Results of Hydrochemical Monitoring of Sevastopol Black Sea's Offshore Waters.

The results of hydrochemical monitoring of ecological conditions of offshore Sevastopol (monitoring started in 1992) are shown (Parkhomenko et al., 2000). On the basis of 13 hydrochemical parameters (salinity, dissolved oxygen, pH, silicium, nitrite, nitrate, ammonium and organic nitrogen, phosphates and organic phosphorus, chlorophyll "a", biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), suspended matter) the quality characteristic of coastal water was obtained. During last years the improvement of ecological conditions of the investigated area was a result of the limitation of volume of noticeable industrial production and sewage waters. Trophic index (TRIX) of Sevastopol offshore water was calculated on the base of those results. TRIX calculations prove the above-mentioned trend of the quality improvement of Sevastopol offshore waters. These waters, according to the TRIX index, are classified as "intermediate", viz. between oligotrophic and mesotrophic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]