Flora of Cyanophyta (Cyanobacteriota) of the coastal zone of Gogland Island (Gulf of Finland, Baltic Sea)

Abstract

Gogland Island is the most remote and inaccessible area of the Russian waters of the Gulf of Finland in the Baltic Sea. The features of its geological structure and rocky coasts strongly distinguish it from other islands of the water area. Despite the uniqueness of nature, information about the species composition of Cyanophytes of the coastal zone of the island was previously limited to only 5 species. The goal of this work was to study the coastal flora of Cyanophyta (Cyanobacteriota). According to the literature and original data, 65 cyanophytes species from 10 orders, 18 families and 37 genera have been identified. The similarity of the composition of the leading taxa of the coastal zones of Gogland Island, the reserve «Northern Coast of the Neva Bay» and the Berezovy Islands archipelago is noted. The ecological composition of the flora of the coast of the island of Gogland was characterized by the predominance of benthic species over planktonic and planktonic-benthic, as well as freshwater-brackish over freshwater, brackish and euryhaline. The species Nodularia litorea, Heteroleibleinia kuetzingii and Leibleinia epiphytica were most widespread in the plankton of the coastal zone of the island, and Calothrix contarenii, C. scopulorum, H. kuetzingii and H. willei was in benthos. Representatives of epiphytic cyanophytes were the most diverse in comparison with the inhabitants of other substrates. 5 potentially toxic species have been identified.