Updating Methodological Approaches for Resource Research on the Hyperhaline Bolshoe Yarovoe Lake (Altai Territory)

Bolshoe Yarovoe Lake (Altai Territory) belongs to hypersaline, relatively deep reservoir with a stable fishery for the valuable bioresource Artemia (at the stage of cysts). The temperature regime of the lake causes an uneven vertical distribution of crustaceans and Artemia cysts (Anostraca: Crustacea). For a more efficient assessment of the volume of the “living” zone for crustaceans and Artemia cysts in 2021, zooplankton samples were collected using a large plankton network with a diameter of 0.5 m and a parallel closing plankton network with a diameter of 0.25 m. The samples were collected along the sections (horizons) of the water column in increments of 2.0 m. A comparative analysis of data obtained using different models of the plankton network revealed differences in the number of crustaceans and Artemia cysts in different horizons of the water column within 7.6% to 13.1%, no significant differences were observed. The use of closing plankton network has several advantages and allows for the acquisition of data comparable to the long-term indicators average values calculated during sampling with a large plankton grid, which ensures the continuity of scientific data.