Suspended particulate matter within the Kaliningrad coastal zone: distribution, transport, composition
- Pages
- 32-39
Abstract
The coastal zone of the Kaliningrad region is an especially sensitive marine area which includes recreation areas, natural heritage sites, construction sites and zones of both abrasion and accumulation. Thus, it requires monitoring and control of core environmental indicators such as suspended particulate matter concentration. The research focused on the suspended matter transport from the main source area, which included both human-made and natural suspended matter inputs. Directions of particles transport for surface and bottom layer were discovered to be different. The transformation of the suspended matter transport from the Kaliningrad lagoon to the Curonean spit was studied with electron microscopy. The biogenic fraction dominates in the suspensions, including colonies of cyanobacteria, diatoms and dinoflagellates. The suspended matter composition changes from the Sambia Peninsula toward to the Curonian Spit: iron content rises along with a decrease in total number of mineral particles.