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Green algae Cladophora spp. inhabit waters with wide ranges of salinity and temperature, and their productivity is much higher than terrestrial plants. In natural waters, including hypersaline, they occupy large areas producing large biomass. Summing up and analyzing data from about 273 published articles, the review demonstrates the high production potential of Cladophora spp. and the diverse rich biochemical content of their biomass giving the prosperous possibility of their wide applications in agri–/aquaculture. As a fertilizer, they can be utilized by different methods (biochar, dry algae powder, etc.). Their extracts are effective growth stimulants for different cultivated plant species. Biomass is a promising fount of carbohydrates, vitamins, polyunsaturated fatty acids, proteins, essential microelements, and other biologically active compounds for the nutrition of animals and humans. Now their biomass is used in the feeding of livestock and chickens. It is also a valuable feed supplement for a variety of fish species, which may substitute up to 28% artificial feed in fish/shrimp cultivation. Cladophora co–farming with fish/shrimp reduces the use of artificial feed increasing commercial profitability. A wide use of Cladophora in agri–/aquaculture is economical and also mitigates environmental problems by reducing needs in agrarian land, and freshwater use, and likewise diminishing the emission of greenhouse gas methane by livestock. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our sustainable environmental management must be based on adequate ecological concepts. The question arises: what concept is better to use for understanding and management of ecosystems? To look for an answer, we concentrate our attention on saline lakes. Every ecosystem has several alternative stable states and may demonstrate regime shifts, which are large, abrupt, persistent changes in the structure and function of a system. To understand the dynamics of ecosystems the Concept of Multiplicity of Ecosystem Alternative Stable States as a new ecological paradigm has been developed recently. The author analyzes the emerging paradigm using the case of saline lakes, and discusses how to base our adaptive environmental management on the developing paradigm. Different issues of development of the concept and its application to salinology as a scientific basis of an integrated management of a saline lake and its watershed are discussed. The concept may serve as one of the key theoretical elements of the scientific basis in sustainable environmental management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Filamentous green algae play an important functional role in element cycling and productivity in the different water bodies. In hypersaline lakes and lagoons of the Crimea, filamentous green algae are present and form bottom and floating mats that occupy large areas with high biomass, up to 4–5 kg (wet biomass)/m2. Cladophora spp. dominated in those mats. Five species of filamentous green algae (Chlorophyta) in Lake Chersonesskoye: Cladophora vadorum (Aresch.) Kütz., C. siwaschensisC. Meyer, C. echinus (Biasol.) Kütz., Ulothrix implexa (Kütz.) Kütz., Rhizoclonium tortuosum (Dillw.) Kütz., and seagrass (Angiospermae) Ruppia cirrhosa (Petagna) Grande were found. Cladophora spp. and R. cirrhosa were found in the lake throughout the year, other types of algae were encountered episodically. In most cases the biomass of bottom mat exceeded that of the floating mat. In general, the total biomass of the bottom and floating mats in the lake areas at depths up to 30 cm was in a stable range of values from 100 to 290 mg (dry weight)/cm 2. Animal and infusorian average abundance in mats reach high values: infusorians—up to 15 000 000 ind./m2, Cletocamptus retrogressus (Copepoda, Harpacticoida)—up to 730 000 ind./m2, Eucypris mareotica (Ostracoda)—up to 91 000 ind./m2 and Chironomidae larvae (Insecta, Diptera)—up to 140 ind./m2. Those values were much higher than in the plankton. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]