Did the Aral sea change into the “dead sea”? A Russian scientist who organized expeditions to the Aral sea 21 times answered this question
Now the salt content of the water remained in the eastern and western parts of the Aral sea on the territory of Karakalpakstan constitutes 120-160 gramm/litre. Most sea plants and animals usually die because of such level of salinity. But it doesn’t mean that the Aral sea changed into the “dead sea”. Today in the remained water of the sea there are scorpions- artemias with gills and their cysts, phytoplanktons, benthos and other living species. The information concerning these issues was given in the report of the Russian scientist P.O.Zaviylov at the scientific-theoretical conference on the topic «Ecological issues of preservation, revival and protection of biological species on the coast of the South Aral seaside» that was held on November 28 at Nukus state pedagogical institute named after Ajiniyaz.
A corresponding-member of the Academy of Sciences of Russia, Doctor of Geographical sciences, an assistant director of the institute of Oceanology named after P.P.Shirshov professor P.O.Zaviylov is one of the well-known experts on the problems of the Aral sea, under his leadership there were organized 21 expeditions on the territories of Kazakhstan and the Republic of Karakalpakstan. During the expeditions there were defined and analyzed the level of water’s salinity in the sea, circulation and biological species.
The scientist gave the hydrological characteristics of the water in the Aral sea for the last 20 years in his report.
At the end of the conference there was signed the contract about mutual cooperation by the rector of the institute B.P.Utemuratov and the Russian Academy of Sciences with the purpose of realizing the following work in future: to organize mutual expeditions for carrying out the necessary work in the dry bottom of the Aral sea, to involve the institute’s professors, teachers and young scientists, to write together monographers and manuals on the actual scientific-research problems of the Aral seaside.
Islam Matekov,
Press secretary of NSPI.