ABSTRACT
We evaluated ecological status in the region of mixing of river and sea waters in the northern Caspian Sea with high anthropogenic pressure. We studied the regions of Volga River fore-delta, the water areas neighboring ancient hydrological transects, and the sea regions between the transects. The water areas were evaluated by biochemical degradation of organic compounds (proteinase and amylase activities) in water and bottom sediments as well as hydrochemical indices of water (salt composition and contents of dissolved oxygen and biogenic compounds). In conditions of active vegetation of phytoplankton and higher aquatic plants soon after the highest wave of the Volga flood, we studied distribution of hydrolytic enzyme activities involved in the global production/destruction cycle of high molecular weight organic compounds (proteins and polysaccharides). The data obtained with the trypsin-azocasein and alpha-amylase-modified starch tests indicates pollution of water and surface sediments in the lower reaches of Volga and the inflow sea regions.
