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How did reduced Don River discharge affect salinity and fish catches in the Sea of Azov?
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Don River
The Don River at Rostov-na-Donu, Russia.
The intensive economic development of the Don River basin, particularly the construction of the Tsimlyansk Reservoir and the expansion of irrigation, has led to a significant reduction in the volume of water discharged into the Sea of Azov.
This decrease in freshwater inflow has caused the salinity of the sea to rise considerably. Because the Sea of Azov relies on the discharge of rivers like the Don to maintain its low-salinity environment, this shift has negatively impacted the ecosystem by diminishing the sea's biological productivity and lowering fish catches.1