Who is found in the Baltic Sea. The Curonian Bay of the Baltic Sea: description, water temperature and the underwater world. Who is the Greek
The salinity of which is about 20% of the salinity of the oceans, located in the northern part of Europe. Refers to the type of inland seas. Its area is 419 square kilometers. It was the Baltic Sea during the reign of Peter the Great that became the window to Europe.
general characteristics
The average depth of the Baltic Sea is about 50 meters, the largest recorded depth is 470 meters. The deepest sections are located in the region of Scandinavia, the smallest sections are in the area of the Curonian Spit, there is no depth even 5 meters.
More than two hundred rivers flow into the Baltic Sea. The largest of them are Neman, Daugava, Vistula, Neva. Fresh river water is unevenly distributed in it, so the salinity of the Baltic Sea is not the same.
Ice cover in winter is established in the bays from November to April. The thickness of the ice reaches 60 cm. The southern regions of the sea can remain without ice cover all winter. Sometimes floating ice floes are found near the northern shores even in summer. The last case of complete freezing of the Baltic Sea was recorded in 1987.
In the autumn-winter period, the influx of North Sea salt water increases due to a decrease in water temperature. Because of this, the salinity in the sea increases.
Geographic features
The Baltic Sea is located in the northwest of Europe. In the north, it reaches almost the Arctic Circle itself, the coordinates of the extreme northern point of the sea are 65 degrees 40 minutes s. sh. In the south, it reaches 53 degrees 45 minutes N. sh. From east to west, the Baltic Sea stretches from St. Petersburg (30 degrees 15 minutes E) to the city of Flensburg in Germany (30 degrees 10 minutes E).
The Baltic Sea is surrounded on almost all sides by the coastline, only in the west it has access to the North Sea. The Belomorkanal opens access to the White Sea. The largest part of the coast belongs to Sweden and Finland (35% and 17%), Russia has about 7%, the rest of the coastline is divided between Germany, Denmark, Poland, Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia.
There are four large bays in the sea - Bothnian, Curonian, Finnish and Riga. The Curonian Lagoon is separated by the Curonian Spit, territorially belongs to Lithuania and Russia (Kaliningrad region). The Gulf of Bothnia is located between Sweden and Finland, it houses the archipelago of the Åland Islands. The Gulf of Finland is located in the east, adjacent to it are the shores of Finland, Estonia and Russia (St. Petersburg).
Baltic Sea: salinity and temperature regime
The temperature of the water surface in the central part is 15-17 degrees. In the Gulf of Bothnia, this figure does not rise above 12 degrees. The highest temperature is observed in the Gulf of Finland.
Due to the weak water exchange and the constant flow of river water in this sea, the salinity is low. In addition, it does not have constant indicators. So, in the area of the Danish coast, the salinity of the water of the Baltic Sea is 20 ppm on the surface. At depth, the indicator can reach up to 30 ppm. The salinity of the surface waters of the Baltic Sea changes the amount in an easterly direction to a smaller side. In the Gulf of Finland, this figure is not more than 3 ppm.
Observations in recent years have recorded a trend towards an increase in the percentage of salinity. This figure has increased by 0.5% compared to previous decades. Now the average salinity of the Baltic Sea is 8 ppm. The figure indicates that a liter of sea water contains 8 g of salt. This is the salinity of the Baltic Sea in grams.
Climate of the Baltic Sea
The Baltic has a temperate maritime climate. The average January temperature above the sea surface is 1-3 degrees, in the north and east - 4-8 degrees. Sometimes the invasion of cold currents from the Arctic drops the temperature to -35 degrees for a short time. In winter, the north wind prevails, which causes a cold winter and a long, lingering spring.
In summer, the wind direction changes to west and southwest. On the coast, rainy and cool summer weather is established. Dry hot days in the Baltic are a rarity. The average July temperature here is 14-19 degrees.
The average salinity of the surface waters of the Baltic Sea depends on the season. The period of strong winds falls on the end of autumn and winter. During a storm in November, the waves rise to 6 meters. In winter, ice prevents the formation of high waves. At this time, salinity decreases.
Animal world
The Baltic Sea, whose water salinity varies in different places, is inhabited by quite a variety of species - from purely marine to freshwater inhabitants. So, in the salty waters of the Danish Straits, various mollusks, oysters, crustaceans live. In some places there is even a guest from the North Sea - the mitten crab.
Most commercial fish species choose central waters for habitat, where the average salinity of the surface waters of the Baltic Sea is 7-9 ppm.
In bays with almost fresh water, there are pike, bream, crucian carp, roach, ide, burbot, eel. On an industrial scale, Baltic herring, cod, sprat, salmon and sea trout are caught here.
Spa vacation
Due to the cool climate, the resorts of the Amber Region are not to everyone's taste. They have little in common with the hot beaches of Turkey, Egypt, Crimea. Officially, the beach season in the Baltic lasts from June to the end of September, while in June the water does not always warm up to even 20 degrees.
However, not everyone likes hot crowded beaches. Many people prefer to combine a beach holiday with an active one, for example, with the study of culture and sights. The beaches of the Baltic Sea are a very good option. You can choose the resort of Palanga, Jurmala, Gdansk, Sopot, Svetlogorsk and others. The ideal time to relax here is July and the first half of August, when the water temperature warms up to 25 degrees. Temperatures of 25-27 degrees were recorded in the shallow waters of the Gulf of Riga.
Environmental problems of the Baltic Sea
In recent years, there has been a significant deterioration in water quality due to pollution. One of the reasons is that the rivers flowing into the sea carry already polluted waters. And since the sea is inland and has the only exit through the Danish straits, there is no possibility of natural self-purification.
The following main water pollutants can be distinguished:
- industrial, agricultural and municipal waste that comes from urban sewers, often discharged directly into the sea;
- heavy metals - come from city drains, some fall out with precipitation;
- spilled oil products - in the era of the development of shipping, the leakage of oil products is not uncommon.
The consequences of pollution are the formation of a film on the surface of the water and the termination of oxygen access to its inhabitants.
The main sources of water pollution:
- active shipping;
- accidents at industrial enterprises and power plants;
- industrial and household drains;
- polluted rivers flowing into the sea.
Helsinki Convention
In 1992, nine states of the Baltic basin signed a convention on the observance of environmental and maritime rights. The main body is the commission headquartered in Helsinki. The main goal of the commission is to develop and carry out activities aimed at protecting the ecology of the marine environment, conducting research, and promoting the safe navigation of ships.
At the head of the commission for a period of two years are alternately states with access to the sea. From 2008 to 2010, Russia held the chairmanship.
Drunken forest and amber
In the Kaliningrad region on the Curonian Spit there is an unusual place, popularly referred to as the Dancing or Drunken Forest. On a small area (within 1 square km), pine trees planted under the USSR grow. The bottom line is that the trees are strangely curved, and some are even twisted into a loop. Scientists cannot accurately explain this phenomenon. Versions are different: the climatic factor, genetics, attack pests and even the influence of space. There are rumors that there are no sounds in the forest and mobile communications are lost. The mystery of the forest annually attracts domestic and foreign tourists.
In autumn, when a storm begins, along with the sand, the sea throws amber ashore. Mainly on the coast of Poland, Russia, Germany. This period is awaited by local craftsmen and visiting adventurers. There is a belief that amber is a wish fulfillment stone. Amber souvenirs fill the atmosphere of the house with positive energy, promote harmony in personal relationships.
This is how the Baltic Sea is, the salinity, climate and richness of which attract with its uniqueness.
Baltic "Titanic"
In 1994, on the night of September 28, a disaster occurred at sea, the mystery of which remains a mystery to this day. On the evening of September 27, the ferry "Estonia" left Tallinn for its last voyage. There were about 1,000 passengers and crew on board. The ship has been making a regular voyage to Stockholm for a long time. The route is familiar, no unforeseen situations were expected on the route. The sea was stormy, but neither the passengers nor the crew members were bothered by this. The usual Baltic autumn, it was believed that a storm was not terrible for a ship of this type.
Closer to midnight, the storm intensified, but the passengers were calm and prepared for bed. By that time, the ferry had departed from the port for 350 km. At this time, the ferry met with the oncoming ship "Mariella". After one in the morning, a distress signal was received from the ferry, after which the ship disappeared from the radar. "Mariella" and the ships nearby hurried to the place of the tragedy. By 3:00 am, rescue helicopters arrived at the crash site. Many victims no longer needed help - death came from hypothermia. In total, about 200 passengers were rescued, another 95 were identified and officially declared dead.
The Baltic Sea belongs to the Atlantic Ocean basin, is located in Northern Europe and has a surface area of 415 km2. Many rivers flow into it, so it has an average salinity, this is one of the largest seas in the world with such a feature. There are no big storms in the Baltic, the maximum wave height rarely exceeds 4 meters, so it is considered calm in comparison with other seas. The water temperature is quite cold, no more than 17-19 degrees Celsius, but this still does not stop the locals from swimming in the summer.
9 neighbors of the Baltic
The Baltic Sea washes the shores of several countries: Russia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Germany, Denmark, Sweden and Finland. It has four bays: Finnish, Bothnian, Riga and Curonian. The latter is separated from the sea by a strip of land - the Curonian Spit, which is a national natural park and is protected by the state. Interestingly, this nature reserve is divided between two states: Russia and Lithuania.
inhabitants
The Baltic Sea is rich in seafood. Their extraction is carried out in the Kaliningrad region and European countries. The water here is not as salty as in other seas. Therefore, some scientists conditionally divide the inhabitants of the Baltic Sea into freshwater and marine. The bays are mostly inhabited by freshwater fish. The sea is located at a distance from the coast. In the Baltic there is:
- Salaka. This small fish rarely grows more than 25 cm. It is the main commercial fish of the Baltic Sea, about half of the total catch falls on it. Salaka is smoked, fried and canned.
- Baltic sprat. A very common fish in Europe, one of the well-known names is "European sprat". The sprat is smaller than the herring, the adult grows no more than 15 cm. In cooking, this fish is universal, like the herring, but most often it is used to make canned food.
- Cod. This sea meat is rich in protein and minerals, it is a good source of B vitamins. Cod meat is also high in niacin, which is useful for liver diseases. It grows up to 1 meter long, the largest individuals can reach a size of up to 2 meters, but this happens very rarely. Cod is loved in many countries of the world, there are a lot of recipes for cooking dishes from it, a special delicacy is cod liver canned in oil. Cod is one of the most delicious marine life in the Baltic Sea.
- Flounder. This is a marine bottom fish of a bizarre flat shape. Its most memorable feature is a flat body and eyes located on one side, so it is impossible to confuse a flounder with another fish. The scales of this fish are rough like sandpaper. On average, a flounder lives for 5 years and grows up to 40 cm in length. It has white, tasty, tender meat, although when cooked, it emits a specific smell that not everyone may like. To get rid of discomfort during cooking, you need to remove the skin from the fish. Flounder meat contains proteins and useful amino acids that are well absorbed by the body. Flounder is considered a dietary fish.
- Acne. This amazing inhabitant of the Baltic Sea is included in the list for a reason. It is found in all reservoirs of the Kaliningrad region. You can catch an eel not only in sea water, but also in freshwater rivers. Outwardly, the eel looks like a snake, has a long body and swims, wriggling like snakes. In length, an adult grows up to 1.5 m, and weighs about 2 kg. Eel meat contains proteins, fats and carbohydrates, and is also a source of omega-3s. The most common type of eel preparation is smoking.
- Perch. Very bony and tenacious fish, can live up to 15 years. Meat is stored for a long time, it contains many vitamins and nutrients.
valuable fish
- Salmon. This is a fish from the salmon family, in the Baltic slightly salted waters there is an Atlantic salmon, which is sometimes called "Baltic". This type of "noble" sea fish is popularly known as "salmon", it is quite large, an adult male can reach a length of more than 1.5 m. The taste of salmon meat is tender and oily, the color varies from light pink to red. The salmon fillet contains almost no bones, so it is popular among those who do not like fish for fear of swallowing a small bone. Many dishes are prepared from this fish, including the well-known red salmon caviar, which appears on our tables on special occasions.
- Smelt. Surprisingly, the well-known smelt belongs to the salmon family. It is generally accepted that this fish is not valuable, despite the fact that it is caught in the Baltic Sea in large numbers. Smelt meat is rich in iron and fluorine, doctors recommend including it in your diet for the elderly.
- Vendace. This small fish is also from the salmon family, its peculiarity is that it lives exclusively in the waters of the Baltic Sea. Vendace from noble fish, therefore, is considered a valuable raw material. She is loved in Europe and Scandinavian countries. In many regions of Russia, vendace is under protection and it is impossible to catch it just like that.
- Whitefish. Fish of the salmon family is considered a valuable commercial fish and has more than 40 species. Despite the fact that whitefish belongs to the salmon family, its meat is white and very fatty. Because of this feature, whitefish meat is not stored for a long time, so it is consumed or salted immediately after being caught.
Mollusks, crustaceans and jellyfish
In addition to the listed fish, molluscs, squids, small crustaceans and bottom fish live in the Baltic waters. Very rare is the mitten crab, which appeared here relatively recently. Jellyfish are also found in the Baltic Sea, the largest - cyanide - lives near the waters of Denmark. In the rest of the space, a harmless Aurelia lives, an inhabitant of the Baltic Sea, whose photo is not as intimidating as the one presented above.
mammals
Of the mammals in the Baltic Sea, only three species of seals live:
- Tuvyak (grey seal).
- Nerpa (common seal).
- Harbour porpoise.
Dangerous inhabitants
There are no dangerous inhabitants in the Baltic Sea, of the sharks you can only find a katrana - a small shark with spikes on its fins, it is not dangerous to humans. She does not swim to the Russian shores, she lives in the Danish straits, where the Baltic Sea connects with the North.
- Jump to: Natural Areas of the Earth
Baltic Sea
The sea is located in the center of the glaciations that took place during the last ice age, when this area was completely covered with huge masses of ice. There was practically no life here then. The formation of the reservoir and its fauna took place 1213 thousand years ago, when it was finally freed from continental ice. From time to time, the sea either became saline or desalinated, depending on changes in the connection with the ocean. Later, from the melted glaciers, a lake was formed above sea level. Even later, the sea waters of the North Sea, as well as its flora and fauna, penetrated here. The climate of the sea at that time was of an arctic character, there were many representatives of the Arctic in the fauna, for example, the harp seal, the joldia mollusk. At that time, apparently, the Baltic Sea through the Ladoga and Onega lakes connected with the White Sea, as evidenced by some similarity of their faunas. The so-called “Yoldium” phase existed for about 500-700 years. Then there was a strong warming and separation of the Baltic Sea from the North and, as a result, a new strong desalination. This phase lasted about 2200 years, but later land subsidence occurred in the area of the straits connecting the Baltic Sea with the North Sea and the ocean, and a new salinization began. The salinity of the sea then was 5-6 ppm higher than it is now, and the water temperature is 2-3 degrees higher than today. About three thousand years ago, the exchange of water with the North Sea again decreased, the Baltic became somewhat desalinated, cooled and came to its present state.
The water area of the Baltic Sea is 419 thousand km2. The sea is connected to the North Sea by the Danish Straits. It is located inside the continental shallows, has a predominant depth of 10-40 m, a maximum depth of 470 m. The average depth of the sea is 86 m, in the Danish Straits - 7-80 m. 114 m), Gotlandskaya (249 m) and Landsortskaya (459 m). The volume of water in the Baltic Sea is 22.3 thousand km3. The main bays: Bothnian, Finnish, Riga, Curonian and Vistula. 250 rivers flow into the Baltic Sea, the largest of which are the Neva, Daugava, Neman, Vistula and Oder. Rivers annually bring about 500-600 km3 of continental waters, so the salinity of the water here ranges from 4 to 22 ppm. Heavier salty and cold waters with a salinity of 10-20 ppm accumulate in the depressions, in the upper horizon of the sea the salinity is 6-8 ppm, in bays - 4-5 ppm. On average, salinity is slightly higher in the western part of the sea than in the central or eastern part.
The Baltic Sea is characterized by a sharp stratification of water masses, especially over great depths in summer, and this prevents vertical mixing and enrichment of deep layers with oxygen. The water temperature near the sea surface in winter is 1-3 °C away from the coast, and below zero near the coast. In summer, the temperature of the surface layers can rise up to 18-20°C. Ice usually forms in winter in bays and near the coast, stays for 16-45 days in the western part of the sea and up to 210 days in the east. The Volga-Baltic and White Sea-Baltic canals connect the Baltic Sea with the basins of the Caspian, Black, Azov and White Seas.
116 species of fish live in the Baltic Sea, of which sprat (sprat), herring, cod, flounder, bream, pike, whitefish, smelt, syrt, lamprey, eel, salmon are of the greatest commercial importance. In the mid-1980s, the USSR fish catch here reached about 330 thousand tons annually.
Currently, the fish resources of the Baltic Sea are distributed among all coastal countries. Russia's quota is only 50-60 thousand tons per year, including 12-15 thousand tons of herring, 30-40 thousand tons of Baltic sprat (sprat) and 3-5 thousand tons of Baltic cod.
The name of the Curonian Lagoon comes from the ancient Baltic tribe of Curonians. The bay is separated from the sea. Most of it belongs to Russia, and in the north 415 sq. km. km of water surface belongs to Lithuania.
History of occurrence
Several hundred years ago, the Curonian Bay was an open bay of the Baltic Sea and jutted into the land for quite a long distance. Its depth was about 20 meters. The spit that separates this giant lagoon from the lagoon arose due to the gradual application of silt and sand by the sea current.
As a result, the Eastern coast increased towards the bay by tens of kilometers, and sand dunes formed on the Curonian Spit itself. This barrier gradually grew, dividing the bay more and more, and the Curonian Lagoon was filled with water brought by numerous rivers (the largest of them is the Neman). The water became less and less salty, and freshwater fish began to appear in it, while marine species, on the contrary, disappeared. The depth, due to the large amount of sand, became much less.
In its present form, the bay has existed for 4000 years. At that time, the braid had already gained its full length. On the banks and on the spit itself lived the people of the ancient Curonian tribe.
general description
The bay area belonging to Russia is 1118 sq. km. Its depth is small and averages 3.7 meters. But there are depressions where the depth reaches 6 meters.
The length of the Curonian Lagoon is about 100 km. It is separated from the sea by the Curonian Spit. And in the region of Klaipeda there is a small strait, which connects the bay with the Baltic Sea. in the bay about 15 cm above sea level, causing the difference in volume to flow out to the sea. In the Curonian Lagoon itself, the water is fresh, the salinity is not more than 8 ppm.
Undersea world
The Curonian Bay is a shallow lagoon of the Baltic Sea with low-salinity, almost fresh water. The bottom has a cauldron shape with slight slopes. The richness of aquatic vegetation in the lagoon is represented by numerous thickets of reeds, cattail, reeds.
Not far from the coast, several species of elodea, water lily, lily, water moss, arrowhead, hornwort grow rapidly. By the way, the abundance of aquatic plants is important, since many fish lay eggs here during spawning.
Thanks to underwater thickets, all types of fish (both fry and adults) can find food and shelter. Zooplankton is food for almost all species of fish living in the bay: cladocerans, copepods, daphnia, various worms, etc. Plankton and benthic organisms are also a rich food base.
The rich forage base has led to the fact that among the inhabitants of the Curonian Lagoon there are more than 50 species of fish. They are divided into 3 groups:
Those fish species that live in the bay permanently (residential fish). The most numerous in their group, which are of commercial importance: pike, perch, roach, smelt.
Fish that come only for spawning (anadromous), such as whitefish, smelt.
Living in rivers, but sometimes entering the bay (river fish). They are few and rarely caught. These are, for example, catfish, white-eye and loach.
Also in the waters of the Curonian Lagoon lamprey lives (immediately 2 species: river and sea), as well as the common newt.
curonian spit
A narrow, long, saber-shaped sandy spit along the Baltic Sea and the Curonian Lagoon is called the Curonian Spit. It stretched from the city of Zelenogradsk (Kaliningrad region) to the city of Klaipeda (Lithuania). In 2000, the Curonian Spit was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Geographically, it is located in Russia and Lithuania. On its Russian part, there is the Curonian Spit National Natural Park, the villages of Rybachy, Lesnoy and Morskoy. And since 1991, there has also been a national park on the Lithuanian side of the spit.
The natural diversity of the described area is unique due to the unusual landscape and microclimate. There are pine forests here, the trunks of trees growing there have intricate shapes (“dancing forest”), sand dunes, lichen fields, deciduous forests.
The national park has its own very strict rules for visiting, since the nature of the Curonian Spit is easily vulnerable. Any human influence can cause significant damage. Therefore, the passage and passage here are limited. It is forbidden to burn fires here, and pitching tents and parking cars is possible only in special places. Hiking is recommended along the paved paths available in sufficient quantity.
Curonian Spit as a tourist attraction
For the Curonian Bay and the sandy spit along it are the most interesting objects. The buildings of all the villages located on the coast are very interesting. They are distinguished by the traditional architecture of the Baltic States: unique wood carvings, peculiar combinations of colors, tiled roofs. For example, the settlement called Morske perfectly preserved all the features traditionally inherent in the Curonian fishing way of life.
To take a fascinating walk along the waters of the bay, it is enough to take a boat ticket. You can combine this holiday with fishing. The Curonian Lagoon is quite suitable for swimming in the summer. The water temperature in July-August (the most suitable months for a beach holiday) is 19-19.5ºС. For recreation, the weather conditions are favorable from May to October.
Fishing in the Curonian Lagoon
The described places also attract anglers. Perch, pike, pike perch are caught here all year round, warming up the hunting azar of spinning players. For lovers of float fishing, the Kaliningrad Bay and the Curonian Bay are the most visited water bodies in the Kaliningrad Region. The most popular types of fish for them are bream, silver bream, crucian carp. From the Kaliningrad Bay, the bream leaves for fattening in the Baltic Sea, while it lives in the Curonian Sea for a whole year.
The perch in the bay is famous for its large size, and you can catch it with both rods and spinning rods. The best places for fishing are the mouths of the Deima, Matrosovka and sandy spits.
Main types of fish
The fish of the Curonian Lagoon is very diverse, including both permanent (bream, roach, pike, pike perch, perch) and seasonal spawning (smelt, trout, whitefish). The Baltic whitefish has been in the bay since autumn. In winter, he feeds on smelt and smelt, gaining weight. The Curonian Bay is the place of its spawning, which falls on the autumn-winter period. It is at this time that the whitefish is available for fishing. In the sea, commercial concentrations of whitefish are not formed.
The main types of fish that are of interest to amateur anglers are perch, roach, pike, eel, along the coast you can often catch quite large crucian carp.
Curonian Lagoon in winter
The arrival of winter significantly reduces the number of tourists. The water in the bay cools down quickly (in September its temperature is 16ºС, by November it drops to 6-8ºС), cold winds blow almost constantly. But the winter landscapes of the Curonian Spit are still attractive. Fans of outdoor activities and winter fishing are frequent visitors to the bay with the advent of frost and the beginning of ice formation.
Ice on the Curonian Lagoon lasts from 2 to 5 months in winter. Around February, an official ban on people entering the ice comes into play, since its thickness becomes dangerous and is only about 5 cm.
Legends and tales
The Curonian Lagoon and the Curonian Spit are mysterious places surrounded by mysticism in folklore. There are many legends and legends about them. The most popular and most important is the saga of the giantess Neringa, created by the goddess Laima. The legends about the “dancing forest”, “black sails”, a cat from a tavern, etc. are also interesting - all of them are reflected in modern tourist sites.
Thousands, and maybe even more, years ago, seabirds separated from the total huge number of birds living on land. Their names are very diverse and depend on belonging to a particular order or family.
Classification
There is the following classification of seabirds:
Seabird family: description
These birds, in comparison with their other counterparts belonging to other groups, are considered long-livers. In general, their life cycle has a slightly shifted time frame. For example, representatives of the marine group pair and breed much later than their associates. Over the entire cycle, they have a smaller number of chicks, but they devote relatively more time to their offspring. Life expectancy is also greatly increased. Seabirds usually nest in numerous colonies. Some of them live permanently in one locality, others can migrate every year over considerable distances, and some even make air travel around the entire Earth.
There are varieties that spend almost their entire life cycle away from the coast, in the endless waters of the oceans. And their brothers settle only on land, setting off to drift on the waves only for the sake of prey. However, in addition to these two opposite types, there is also a third. Its representatives spend part of their time in the coastal zone, and the other - in the waters of the seas and oceans.
As one would expect, the world of birds was not without human intervention. People often used birds as a source of food. And for experienced fishermen and experienced sailors, they served as a guide. Of course, human activity does not go unnoticed, and now many species are on the verge of extinction. Unfortunately, some exist only on the pages of the Red Book.
Birds and their structure
Specialists who have a wealth of knowledge about the characteristic features of a particular species can easily determine how its representatives eat, how they hunt and in what area they live. Of great importance is the shape and length of the wings. So, representatives of birds, which have a small scope, belong to the species of diving. Whereas birds with long wings most often live in deep ocean areas. For example, the wandering albatross is a bird that travels countless kilometers in the hope of feasting. However, representatives of this species eventually squander their ability to fly long distances. Many of them have already chosen bays or piers where fishing boats often moor.
Everything in nature tends to adapt itself to convenience. Why fly into the endless expanses of water, if food is so available on the shore? Albatross is a bird that even slightly changed the structure of its wings in the process of evolution. Now these beauties often do not use the active flight technique, but have changed to dynamic or inclined soaring. That is, albatrosses simply catch the flow of air masses and maneuver.
Webbed feet and the sense of smell
Almost all seabirds have webbed feet, which makes it much easier for them to move in the water. But this is not all the advantages of the structure. For example, many petrels have a highly developed sense of smell. Thanks to this, they can accurately determine the location of prey in the vast expanses of the ocean.
Cormorant - a bird with a special structure of feathers
All representatives of marine species, except for cormorants and certain varieties of terns, have plumage soaked in a layer of fat. This water-repellent property provides reliable protection against getting wet, while dense down ensures a constant body temperature even in cold water. The cormorant is a bird that has an advantage over its other relatives, which consists in the special structure of feathers. This allows him not to freeze even if you have to dive a lot and for a long time. A larger specific gravity provides this representative of birds with the possibility of a long stay under water.
Penguin
Almost all representatives of the seabird family have a plumage color of black, gray or white tones. However, there are birds that have brighter and more colorful colors. For example, a penguin is a bird, some species of which are owners of multi-colored plumage in the neck and chest. Color is very important in the wild. Its main function is camouflage, that is, the ability to merge with the color scheme of a certain area. This allows not only birds, but all animals to hide from the attack of a predator or not to give themselves away while hunting for prey.
Description
The penguin is the bird that scientists believe is the most socialized. Their colonies have a huge number of individuals. They spend most of their life cycle in water. Penguins go on land only to conceive and raise offspring. The peculiarities of their structure allow these representatives of the feathered family to survive in conditions of extremely low temperatures. Dense straight plumage creates a powerful barrier to the cold.
Heavy bones and wings that act as fins make penguins frisky swimmers, able to dive very deep. The streamlined shape of the body helps them perfectly cut through the expanses of water, and in case of danger - deftly get away from the predator. Their feathers do not get wet and effectively retain heat due to the constant treatment with fat secreted by the gland in the tail area. All species except the emperor penguin nest. They settle in the rocks, preparing a place for future offspring from stones and earthy breasts. Those who do not need nests place the eggs under the skin sac. There is also a chick for the first time after birth. In a pair, the female and male take turns incubating the egg.
Seagull and other interesting birds
Another waterfowl is the seagull. It feeds mainly on small fish. It obtains food in various ways: catching on the surface, diving from the air to a certain depth, hunting under water with pursuit, and does not disdain representatives of higher vertebrates.
The first principle is explained by the presence of various water currents, which often contribute to pushing the small inhabitants of the seas and oceans to shallow depths. This is what the birds are waiting for, being on the surface. They just need to dip their heads into the water, as the prey is in the beak. The second type of food production is used by typhoons, frigates and storm petrels. They deftly soar above the sea surface, making an instant dive into the water and picking up food on the go. Most of them have a hard time taking off if they land on the water surface. Some gulls, including petrels, on the contrary, hunt afloat. Although the previous type of hunting is by no means alien to them. Sooty albatrosses, slender-billed petrels and many other seabirds can dive to depths of up to 70 m in pursuit of prey. Of particular importance is the structure of the beak. So, many albatrosses have lamellar outgrowths around the perimeter, which allows them to filter and retain plankton from the water. Phaetons, boobies, terns and pelicans dive into the waves directly from a height. They often work in tandem with other ocean dwellers.
Since water must have a maximum degree of transparency for effective viewing from the air, hunting in the wild does not always occur according to the intended principle. When visibility is limited, members of this species look for concentrations of dolphins as well as tuna. When swimming, they help push schools of fish to a shallow depth from the surface, where they are caught by pelicans and the like.
Settlements of bird colonies are found in tropical latitudes, for example, in the Pacific Islands. Christmas, outside the Arctic Circle - in Antarctica. Albatrosses breed in small numbers, while guillemots and guillemots hold the record for colony density.
hatchets and guillemots
The northern seabird is a frequenter of numerous traditional bird bazaars. Hatchet and guillemot are considered the champions among those who are able to gather in such a densely populated area. Thanks to their short wings, they are excellently immersed in water, providing themselves with food. These representatives can be called the most adapted to sea waters. Their chicks, which are not yet able to fly, fall out of their nests in the rocky terrain right into the waves.
This is where they feed and grow. Many at the same time, of course, die, breaking on the rocky terrain. When cold weather approaches, all the inhabitants of the colonies fly away into the endless expanses of water. Some of the seabirds are migratory. They wait out the cold in warmer regions, then return home. Others are nomadic. Many seabirds fly long distances, sometimes changing latitude, and can only return to their birthplace in a circle. Sometimes the entire life cycle is not enough for such a route.
Conclusion
Seabirds, like many other inhabitants of the waters, often become victims of environmental disasters or poaching. The number of birds largely depends on human actions.
- The Curonian Bay of the Baltic Sea: description, water temperature and the underwater world
- Ecological groups of birds by type of food Ecological birds examples
- A fairy tale in reality - the animal world of the Red Sea: a sketch about underwater inhabitants Dangerous fish of the Red Sea hurghada
- Parnassius (Parnassius)