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ON THE POPULATIONS OF Melinna palmata GRUBE AT THE
ROUMANIAN LITTORAL OF THE BLACK SEA 


M-T. Gomoiu 
Institut Roumain de Recherches Marines Constanta

Abstract
On the basis of the samples collected in 1982 it was established
that the populations of the tube polychaete Mellina palmata at the
Romanian littoral that had been scarce before, have become extremely
abundant lately (on an average 2,331 specimens/m2 and 73.2 g/m2, but
the maximum exeeds 17.700 specimens/m2 and 570 g/m2); they live at 
depths of 20-40 m in a zone larger than 2,200 km2. The increase of
the Mellina populations which is the result of recent accumulations
of organic matter sediments has a great importance. 
Under the circumstances of organic pollution in the north-western 
part of the Black Sea and of frequent in the oxygen concentration 
as a result of the "red tide, Mellina is the only organism able to
stand these conditions, to use the organic matter and thus become 
an important trophic basis for demersal fishes (for sturgeons,
especially).