Virio- and bacterioplankton of the Barents Sea in the autumn

The water area of the Kola Bay is an important place for marine and near-water birds during spring-autumn migrations and wintering periods. The results of counts of wintering birds in different parts of the bay in 2020–2021 are presented. The observations were carried out on the coast areas of the bay with the adjacent water area (Gryaznaya Bay, the area of the Kola Bridge). In general, in the southern and middle parts of the Kola Bay, the most numerous species in winter were common eider Somateria mollissima,long-tailed duck Clangula hyemalis, mallard Anas platyrhynchos, and glaucous gull Larus hyperboreus. During the observations, a relatively low nymber of wintering purple sandpipers Calidris maritima was noted in comparison to previous years. The composition of the bird fauna in the Kola Bay is fairly constant during the winter. Abrupt weather changes, such as warming, cooling, or snowstorms, c ause only small movements of birds within the wintering area.