Russian Journal of Earth Sciences Russian Journal of Earth Sciences Russian Journal of Earth Sciences 1681-1208 6a9c160d32807fdbab870b96 10.2205/2026es001137 mkanii ОРИГИНАЛЬНЫЕ СТАТЬИ ORIGINAL ARTICLES ОРИГИНАЛЬНЫЕ СТАТЬИ Dynamics of Anthropogenic Pollutant Spread From Taganrog Bay Into the Sea of Azov Dynamics of Anthropogenic Pollutant Spread From Taganrog Bay Into the Sea of Azov https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2291-6792 Будянский М. В. Budyansky M. V. Белоненко Татьяна Васильевна Belonenko Tatyana Vasil'evna btvlisab@yandex.ru

доктор географических наук;

doctor of geographical sciences;

 https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7254-9313 Травкин Владимир Станиславович Travkin Vladimir Stanislavovich vtravkin99@gmail.com https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7873-6697 Шульга Татьяна Я. Shulga Tatiana Ya. shulgaty@mail.ru

кандидат физико-математических наук;

candidate of physical and mathematical sciences;

 https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6499-1470 Улейский Михаил Юрьевич Uleysky Michael Yurievich Санкт-Петербургский государственный университет Санкт-Петербург St. Petersburg State University St. Petersburg Тихоокеанский океанологический институт им. В.И. Ильичева ДВО РАН Россия V. I. Il‘ichev Pacific Oceanological Institute FEB RAS Russian Federation Санкт-Петербургский государственный университет Санкт-Петербург Россия Saint Petersburg State University Saint Petersburg Russian Federation Санкт-Петербургский Политехнический Университет Петра Великого Россия Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University Russian Federation Морской гидрофизический институт РАН Россия Marine Hydrophysical Institute of RAS Russian Federation Государственный океанографический институт имени Н.Н. Зубова Россия N. N. Zubov State Oceanographic Institute Russian Federation Морской гидрофизический институт РАН Севастополь Россия Marine Hidrophysical Institute of RAS Sevastopol Russian Federation Тихоокеанский океанологический институт им. В.И. Ильичева ДВО РАН Россия V. I. Il‘ichev Pacific Oceanological Institute FEB RAS Russian Federation 02 09 2026 02 09 2026 ES3017 17 12 2025 22 04 2026 © 2026 Будянский М.В., Белоненко Т.В., Травкин В.С., Шульга Т.Я., Улейский М.Ю. © 2026 Budyansky M.V., Belonenko T.V., Travkin V.S., Shulga T.Y., Uleysky M.Y. 2026 Будянский М. В., Белоненко Татьяна Васильевна, Травкин Владимир Станиславович, Шульга Татьяна Я., Улейский Михаил Юрьевич Budyansky M. V., Belonenko Tatyana Vasil'evna, Travkin Vladimir Stanislavovich, Shulga Tatiana Ya., Uleysky Michael Yurievich https://rjes.ru/en/nauka/publications/6a9c160d32807fdbab870b96/view

The Taganrog Bay is the most ecologically vulnerable water area of the Sea of Azov, subjected to significant anthropogenic impact from the ports of Mariupol and Taganrog, as well as the Don River discharge. This paper analyzes the processes of potential pollution transfer from the bay into the Sea of Azov using a three-dimensional Princeton Ocean Model hydrodynamic model and Lagrangian modeling of passive particle trajectories. Model circulation was calculated for 2020 with high spatial resolution, followed by numerical tracking of 7,350,000 virtual particles placed in the main pollution zones. Lagrangian analysis identified key transport pathways, accumulation and retention zones for pollutants, and seasonal variability of water exchange through the Dolzhansky Strait. It is shown that the transfer of potential pollution is determined by a combination of wind forcing, Don discharge, and local circulation. Comparison of model results with MODIS satellite data (2000–2024) confirms the spatial patterns of organic matter distribution and the identified transport directions. The obtained results can be used to assess ecological risks associated with the outflow of pollution into the Sea of Azov and to justify environmental protection measures in the region.

The Taganrog Bay is the most ecologically vulnerable water area of the Sea of Azov, subjected to significant anthropogenic impact from the ports of Mariupol and Taganrog, as well as the Don River discharge. This paper analyzes the processes of potential pollution transfer from the bay into the Sea of Azov using a three-dimensional Princeton Ocean Model hydrodynamic model and Lagrangian modeling of passive particle trajectories. Model circulation was calculated for 2020 with high spatial resolution, followed by numerical tracking of 7,350,000 virtual particles placed in the main pollution zones. Lagrangian analysis identified key transport pathways, accumulation and retention zones for pollutants, and seasonal variability of water exchange through the Dolzhansky Strait. It is shown that the transfer of potential pollution is determined by a combination of wind forcing, Don discharge, and local circulation. Comparison of model results with MODIS satellite data (2000–2024) confirms the spatial patterns of organic matter distribution and the identified transport directions. The obtained results can be used to assess ecological risks associated with the outflow of pollution into the Sea of Azov and to justify environmental protection measures in the region.

 anthropogenic pollutants spread dynamics Taganrog Bay Sea of Azov Lagrangian modeling anthropogenic pollutants spread dynamics Taganrog Bay Sea of Azov Lagrangian modeling This work was supported by Saint Petersburg State University (Grant No. 129659573), the Russian Science Foundation (Grant No. 25-17-00021), the Pacific Oceanological Institute of the Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences (State Assignment No. 124022100072-5, “Fundamental principles of adaptive strategies for ecosystem development under global climate change”), the Moscow State University of Geodesy and Cartography of the Russian Academy of Sciences (State Assignment No. FNNN-2024-0012, “Analysis, diagnosis and real-time forecast of the state of hydrophysical and hydrochemical fields of marine water areas based on mathematical modelling using data from remote and in situ methods of measurements”), and the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation (Agreement No. 075-03-2026-218, Project FSEG-2026-0020). The authors express their gratitude for the financial support of this research to Saint Petersburg State University, the Pacific Oceanological Institute of the Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, and the Moscow State University of Geodesy and Cartography of the Russian Academy of Sciences. This work was supported by Saint Petersburg State University (Grant No. 129659573), the Russian Science Foundation (Grant No. 25-17-00021), the Pacific Oceanological Institute of the Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences (State Assignment No. 124022100072-5, “Fundamental principles of adaptive strategies for ecosystem development under global climate change”), the Moscow State University of Geodesy and Cartography of the Russian Academy of Sciences (State Assignment No. FNNN-2024-0012, “Analysis, diagnosis and real-time forecast of the state of hydrophysical and hydrochemical fields of marine water areas based on mathematical modelling using data from remote and in situ methods of measurements”), and the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation (Agreement No. 075-03-2026-218, Project FSEG-2026-0020). The authors express their gratitude for the financial support of this research to Saint Petersburg State University, the Pacific Oceanological Institute of the Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, and the Moscow State University of Geodesy and Cartography of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

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