101 fish species and rare seal: What makes Caspian Sea unique
A substantial part of the Caspian Sea's biological diversity consists of unique species found nowhere else in the world, Russian Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Ecology Dmitry Tetenkin said on Thursday at the Regional Ecological Summit in Astana, Qazinform News Agency reports.
"The Caspian Sea is an evolutionary laboratory, isolated from the rest of the world for millions of years. 44% of all species living here are endemics — creatures that have adapted to life in a closed system with its specific salt composition," Tetenkin noted.
The Caspian Sea is home to 101 recorded fish species and holds the majority of the world's sturgeon. The region's only marine mammal, the Caspian seal, is listed in the Red Book and is under threat of population decline.
Thus, the Caspian Sea remains one of the key natural sites of global ecological significance, requiring special protection measures and international cooperation.
Qazinform reported earlier that up to 100 mln tons of dust rise annually from the Aral Sea’s dry bed.