THE PRESENT STATE OF THE EPIBIONTIC POPULATIONS TO THE BIOCENOSIS OF STONE MUSSELS IN THE SHALLOW WATER OFF THE ROMANIAN BLACK SEA COAST

Abstract. This paper presents observations and ecological analyses of benthic community of the hard bottom mussels in the shallow waters. This study is based on the analysis of 21 quantitative biological samples collected by diving at 7 stations in two zones along the Romanian Black Sea Coast – Mamaia and Mangalia in 2003. The study attempts to pinpoint some aspects related to defining and adopting the term of “littoral cell” and to highlight the possible differences between the epibiontic communities developing on the inside and the outside of these coastal artificial structures. These hydrotechnic structures create a specific eco-climate inside the semi-closed aquatic area limited by the protective dams that influence the number and spatial distribution of the epibiontic organisms. The study reveals the occurrence of 76 species of benthic organisms belonging to 13 supraspecific taxa, with an average density of 2 122 523 indvs.m-2 and a biomass of 19 437,2 g.m-2. Numerically, the dominant species are the crustaceans (~539 224 indvs.m-2) and worms (~416 972 indvs.m-2) and the weight dominants are molluscs – Mytilus galloprovincialis over 96 % and crustaceans (~136 g.m-2)