Biofilms of the Western Basin of the ultrahaline Large Aral Sea: a zone of high microphyte diversity in the realm of salt

The Large Aral Sea continues to dry up decreasing in size and fragmenting into small ultrahypersaline water bodies, yet it remains one of the most biologically diverse aquatic systems in Central Asia. Meanwhile, the diversity of microphytes inhabiting these waters is steadily declining. Research conducted in the coastal area of the Western Basin of the Large Sea in October 2021 revealed that microphytic cenoses in the form of biofilms developed in coastal hyperhaline groundwater outflows. These outflows are frequently found along the western shore from spring to late autumn and have significantly lower salinity compared to the sea water. Several types of communities were species-rich and were associated with different microhabitat conditions of streams and sheet flow. Their composition included mass development of microphyte species – both those that previously inhabited the Large Aral Sea under lower salinity conditions, and new species not previously recorded in the sea or small residual coastal water bodies around it (shallow lagoons), as well as in streams originating from groundwater sources on the dried seabed. Such stream biotopes serve as reservoirs for numerous species capable of recolonizing the Aral Sea if salinity decreases.

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