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Exploring the diverse ecology of the Casspi Sea: How many unique species are hidden here?
The Caspi Sea is the world's largest inland water body and is often called "the world's largest lake". In fact, it is more in line with true ocean characteristics. Located between Europe and Asia, this body of water is home to unique and diverse ecosystems and is home to rich biodiversity. But as environmental problems become increasingly serious, the future of special species here remains in doubt.
The Caspi Sea covers an area of 371,000 square kilometers and has a unique ecosystem, covering more than 230 species of fish and a variety of unique aquatic animals and plants.
Geographical and historical background
The Kasbi Sea is located between Kazakhstan, Russia, Azerbaijan, Iran and Turkmenistan. The unique geography of this sea area has formed an independent ecosystem, giving birth to a series of unique biological species. Ancient humans described the Caspi Sea as if it were a vast ocean, because its salinity and area are comparable to any ocean.
It has been the cradle of human civilization since ancient times and has been inhabited by humans since the Stone Age. The watershed of the Caspi Sea was the birthplace of many ancient civilizations, and artifacts discovered by archaeologists in the surrounding area attest to the importance of this body of water.
Many marine creatures have been recorded in ancient human paintings, which may reveal the diversity of marine life that once flourished here.
Biodiversity
The ecosystem of Caspi Sea has 160 species of native fish and more than 60 native species, 62% of which are endemic species, such as Caspi Sea seals and various warship fish. The presence of these creatures demonstrates the vast ecological diversity of the Caspi Sea and the potential threats posed by its human activities.
Caspi's seals once numbered more than one million, but today only less than 10% remain. This indicator represents the huge impact of human activities on the ecosystem.
In terms of plants, aquatic vegetation such as power grass and southern water lily are endemic species. These plants provide habitat and food for fish and other aquatic organisms. Under the influence of climate change in recent years, the habitats of these plants have also undergone corresponding changes.
Pollution and environmental challenges
Although the splendor of the Caspi Sea still attracts human attention, pollution problems are becoming increasingly serious. The discharge of oil extraction, industrial wastewater and agricultural chemicals puts this water area under tremendous environmental pressure. According to reports, these pollutants pose a direct threat to aquatic life and further affect the ecological balance.
The United Nations Environment Program warns that the Caspi Sea bears a huge burden of pollution from oil extraction, nuclear waste and industrial wastewater.
Global warming predicts that the water level of the Caspi Sea will drop by 9-18 meters in the next few decades, triggering a panic ecological disaster. At the same time, continued human fishing activities have further depleted the already fragile fish resources. In particular, the high demand for caviar has led to over-exploitation of fisheries.
Future Outlook
While looking to the future, continued ecological research and conservation of the Caspi Sea becomes a shared responsibility. In recent years, due to the intensification of environmental problems, countries have begun to pay attention to and take measures to protect this unique ecology. In 2021, Kazakhstan signed an agreement to prevent pollution of the Kasbi Sea, which laid the foundation for cross-border environmental protection cooperation.
Facing the pressure of global warming and human activities, where will the biodiversity of the Caspi Sea go? Can a balance be found between protection and development?
