of the Akchagyl basin), accompanied by a strong desalination of sea waters, which is due to the cessation of the flow of sea (ocean) waters from the outside. After a short Domashkin regression at the beginning of the Quaternary period (Eopleistocene), the Caspian Sea is almost restored in the form of the Absheron Sea, which covers the Caspian Sea and floods the territories of Turkmenistan and the Lower Volga region. At the beginning of the Absheron transgression, the basin turns into a brackish water body. The Absheron Sea exists from 1.7 to 1 million years ago. The beginning of the Pleistocene in the Caspian Sea was marked by a long and deep Turkic regression (-150 m to −200 m), corresponding to the Matuyama-Brunhes magnetic reversal (0.8 million years ago). The water mass of the Turkian basin with an area of 208 thousand km² was concentrated in the South Caspian and part of the Middle Caspian basins, between which there was a shallow strait in the area of the Absheron threshold. In the early Neopleistocene, after the Turkic regression, there existed an isolated Early Baku and a Late Baku (level up to 20 m) drainage basins (approx. 400 thousand years ago). The Vened (Mishovdag) regression divided the Baku and Urundzhik (middle Neopleistocene, up to −15 m) transgressions at the end of the early - beginning of the late Pleistocene (basin area - 336 thousand km²). Between the marine Urundzhik and Khazar deposits, a large deep Cheleken regression (up to −20 m) was noted, corresponding to the optimum of the Likhvin interglacial (350-300 thousand years ago). In the Middle Neopleistocene there were basins: early Khazar (200 thousand years ago), early Khazar middle (level up to 35-40 m) and early Khazar late. In the late Neopleistocene, there was an isolated late Khazar basin (level up to −10 m, 100 thousand years ago), after which a small Chernoyarsk regression occurred in the second half - the end of the Middle Pleistocene (thermoluminescent dates 122-184 thousand years ago), in in turn, replaced by the Hyrcanian (Gyurgyan) basin.
The deep long-term Atelian regression of the mid-Late Pleistocene at the initial stage had a level of −20 - −25 m, at the maximum stage −100 - −120 m, at the third stage - −45 - −50 m. At the maximum, the basin area is reduced to 228 thousand km² . After Atel regression (−120 - −140 m), approx. 17 thousand l. n. The early Khvalynian transgression began - up to + 50 m (the Manych-Kerch Strait was functioning), which was interrupted by the Eltonian regression. The Early Khvalyn II basin (level up to 50 m) was replaced at the beginning of the Holocene by a short-term Enotaev regression (from −45 to −110 m), coinciding in time with the end of the Preboreal and the beginning of the Boreal. The Enotayevskaya regression gave way to the Late Khvalynskaya transgression (0 m). The Late Khvalynian transgression was replaced in the Holocene (ca. 9-7 thousand years ago or 7.2-6.4 thousand years ago) by the Mangyshlak regression (from −50 to −90 m). The Mangyshlak regression gave way during the first phase of interglacial cooling and humidification (Atlantic period) to the New Caspian transgression. The New Caspian basin was brackish-water (11-13 ‰), warm-water and isolated (level up to −19 m). At least three cycles of transgressive-regressive phases have been recorded in the development of the Novo-Caspian basin. The Dagestan (Gousan) transgression previously belonged to the initial stage of the New Caspian era, however, the absence of a leading New Caspian form in its sediments Cerastoderma glaucum (Cardium edule) gives grounds for identifying it as an independent transgression of the Caspian Sea. The Izberbash regression, separating the Dagestan and the Neo-Caspian transgressions of the Caspian Sea itself, occurred between 4.3 and 3.9 thousand years ago. Judging by the structure of the Turali section (Dagestan) and radiocarbon analysis data, transgressions were noted twice - about 1900 and 1700 years ago.
Anthropological and cultural history of the Caspian Sea
Shipping
Shipping is developed in the Caspian Sea. On the Caspian Sea there are ferry crossings, in particular, Baku - Turkmenbashi, Baku - Aktau, Makhachkala - Aktau. The Caspian Sea has a shipping connection with Sea of Azov through the rivers Volga, Don and the Volga-Don Canal.
Fishing and seafood production
Fishing (sturgeon, bream, carp, pike perch, sprat), caviar production, as well as seal fishing. More than 90 percent of the world's sturgeon catch occurs in the Caspian Sea. In addition to industrial mining, illegal mining of sturgeon and their caviar flourishes in the Caspian Sea.
Recreational resources
Natural environment of the Caspian coast with sandy beaches, mineral waters and medicinal mud in the coastal zone creates good conditions for rest and treatment. At the same time, in terms of the degree of development of resorts and the tourism industry, the Caspian coast is noticeably inferior to the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus. At the same time, in last years The tourism industry is actively developing on the coasts of Azerbaijan, Iran, Turkmenistan and Russian Dagestan. Azerbaijan is actively developing resort area in the Baku region. At the moment, a world-class resort has been created in Amburan, another modern tourist complex is being built in the area of the village of Nardaran, and holidays in the sanatoriums of the villages of Bilgah and Zagulba are very popular. A resort area is also being developed in Nabran, in northern Azerbaijan. However high prices, generally low level service and lack of advertising lead to the fact that there are almost no foreign tourists. The development of the tourism industry in Turkmenistan is hampered by a long-term policy of isolation, in Iran - by Sharia laws, due to which mass holidays of foreign tourists on the Caspian coast of Iran are impossible.
Ecological problems
Ecological problems The Caspian Sea is associated with water pollution as a result of oil production and transportation on the continental shelf, the flow of pollutants from the Volga and other rivers flowing into the Caspian Sea, the life of coastal cities, as well as the flooding of individual objects due to rising levels of the Caspian Sea. Predatory production of sturgeon and their caviar, rampant poaching lead to a decrease in the number of sturgeon and to forced restrictions on their production and export.
Legal status
After the collapse of the USSR, the division of the Caspian Sea has long been and still remains the subject of unresolved disagreements related to the division of Caspian shelf resources - oil and gas, as well as biological resources. For a long time, negotiations were ongoing between the Caspian states on the status of the Caspian Sea - Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan insisted on dividing the Caspian along the median line, Iran insisted on dividing the Caspian by one-fifth between all Caspian states.
In relation to the Caspian Sea, the key is the physical-geographical circumstance that it is a closed inland body of water that does not have a natural connection with the World Ocean. Accordingly, the norms and concepts of international maritime law, in particular, the provisions of the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, should not automatically apply to the Caspian Sea. Based on this, in relation to the Caspian Sea it would be unlawful to apply such concepts as “territorial sea”, “exclusive economic zone”, “continental shelf”, etc.
The current legal regime of the Caspian Sea was established by the Soviet-Iranian treaties of 1921 and 1940. These treaties provide for freedom of navigation throughout the sea, freedom of fishing with the exception of ten-mile national fishing zones and a ban on vessels flying the flag of non-Caspian states sailing in its waters.
Negotiations on the legal status of the Caspian Sea are currently ongoing.
Delineation of sections of the Caspian seabed for subsoil use
The Russian Federation concluded an agreement with Kazakhstan on delimiting the bottom of the northern part of the Caspian Sea in order to exercise sovereign rights to subsoil use (dated July 6, 1998 and the Protocol thereto dated May 13, 2002), an agreement with Azerbaijan on delimiting adjacent areas of the bottom of the northern part of the Caspian Sea (dated September 23, 2002), as well as the trilateral Russian-Azerbaijani-Kazakh agreement on the junction point of the demarcation lines of adjacent sections of the Caspian Sea bottom (dated May 14, 2003), which established geographical coordinates dividing lines limiting the areas of the seabed within which the parties exercise their sovereign rights in the field of exploration and production of mineral resources.
On Sunday, August 12, in Aktau, Kazakhstan, the presidents of Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia and Turkmenistan signed the Convention on the Legal Status of the Caspian Sea. Previously, its status was regulated by Soviet-Iranian treaties, in which the Caspian Sea was defined as a closed (inland) sea, and each Caspian state had sovereign rights to a 10-mile zone and equal rights to the rest of the sea.
Now, according to the new convention, each country is assigned its own territorial waters (zones 15 miles wide). In addition, the provisions of the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea will not apply to the Caspian Sea, the seabed will be delimited into sectors, as is done by neighboring seas, and sovereignty over the water column will be established on the basis of the principle that it is a lake.
Why is the Caspian considered neither a lake nor a sea?
To be considered a sea, the Caspian Sea must have access to the ocean; this is one of the most important conditions for which a body of water can be called a sea. But the Caspian Sea has no access to the ocean, so it is considered a closed body of water not connected to the World Ocean.
The second feature that distinguishes sea waters from lake waters is their high salinity. The water in the Caspian Sea is indeed salty, but in its salt composition it occupies an intermediate position between the river and the ocean. In addition, in the Caspian Sea, salinity increases towards the south. The Volga delta contains 0.3‰ salts, and in the eastern regions of the Southern and Middle Caspian Sea the salinity reaches 13-14‰. And if we talk about the salinity of the World Ocean, it averages 34.7 ‰.
Due to its specific geographical and hydrological characteristics, the reservoir received a special legal status. The summit participants decided that the Caspian Sea is an inland body of water that does not have a direct connection with the World Ocean, and therefore cannot be considered a sea, and at the same time, due to its size, water composition and bottom features, cannot be considered a lake.
What has been achieved since the signing of the Convention?
The new treaty expands opportunities for cooperation between countries and also involves limiting any military presence of third countries. According to political scientist, director of the Institute newest states Alexey Martynov, the main achievement of the last summit is that its participants managed to stop any talk about the possible construction of military bases and NATO infrastructure facilities in the Caspian Sea.
“The most important thing that was achieved was to fix that the Caspian Sea will be demilitarized for all Caspian states. There will be no other military personnel there except those representing the countries that signed the Caspian Agreement. This is a fundamental and main question that was important to fix. Everything else, what is divided proportionally into zones of influence, zones of extraction of biological resources, zones of extraction of shelf resources, was not so important. As we remember, in the last twenty years the military has been actively seeking to enter the region. The USA even wanted to build their own there military base", says Martynov.
In addition to the distribution of each country's shares in the oil and gas fields of the Caspian basin, the Convention also provides for the construction of pipelines. As stated in the document, the rules for laying them provide for the consent of only neighboring countries, and not all countries of the Caspian Sea. After signing the agreement, Turkmenistan, in particular, stated that it was ready to lay pipelines along the bottom of the Caspian Sea, which would allow it to export its gas through Azerbaijan to Europe. The consent of Russia, which previously insisted that the project could only be implemented with the permission of all five Caspian states, is now no longer required. They plan to subsequently connect the gas pipeline to the Trans-Anatolian gas pipeline, through which natural gas will flow through the territory of Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey to Greece.
“Turkmenistan is not a foreign country to us, but our partner, a country that we consider very important for us in the post-Soviet space. We cannot be against them receiving an additional impetus for development through such pipeline projects. Gas has long been coming from Turkmenistan and other countries through another pipeline system, somewhere it is even mixed with Russian gas, and there is nothing wrong with that. If this project works, everyone will benefit, including Russia. Under no circumstances should the project be considered as some kind of competition. The European market is so large and insatiable, I mean the energy market, that there is enough room for everyone,” says Martynov.
Today, almost all Turkmen gas is supplied to China, where Russia also intends to supply blue fuel. For this purpose, in particular, a large-scale project for the construction of the Power of Siberia gas pipeline is being implemented. Thus, the geography of gas supplies for both countries can expand - Turkmenistan will gain access to the European market, and Russia will be able to increase its gas supplies to China.
The Caspian Sea is called the most big lake on our planet. It is located between Europe and Asia and is called the sea for its size.
Caspian Sea
The water level is 28m below the level. The water in the Caspian Sea has lower salinity in the north in the delta. Highest salinity observed in the southern regions.
The Caspian Sea covers an area of 371 thousand km2, the greatest depth is 1025 meters (South Caspian Depression). The coastline is estimated to be from 6,500 to 6,700 km, and if we take it together with the islands, then more than 7,000 km.
The seashore is mostly low-lying and smooth. If you look at the northern part, there are many islands and water channels cut by the Volga and the Urals. In these places the shore is swampy and covered with thickets. From the east, a semi-desert and desert area with limestone shores approaches the sea. The region of the Kazakh Gulf, the Absheron Peninsula and the Kara-Bogaz-Gol Bay have winding shores.
Bottom relief
The bottom topography is divided into three main forms. The shelf is in the northern part, the average depth here is from 4 to 9 m, the maximum is 24 m, which gradually increases and reaches 100 m. The continental slope in the middle part drops to 500 m. The northern part is separated from the middle by the Mangyshlak threshold. Here is one of the most deep places Derbent depression (788 m).
2. Heraz, Babol, Sefudrud, Gorgan, Polerud, Chalus, Tejen - https://site/russia/travel/po-dagestanu.html;
4. Atrek - Turkmenistan;
Samur is located on the border between Azerbaijan and Russia, Astarachay is on the border of Azerbaijan and Iran.
The Caspian Sea belongs to five states. From the west and north-west, the length of the coast of 695 km is the territory of Russia. Most of the 2,320 km coastline belongs to Kazakhstan in the east and northeast. Turkmenistan has 1200 km in the south-eastern part, Iran has 724 km in the south and Azerbaijan has 955 km of coastline in the south-west.
In addition to the five states that have access to the sea, the Caspian basin also includes Armenia, Turkey, and Georgia. The sea is connected to the World Ocean by the Volga (Volga-Baltic Route, White Sea-Baltic Canal). There is a connection with the Azov and Black Seas through the Volga-Don Canal, and with the Moscow River (Moscow Canal).
The main ports are Baku in Azerbaijan; Makhachkala in; Aktau in Kazakhstan; Olya in Russia; Noushehr, Bandar-Torkemen and Anzali in Iran.
The largest bays of the Caspian Sea: Agrakhansky, Kizlyarsky, Kaydak, Kazakhsky, Dead Kultuk, Mangyshlaksky, Hasan-kuli, Turkmenbashi, Kazakhsky, Gyzlar, Anzeli, Astrakhan, Gyzlar.
Until 1980, Kara-Bogaz-Gol was a bay-lagoon, which was connected to the sea by a narrow strait. Now it's salt Lake, separated from the sea by a dam. After the construction of the dam, the water began to decrease sharply, so a culvert had to be built. Through it, up to 25 km3 of water enters the lake annually.
Water temperature
The largest temperature fluctuations were observed in winter period. In shallow water it reaches 100 in winter. The difference between summer and winter temperatures reaches 240. On the coast in winter it is always 2 degrees lower than in the open sea. Optimal heating of the water occurs in July-August; in shallow water the temperature reaches 320. But at this time, northwest winds raise cold layers of water (upwelling). This process begins already in June and reaches intensity in August. The temperature at the surface of the water decreases. The temperature difference between the layers disappears by November.
The climate in the northern part of the sea is continental, in the middle part it is temperate, and in the southern part it is subtropical. Temperatures are always higher on the east coast than on the west coast. One day, 44 degrees was recorded on the east coast.
Composition of Caspian waters
About salinity is 0.3%. This is a typical desalinated pool. But the further south you go, the higher the salinity. In the southern part of the sea it already reaches 13%, and in Kara-Bogaz-Gol it is more than 300%.
Storms are frequent in shallow areas. They arise due to change atmospheric pressure. Waves can reach 4 meters.
The water balance of the sea depends on river flows and precipitation. Among them, the Volga makes up almost 80% of all other rivers.
In recent years, there has been rapid water pollution with petroleum products and phenols. Their level already exceeds the permissible level.
Minerals
Hydrocarbon production began back in the 19th century. These are the main ones Natural resources. There are also mineral and balneological biological resources here. Nowadays, in addition to gas and oil production, marine salts (astrakhanite, mirabalite, halite), sand, limestone, and clay are mined on the shelf.
Animal and plant life
The fauna of the Caspian Sea includes up to 1800 species. Of these, 415 are vertebrates, 101 are fish species, and there is a world stock of sturgeon. Freshwater fish such as carp, pike perch, and roach also live here. They catch carp, salmon, pike, and bream in the sea. The Caspian Sea is the habitat of one of the mammals - the seal.
Plants include blue-green, brown, and red algae. Zostera and ruppia also grow; they are classified as flowering algae.
Plankton brought into the sea by birds begins to bloom in the spring, the sea is literally covered with greenery, and during flowering, rhizosolina colors most of the sea area yellow-green. Clusters of rhizosolenia are so thick that they can even calm waves. In some places near the coast, literally meadows of algae have grown.
On the coast you can see both local and migratory birds. In the south, geese and ducks winter, and birds such as pelicans, herons, and flamingos arrange nesting grounds.
The Caspian Sea contains almost 90% of the world's sturgeon stocks. But recently the environment has been deteriorating; you can often meet poachers who hunt sturgeon for their expensive caviar.
States are investing a lot of money to improve the situation. They are purifying wastewater and building fish breeding factories; despite these measures, sturgeon production has to be limited.
There are still disputes about the status of the Caspian Sea. The fact is that, despite its generally accepted name, it is still the largest endorheic lake in the world. It was called the sea because of the features of the structure of the bottom. It is formed by oceanic crust. In addition, the water in the Caspian Sea is salty. As at sea, there are often storms and strong winds that raise high waves.
Geography
The Caspian Sea is located at the junction of Asia and Europe. In its shape, it resembles one of the letters of the Latin alphabet - S. From south to north, the sea stretches for 1200 km, and from east to west - from 195 to 435 km.
The territory of the Caspian Sea is heterogeneous in its physical and geographical conditions. In this regard, it is conditionally divided into 3 parts. These include the Northern and Middle, as well as the Southern Caspian.
Coastal countries
Which countries is washed by the Caspian Sea? There are only five of them:
- Russia, located in the northwest and west. The length of the coastline of this state along the Caspian Sea is 695 km. Kalmykia, Dagestan and the Astrakhan region, which are part of Russia, are located here.
- Kazakhstan. It is a country on the shores of the Caspian Sea, located in the east and northeast. The length of its coastline is 2320 km.
- Turkmenistan. The map of the Caspian states indicates that this country is located in the southeast of the water basin. The length of the line along the coast is 1200 km.
- Azerbaijan. This state, stretching 955 km along the Caspian Sea, washes its shores in the southwest.
- Iran. A map of the Caspian states indicates that this country is located at southern shores endorheic lake. At the same time, its length maritime boundaries is 724 km.
Is the Caspian Sea?
The dispute over what to call this unique body of water has not yet been resolved. And it is important to answer this question. The fact is that all countries on the Caspian Sea have their own interests in this region. However, the governments of five states have not been able to resolve the question of how to divide this huge body of water for a long time. The most important controversy revolved around the name. Is the Caspian Sea a sea or a lake? Moreover, the answer to this question is of no more interest to geographers. First of all, politicians need it. This is due to the application of international law.
Caspian states such as Kazakhstan and Russia believe that their borders in this region are washed by the sea. In this regard, representatives of the two indicated countries insist on the application of the UN Convention adopted in 1982. It concerns the law of the sea. The provisions of this document state that coastal states are allocated a twelve-mile water zone along it. In addition, the country is granted the right to economic maritime territory. It is located two hundred miles away. The coastal state also has rights to However, even the widest part of the Caspian Sea is narrower than the distance specified in the international document. In this case, the middle line principle can be applied. At the same time, the Caspian states, which have the greatest length of coastal borders, will receive a large maritime territory.
Iran has a different opinion on this matter. Its representatives believe that the Caspian Sea should be divided fairly. In this case, all countries will get twenty percent of the maritime territory. The position of official Tehran can be understood. With this solution to the issue, the state will govern larger area than when dividing the sea along the midline.
However, the Caspian Sea changes its water level significantly from year to year. This does not allow us to determine its median line and divide the territory between states. Countries such as Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Russia have signed an agreement among themselves defining the bottom zones in which the parties will exercise their economic rights. Thus, a certain legal truce has been achieved in the northern territories of the sea. Southern countries The Caspian Sea has not yet come to a common decision. However, they do not recognize the agreements reached by their northern neighbors.
Is the Caspian a lake?
Adherents of this point of view proceed from the fact that the reservoir, located at the junction of Asia and Europe, is closed. In this case, it is impossible to apply a document on the norms of international maritime law to it. Supporters of this theory are convinced that they are right, citing the fact that the Caspian Sea does not have a natural connection with the waters of the World Ocean. But here another difficulty arises. If the lake is the Caspian Sea, the boundaries of states according to what international standards should be determined in its water spaces? Unfortunately, such documents have not yet been developed. The fact is that the issues of the international lake have not been discussed anywhere by anyone.
Is the Caspian Sea a unique body of water?
In addition to those listed above, there is another, third point of view on the ownership of this amazing body of water. Its supporters are of the opinion that the Caspian Sea should be recognized as an international water basin, belonging equally to all countries bordering it. In their opinion, the region’s resources are subject to joint exploitation by countries bordering the reservoir.
Solving security problems
The Caspian states are doing everything possible to eliminate all existing disagreements. And in this matter, positive developments can be noted. One of the steps towards solving problems related to the Caspian region was the agreement signed on November 18, 2010 between all five countries. It concerns issues of security cooperation. In this document, the countries agreed on joint activities to eliminate terrorism, drug trafficking, smuggling, poaching, money laundering, etc. in the region.
Environmental protection
Particular attention is paid to solving environmental issues. The territory in which the Caspian states and Eurasia are located is a region under the threat of industrial pollution. Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan dump waste from energy exploration and production into the Caspian waters. Moreover, it is in these countries that there are a large number of abandoned oil wells that are not exploited due to their unprofitability, but nevertheless continue to have an adverse impact on the environmental situation. As for Iran, it dumps waste into sea waters Agriculture and drains. Russia threatens the ecology of the region with industrial pollution. It's connected with economic activity, which unfolded in the Volga region.
Countries on the Caspian Sea have made some progress in addressing environmental problems. Thus, since August 12, 2007, the Frame Convection has been in force in the region, with the goal of protecting the Caspian Sea. This document develops provisions on the protection of biological resources and regulation of anthropogenic factors affecting the aquatic environment. According to this convection, the parties must interact when carrying out measures to improve the environmental situation in the Caspian Sea.
In 2011 and 2012, all five countries signed other documents significant for the protection of the marine environment. Among them:
- Protocol on cooperation, response and regional preparedness in the event of oil pollution incidents.
- Protocol concerning the protection of the region against pollution from land-based sources.
Development of gas pipeline construction
Today, another problem remains unresolved in the Caspian region. It concerns the laying of this idea. This idea is an important strategic task of the West and the United States, which continue to look for alternative energy sources to Russian ones. That is why, when resolving this issue, the parties do not turn to countries such as Kazakhstan, Iran and, of course, the Russian Federation. Brussels and Washington supported the statement made in Baku on November 18, 2010 at the summit of the heads of the Caspian countries. He expressed the official position of Ashgabat regarding the laying of the pipeline. Turkmen authorities believe that the project should be implemented. At the same time, only those states on whose bottom territories it will be located must give their consent to the construction of the pipeline. And this is Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan. Iran and Russia opposed this position and the project itself. At the same time, they were guided by the issues of protecting the Caspian ecosystem. To date, construction of the pipeline is not underway due to disagreements between project participants.
Holding the first summit
Countries on the Caspian Sea are constantly looking for ways to solve the problems that have arisen in this Eurasian region. For this purpose, special meetings of their representatives are organized. Thus, the first summit of the heads of the Caspian states took place in April 2002. Its venue was Ashgabat. However, the results of this meeting did not live up to expectations. The summit was considered unsuccessful due to Iran's demands to divide the sea area into 5 equal parts. Other countries categorically opposed this. Their representatives defended their own point of view that the size of national waters should correspond to the length that coastline states.
The failure of the summit was also provoked by a dispute between Ashgabat and Baku over the ownership of three oil fields located in the center of the Caspian Sea. As a result, the heads of five states did not develop a consensus on any of all the issues raised. However, an agreement was reached to hold a second summit. It was supposed to take place in 2003 in Baku.
Second Caspian Summit
Despite the existing agreements, the planned meeting was postponed every year. The heads of the Caspian states gathered for the second summit only on October 16, 2007. It was held in Tehran. At the meeting, current issues related to determining the legal status of the unique body of water that is the Caspian Sea were discussed. The borders of states within the division of the water area were previously agreed upon during the development of the draft of the new convention. Problems of security, ecology, economics and cooperation of coastal countries were also raised. In addition, the results of the work that the states carried out after the first summit were summed up. In Tehran, representatives of the five states also outlined ways for further cooperation in the region.
Meeting at the third summit
Once again, the heads of the Caspian countries met in Baku on November 18, 2010. The result of this summit was the signing of an agreement to expand cooperation regarding security issues. During the meeting, it was pointed out that which countries are washed by the Caspian Sea, only those should ensure the fight against terrorism, transnational crime, weapons proliferation, etc.
Fourth summit
Once again, the Caspian states raised their problems in Astrakhan on September 29, 2014. At this meeting, the presidents of the five countries signed another statement.
In it, the parties recorded the exclusive right of the coastal countries to deploy armed forces in the Caspian Sea. But even at this meeting the status of the Caspian Sea was not finally regulated.
Caspian Sea is inland and located in a vast continental depression on the border of Europe and Asia. The Caspian Sea has no connection with the ocean, which formally allows it to be called a lake, but it has all the features of the sea, since in past geological eras it had connections with the ocean.
Today Russia has access only to the Northern Caspian Sea and the Dagestan part of the western coast of the Middle Caspian Sea. The waters of the Caspian Sea wash the shores of countries such as Azerbaijan, Iran, Turkmenistan, and Kazakhstan.
The sea area is 386.4 thousand km2, the volume of water is 78 thousand m3.
The Caspian Sea has a vast drainage basin, with an area of about 3.5 million km2. The nature of the landscapes, climatic conditions and types of rivers are different. Despite the vastness of the drainage basin, only 62.6% of its area is drainage areas; about 26.1% - for non-drainage. The area of the Caspian Sea itself is 11.3%. 130 rivers flow into it, but almost all of them are located in the north and west (and the eastern coast does not have a single river reaching the sea). The largest river in the Caspian basin is the Volga, which provides 78% of the river waters entering the sea (it should be noted that more than 25% of the Russian economy is located in the basin of this river, and this undoubtedly determines many hydrochemical and other features of the waters of the Caspian Sea), as well as rivers Kura, Zhaiyk (Ural), Terek, Sulak, Samur.
Physiographically and according to the nature of the underwater relief, the sea is divided into three parts: northern, middle and southern. The conventional border between the northern and middle parts runs along the line Chechen Island–Cape Tyub-Karagan, and between the middle and southern parts along the line Zhiloy Island–Cape Kuuli.
The shelf of the Caspian Sea is on average limited to depths of about 100 m. The continental slope, which begins below the edge of the shelf, ends in the middle part at depths of approximately 500–600 m, in the southern part, where it is very steep, at 700–750 m.
Northern part The sea is shallow, its average depth is 5–6 m, the maximum depths of 15–20 m are located on the border with the middle part of the sea. The bottom topography is complicated by the presence of banks, islands, and grooves.
The middle part of the sea is an isolated basin, the region of maximum depths of which - the Derbent depression - is shifted to the western shore. The average depth of this part of the sea is 190 m, the greatest is 788 m.
The southern part of the sea is separated from the middle by the Absheron threshold, which is a continuation Greater Caucasus. The depths above this underwater ridge do not exceed 180 m. The deepest part of the South Caspian depression with a maximum sea depth of 1025 m is located east of the Kura delta. Several underwater ridges up to 500 m high rise above the bottom of the basin.
Shores The Caspian Sea is diverse. In the northern part of the sea they are quite indented. Here are the Kizlyarsky, Agrakhansky, Mangyshlaksky bays and many shallow bays. Notable peninsulas: Agrakhansky, Buzachi, Tyub-Karagan, Mangyshlak. Large islands in the northern part of the sea are Tyuleniy and Kulaly. In the deltas of the Volga and Ural rivers, the coastline is complicated by many islands and channels, often changing their position. Many small islands and banks are located on other parts of the coastline.
The middle part of the sea has a relatively flat coastline. On the west coast on the border with southern part The sea is located on the Absheron Peninsula. To the east of it, the islands and banks of the Absheron archipelago stand out, of which the most large island Residential. The eastern coast of the Middle Caspian is more indented; the Kazakh Gulf with Kenderli Bay and several capes stand out here. The largest bay of this coast is Kara-Bogaz-Gol.
South of the Absheron Peninsula are the islands of the Baku archipelago. The origin of these islands, as well as some banks off the eastern coast of the southern part of the sea, is associated with the activity of underwater mud volcanoes lying on the bottom of the sea. On east coast There are large bays of Turkmenbashi and Turkmensky, and near it the island of Ogurchinsky.
One of the most striking phenomena of the Caspian Sea is the periodic variability of its level. In historical times, the Caspian Sea had a level lower than the World Ocean. Fluctuations in the level of the Caspian Sea are so great that for more than a century they have attracted the attention of not only scientists. Its peculiarity is that in the memory of mankind its level has always been below the level of the World Ocean. Since the beginning of instrumental observations (since 1830) of sea level, the amplitude of its fluctuations has been almost 4 m, from –25.3 m in the eighties of the 19th century. to –29 m in 1977. In the last century, the level of the Caspian Sea changed significantly twice. In 1929 it stood at about -26 m, and since it had been close to this level for almost a century, this level position was considered to be a long-term or secular average. In 1930 the level began to decline rapidly. By 1941 it had dropped by almost 2 m. This led to the drying out of vast coastal areas of the bottom. The decrease in level, with slight fluctuations (short-term slight rises in level in 1946–1948 and 1956–1958), continued until 1977 and reached a level of –29.02 m, i.e. the level reached its lowest position in history the last 200 years.
In 1978, contrary to all forecasts, sea level began to rise. As of 1994, the level of the Caspian Sea was at –26.5 m, that is, over 16 years the level rose by more than 2 m. The rate of this rise is 15 cm per year. The level increase in some years was higher, and in 1991 it reached 39 cm.
The general fluctuations in the level of the Caspian Sea are superimposed by its seasonal changes, the long-term average of which reaches 40 cm, as well as surge phenomena. The latter are especially pronounced in the Northern Caspian Sea. The northwestern coast is characterized by large surges created by prevailing storms from the eastern and southeastern directions, especially in the cold season. A number of large (more than 1.5–3 m) surges have been observed here over the past decades. A particularly large surge with catastrophic consequences was noted in 1952. Fluctuations in the level of the Caspian Sea cause great damage to the states surrounding its waters.
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Climate. The Caspian Sea is located in temperate and subtropical climatic zones. Climatic conditions change in the meridional direction, since the sea stretches from north to south for almost 1200 km.
Various atmospheric circulation systems interact in the Caspian region, however, winds from the eastern directions predominate throughout the year (the influence of the Asian High). The position at fairly low latitudes provides a positive balance of heat influx, so the Caspian Sea serves as a source of heat and moisture for passing air masses for most of the year. The average annual air temperature in the northern part of the sea is 8–10°C, in the middle part - 11–14°C, in the southern part - 15–17°C. However, in the most northern regions sea average January temperature is from –7 to –10°C, and the minimum during intrusions of Arctic air is up to –30°C, which determines the formation of ice cover. In summer, rather high temperatures dominate over the entire region under consideration - 24–26°C. Thus, the Northern Caspian is subject to the most dramatic temperature fluctuations.
The Caspian Sea is characterized by a very small amount of precipitation per year - only 180 mm, with most of it falling during the cold season of the year (from October to March). However, the Northern Caspian differs in this respect from the rest of the basin: here the average annual precipitation is lower (for the western part only 137 mm), and the seasonal distribution is more uniform (10–18 mm per month). In general, we can talk about closeness climatic conditions to arid ones.
Water temperature. The distinctive features of the Caspian Sea (large differences in depths in different parts of the sea, the nature of the bottom topography, isolation) have a certain influence on the formation of temperature conditions. In the shallow Northern Caspian Sea, the entire water column can be considered homogeneous (the same applies to shallow bays located in other parts of the sea). In the Middle and Southern Caspian Sea, surface and deep masses can be distinguished, separated by a transition layer. In the Northern Caspian and in the surface layers of the Middle and Southern Caspian, water temperatures vary over a wide range. In winter, temperatures vary from north to south from less than 2 to 10°C, the water temperature off the west coast is 1–2°C higher than that on the east, in the open sea the temperature is higher than at the coasts: by 2–3°C in the middle part and by 3–4°С in the southern part of the sea. In winter, the distribution of temperature with depth is more uniform, which is facilitated by winter vertical circulation. During moderate and severe winters in the northern part of the sea and shallow bays of the east coast, the water temperature drops to freezing temperature.
In summer, the temperature varies in space from 20 to 28°C. The highest temperatures are observed in the southern part of the sea; temperatures are also quite high in the well-warmed shallow Northern Caspian Sea. The zone where the lowest temperatures occur is adjacent to the east coast. This is explained by the rise of cold deep waters to the surface. Temperatures are also relatively low in the poorly heated deep-sea central part. In open areas of the sea, at the end of May–beginning of June, the formation of a temperature jump layer begins, which is most clearly expressed in August. Most often it is located between horizons of 20 and 30 m in the middle part of the sea and 30 and 40 m in the southern part. In the middle part of the sea, due to the surge off the eastern coast, the shock layer rises close to the surface. In the bottom layers of the sea, the temperature throughout the year is about 4.5°C in the middle part and 5.8–5.9°C in the southern part.
Salinity. Salinity values are determined by factors such as river runoff, water dynamics, including mainly wind and gradient currents, and the resulting water exchange between western and eastern parts The Northern Caspian and between the Northern and Middle Caspian, the bottom topography, which determines the location of waters with different salinities, mainly along the isobaths, evaporation, which ensures a deficit of fresh water and the influx of more saline ones. These factors collectively influence seasonal differences in salinity.
The Northern Caspian Sea can be considered as a reservoir of constant mixing of river and Caspian waters. The most active mixing occurs in the western part, where both river and Central Caspian waters directly flow. Horizontal salinity gradients can reach 1‰ per 1 km.
The eastern part of the Northern Caspian Sea is characterized by a more uniform salinity field, since most of the river and sea (Middle Caspian) waters enter this area of the sea in a transformed form.
Based on the values of horizontal salinity gradients, it is possible to distinguish in the western part of the Northern Caspian the river-sea contact zone with water salinity from 2 to 10‰, in the eastern part from 2 to 6‰.
Significant vertical salinity gradients in the Northern Caspian are formed as a result of the interaction of river and sea waters, with runoff playing a decisive role. The strengthening of vertical stratification is also facilitated by the unequal thermal state of the water layers, since the temperature of the surface desalinated waters coming from the seashore in summer is 10–15°C higher than the bottom waters.
In the deep-sea depressions of the Middle and Southern Caspian Sea, fluctuations in salinity in the upper layer are 1–1.5‰. The largest difference between the maximum and minimum salinity was noted in the area of the Absheron threshold, where it is 1.6‰ in the surface layer and 2.1‰ at a 5 m horizon.
The decrease in salinity along the western coast of the South Caspian Sea in the 0–20 m layer is caused by the flow of the Kura River. The influence of the Kura runoff decreases with depth; at horizons of 40–70 m, the range of salinity fluctuations is no more than 1.1‰. Along the entire western coast to the Absheron Peninsula there is a strip of desalinated water with a salinity of 10–12.5‰, coming from the Northern Caspian Sea.
In addition, in the Southern Caspian Sea, an increase in salinity occurs when salted waters are carried out from bays and bays on the eastern shelf under the influence of southeastern winds. Subsequently, these waters are transferred to the Middle Caspian Sea.
In the deep layers of the Middle and Southern Caspian Sea, the salinity is about 13‰. In the central part of the Middle Caspian, such salinity is observed at horizons below 100 m, and in the deep-water part of the Southern Caspian, the upper boundary of waters with high salinity drops to 250 m. Obviously, in these parts of the sea, vertical mixing of waters is difficult.
Surface water circulation. Currents in the sea are mainly wind-driven. In the western part of the Northern Caspian, currents of the western and eastern quarters are most often observed, in the eastern part - southwestern and southern ones. Currents caused by the runoff of the Volga and Ural rivers can be traced only within the estuary coastal area. The prevailing current speeds are 10–15 cm/s; in open areas of the Northern Caspian Sea, maximum speeds are about 30 cm/s.
In the coastal areas of the middle and southern parts of the sea, in accordance with the wind directions, currents in the northwestern, northern, southeastern and southern directions are observed; currents often occur near the eastern coast east direction. Along the western coast of the middle part of the sea, the most stable currents are southeastern and southern. Current speeds are on average about 20–40 cm/s, with maximum speeds reaching 50–80 cm/s. Other types of currents also play a significant role in the circulation of sea waters: gradient, seiche, and inertial.
Ice formation. The Northern Caspian Sea is covered with ice every year in November, the area of the frozen part of the water area depends on the severity of the winter: in severe winters the entire Northern Caspian Sea is covered with ice, in mild winters the ice remains within 2–3 meter isobath. The appearance of ice in the middle and southern parts sea falls in December-January. On the eastern coast the ice is of local origin, on the western coast it is most often brought from the northern part of the sea. In severe winters, shallow bays freeze off the eastern coast of the middle part of the sea, shores and fast ice form off the coast, and on the western coast, drifting ice spreads to the Absheron Peninsula in abnormally cold winters. The disappearance of ice cover is observed in the second half of February–March.
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Oxygen content. The spatial distribution of dissolved oxygen in the Caspian Sea has a number of patterns. The central part of the waters of the Northern Caspian Sea is characterized by a fairly uniform distribution of oxygen. An increased oxygen content is found in the areas near the Volga River near the mouth, while a decreased oxygen content is found in the southwestern part of the Northern Caspian Sea. In the Middle and Southern Caspian Sea, the highest concentrations of oxygen are confined to shallow coastal areas and pre-estuary coastal areas of rivers, with the exception of the most polluted areas of the sea (Baku Bay, Sumgait region, etc.). In summer, due to the significant warming of water masses and the activation of photosynthesis processes, the leading factors in the formation of the oxygen regime are photosynthetic processes in surface waters, and biochemical oxygen consumption by bottom sediments in bottom waters. Due to the high temperature of the waters, the stratification of the water column, the large influx of organic matter and its intense oxidation, oxygen is quickly consumed with minimal entry into the lower layers of the sea, resulting in the formation of an oxygen deficiency zone in the Northern Caspian Sea. Intensive photosynthesis in open waters |
– increased concentrations of nutrients are characteristic of areas near the mouth of the coastal rivers that feed the sea and shallow areas of the sea, subject to active anthropogenic influence (Baku Bay, Turkmenbashi Bay, water areas adjacent to Makhachkala, Fort Shevchenko, etc.);
– The Northern Caspian, which is a vast mixing zone of river and sea waters, is characterized by significant spatial gradients in the distribution of nutrients;
– in the Middle Caspian Sea, the cyclonic nature of the circulation contributes to the rise of deep waters with a high content of nutrients into the overlying layers of the sea;
– in the deep-water regions of the Middle and Southern Caspian Sea, the vertical distribution of nutrients depends on the intensity of the convective mixing process, and their content increases with depth. On the dynamics of concentrations nutrients During the year, the Caspian Sea is influenced by such factors as seasonal fluctuations in nutrient runoff into the sea, the seasonal ratio of production-destruction processes, the intensity of exchange between soil and water mass, ice conditions in winter time
In winter, a significant area of the Northern Caspian Sea is covered with ice, but biochemical processes actively develop in subglacial water and ice. The ice of the Northern Caspian, being a kind of accumulator of nutrients, transforms these substances entering the sea with river runoff and from the atmosphere.
As a result of the winter vertical circulation of water in the deep-water regions of the Middle and Southern Caspian Sea during the cold season, the active layer of the sea is enriched with nutrients due to their supply from the underlying layers.
Spring for the waters of the Northern Caspian Sea is characterized by a minimum content of phosphates, nitrites and silicon, which is explained by the spring outbreak of phytoplankton development (silicon is actively consumed by diatoms). High concentrations of ammonium and nitrate nitrogen, characteristic of the waters of a large area of the Northern Caspian Sea during floods, are due to intensive washing by river waters of the Volga delta.
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In the spring season, in the area of water exchange between the Northern and Middle Caspian Seas in the subsurface layer, with a maximum oxygen content, the phosphate content is minimal, which, in turn, indicates the activation of the photosynthesis process in this layer.
In the Southern Caspian, the distribution of nutrients in spring is basically similar to their distribution in the Middle Caspian.
IN summer time in the waters of the Northern Caspian, a redistribution of various forms of biogenic compounds is detected. Here the content of ammonium nitrogen and nitrates decreases significantly, while at the same time there is a slight increase in the concentrations of phosphates and nitrites and a rather significant increase in the concentration of silicon. In the Middle and Southern Caspian Sea, the concentration of phosphates has decreased due to their consumption during photosynthesis and the difficulty of water exchange with the deep-sea accumulation zone.
In autumn in the Caspian Sea, due to the cessation of the activity of some species of phytoplankton, the content of phosphates and nitrates increases, and the concentration of silicon decreases, as there is an autumn outbreak of the development of diatoms.
For more than 150 years, oil has been mined on the shelf of the Caspian Sea. oil.
Currently, large hydrocarbon reserves are being developed on the Russian shelf, the resources of which on the Dagestan shelf are estimated at 425 million tons in oil equivalent (of which 132 million tons of oil and 78 billion m3 of gas), on the shelf of the Northern Caspian Sea - at 1 billion tons of oil .
In total, about 2 billion tons of oil have already been produced in the Caspian Sea.
Losses of oil and its products during production, transportation and use reach 2% of the total volume.
Main sources of income pollutants, including petroleum products into the Caspian Sea - this is the removal with river flow, the discharge of untreated industrial and agricultural wastewater, municipal wastewater from cities and towns located on the coast, shipping, exploration and exploitation of oil and gas fields located on the seabed, transportation of oil by sea. Places of entry of pollutants with river runoff are 90% concentrated in the Northern Caspian Sea, industrial wastewater is confined mainly to the area of the Absheron Peninsula, and increased oil pollution of the Southern Caspian Sea is associated with oil production and oil exploration drilling, as well as with active volcanic activity(mud volcanism) in the zone of oil and gas bearing structures.
From the territory of Russia, about 55 thousand tons of petroleum products enter the Northern Caspian annually, including 35 thousand tons (65%) from the Volga River and 130 tons (2.5%) from the runoff of the Terek and Sulak rivers.
Thickening of the film on the water surface to 0.01 mm disrupts gas exchange processes and threatens the death of hydrobiota. The concentration of petroleum products is toxic for fish at 0.01 mg/l and for phytoplankton at 0.1 mg/l.
The development of oil and gas resources on the bottom of the Caspian Sea, the forecast reserves of which are estimated at 12–15 billion tons of standard fuel, will become the main factor in the anthropogenic load on the sea ecosystem in the coming decades.
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Caspian autochthonous fauna. The total number of autochthons is 513 species or 43.8% of the entire fauna, which include herring, gobies, mollusks, etc.
Arctic species. The total number of the Arctic group is 14 species and subspecies, or only 1.2% of the entire Caspian fauna (mysids, sea cockroach, whitefish, Caspian salmon, Caspian seal, etc.). The basis of the Arctic fauna are crustaceans (71.4%), which easily tolerate desalination and live on great depths The Middle and Southern Caspian Sea (from 200 to 700 m), since the lowest water temperatures are maintained here throughout the year (4.9–5.9 ° C).
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Mediterranean species. These are 2 types of mollusks, needle fish, etc. At the beginning of the 20s of our century, the mollusk mytileaster entered here, later 2 types of shrimp (with mullet, during their acclimatization), 2 types of mullet and flounder. Some Mediterranean species entered the Caspian Sea after the opening of the Volga-Don Canal. Mediterranean species play a significant role in the food supply of fish in the Caspian Sea.
Freshwater fauna(228 species). This group includes anadromous and semi-anadromous fish (sturgeon, salmon, pike, catfish, carp, and also rotifers).
Marine species. These are ciliates (386 forms), 2 species of foraminifera. There are especially many endemics among higher crustaceans (31 species), gastropods (74 species and subspecies), bivalves (28 species and subspecies) and fish (63 species and subspecies). The abundance of endemics in the Caspian Sea makes it one of the most unique brackish bodies of water on the planet.
The Caspian Sea produces more than 80% of the world's sturgeon catches, the bulk of which occur in the Northern Caspian Sea.
To increase sturgeon catches, which sharply decreased during the years of falling sea levels, a set of measures is being implemented. Among them are a complete ban on sturgeon fishing in the sea and its regulation in rivers, and an increase in the scale of sturgeon factory farming.
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