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<p>This study investigates the long-term changes in composition and functional role of benthic bivalve mollusks in the upper Neva Estuary (Neva Bay, eastern Gulf of Finland) on the basis of field data collected in 2022–24 and historical records spanning more than four decades. Despite sustained anthropogenic pressure, including port development and urban wastewater discharge, bivalves remain dominant in zoobenthic biomass and organic matter (OM) processing by benthic invertebrates. Currently, large unionids prevail, particularly in the southwestern bay, where they are associated with elevated phytoplankton production and contribute to pelagic–benthic coupling. In contrast, the role of small sphaeriids—once dominant in the 1980s and crucial for an estuary’s self-purification—has declined sharply. This shift reflects a transition from an allochthonous OM source, driven by improved wastewater treatment and climate-related increases in primary production. In 2022, the invasive <i>Dreissena polymorpha</i> was recorded in the Neva Bay for the first time, likely indicating changing trophic conditions that now support additional filter-feeding species. Our findings highlight the importance of historical baselines for understanding ecosystem change and underscore the overlooked functional value of small-bodied taxa such as Sphaeriidae, which can drive OM mineralization and secondary production. Finally, the study demonstrates the potential of using bivalves—especially metabolically active, pollution-tolerant sphaeriids—as a nature-based solution for water purification in urbanized estuaries. These insights are critical for designing effective management strategies in systems undergoing similar trophic and hydrological transformations.</p>

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Tiny clams, big function: long-term shifts in bivalve-mediated self-purification in the estuarine system of the Neva River

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年2月9日

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  • Sergey Golubkov,
  • Dmitry Dmitriev,
  • Mikhail Golubkov

摘要

This study investigates the long-term changes in composition and functional role of benthic bivalve mollusks in the upper Neva Estuary (Neva Bay, eastern Gulf of Finland) on the basis of field data collected in 2022–24 and historical records spanning more than four decades. Despite sustained anthropogenic pressure, including port development and urban wastewater discharge, bivalves remain dominant in zoobenthic biomass and organic matter (OM) processing by benthic invertebrates. Currently, large unionids prevail, particularly in the southwestern bay, where they are associated with elevated phytoplankton production and contribute to pelagic–benthic coupling. In contrast, the role of small sphaeriids—once dominant in the 1980s and crucial for an estuary’s self-purification—has declined sharply. This shift reflects a transition from an allochthonous OM source, driven by improved wastewater treatment and climate-related increases in primary production. In 2022, the invasive Dreissena polymorpha was recorded in the Neva Bay for the first time, likely indicating changing trophic conditions that now support additional filter-feeding species. Our findings highlight the importance of historical baselines for understanding ecosystem change and underscore the overlooked functional value of small-bodied taxa such as Sphaeriidae, which can drive OM mineralization and secondary production. Finally, the study demonstrates the potential of using bivalves—especially metabolically active, pollution-tolerant sphaeriids—as a nature-based solution for water purification in urbanized estuaries. These insights are critical for designing effective management strategies in systems undergoing similar trophic and hydrological transformations.