ИСТИНА

In the transshipment roadstead area of the Kerch Strait, 76 s pecies of animals have been recorded in 2003–2013. Species density was 4.86±0.21 species/0.1 m2 on average, which was 1.1–1.3 times lower than the average species density in the Kerch Strait. Zoo-benthos abundance, on average, equaled to 240±31 ind./m2, which was 2.8–4.5 times lower than the average value across the strait. In terms of species richness and zoobenthos abu n-dance, participation of crustaceans has been decreasing. As a group with the prevailing abundance, crustaceans have been replaced by polychaetes. Even though the share of pol y-chaetes in the total zoobentos abundance has been decreasing with time, their species ric h-ness and abundance did not differ significantly from the average values across the strait. Exploitation of the outer roadstead area was also associated with the reduction in species richness and abundance of bivalve molluscs. Over the course of time, a decreasing trend for species density and abundance of the zoobenthos in the roadstead area was observed.