Formation of biogeography, its methodological features, and its status as interdisciplinary science combining biological and geographical aspects are discussed. There is noted that the descriptive period of biogeography has passed, and now any «manifestation of life on the globe» requires its explanation. These explanations are reduced to three non-adversarial restrictions: environmental (ecology), temporal (history of origin, evolution), and spatial (geography). General regularities of life distribution over the Earth surface are analyzed, in particular the features of pelagic organisms habitat, and the concept of «dynamic biogeography» is discussed. Latitudinal zoning of epi- and mesopelagic layers in the Far-Eastern Seas of Russia and adjacent Pacific waters is proposed on the basis of data about areas and distribution of 493 species of nekton (fishes and squids) for the 30-year period (1980-2009) obtained from 27 thousand trawl samples caught in 272 expeditions. This zoning uses a new approach related to the chorological direction in marine biogeography realized with the index of latitudinal zoning (ILZ). For this index calculation, all types of species areas (formerly expressed in verbal forms) were identified with numerical codes, which were averaged for all species in each sample, then the regions with certain ILZ values and borders between them were determined on the maps of ILZ distribution, and latitudinal zones and subzones were defined. There is found that the epipelagic layer of the Okhotsk and Bering Seas corresponds to the high-boreal latitudinal subzone and the epipelagic layer of the northwestern Japan Sea and the major part of Russian EEZ in the Pacific corresponds to the low-boreal latitudinal subzone. Fauna of nekton in the mesopelagic layer of all studied regions corresponds by its chorological structure to the low-boreal latitudinal subzone. So, zoning of epipelagic and mezopelagic layers is significantly different, with the fragmentation reducing with depth, possibly due to weakening of climatic factors influence. The biogeographical zoning is not literally zonal but corresponds to structure of the environments (water masses, fronts, currents, gyres, eddies, etc.).

Intrapopulation differentiation of the two large population systems of sockeye salmon from the Kamchatka and Apuka Rivers in East Kamchatka is considered by analysis of 45 SNP loci. Four samples were analyzed: 2 from the lower Kamchatka River (20 specimens for early run and 100 specimens for late run), 1 from the basin of Lake Azabachye belonged to the same system ( n = 81), and 1 from the Apuka River (53 specimens for mass run). No genetic differences were found between the samples for early run and late run in the Kamchatka River, though the late run sockeye could be subdivided into two genetically and morphologically different groupings, probably spawning in different biotopes: the first represented by small, fast-growing and early maturing individuals and the second represented by bigger, late maturing ones. For the Apuka River, the hypothesis was corroborated on simultaneous run of two genetically and ecologically different groupings of sockeye salmon: they differed statistically by allele and genotype frequencies of SNP loci. The intrapopulation differentiation is comparable or even exceeds the interpopulation differences for sockeye salmon of neighbor populations, though it is unobvious for geographically remote populations. This differentiation is supposedly caused by differences of natural selection in some SNP loci for different habitats.

The stock of the Amur fall chum salmon ( Oncorhynchys keta ) was low in 2000-2005 (annual catches varied in the range of 500-1300 t) but began to increase since 2006 and the catch exceeded 22000 t in 2014. The increasing was accompanied by gradual decrease of abundance for downstream-migrant juveniles of this species. This opposite effect could be related both with excessive fishing pressure and lack of producers or with excess of the producers number over an optimum, i.e. overloading of spawning grounds - that determines strategy of fishery management. To understand the juveniles lowering, the progeny-parents relationship is considered. It is described by original equation for the difference between the number of spawners and number of progeny. The optimal value of the spawners number is defined as approximately 4.5 · 10⁶ ind. Recently the number of producers regularly exceeds the optimum. So, recent catch values are not excessive, but insufficient, in spite of low number of downstream-migrant juveniles. This conclusion is consistent with conception on harm of spawning grounds overloading for salmons reproduction. Possible consequences of this local stock management on the base of strategy of constant exploitation coefficient and permanent residue are discussed.

Several population parameters (length and dynamics of spawning run, size-sex composition, variability of morphological and physiological characteristics) are determined and indices of survival are calculated for the pink salmon hatchery stocks from the Aniva Bay of the 2008-2011 generations on the base of the cultured pink salmon differentiation by thermal marks on otoliths. The hatchery pink salmon begin their migration to the bay rivers in late July, together with the wild fish. Size-weight parameters of the fish and their variability are similar for the hatchery and wild stocks in this period, obviously because of low impact of hatcheries on natural reproduction and high portion of wild fish among the spawners used in the hatcheries (> 50 %). Mean portion of the hatchery-reared pink salmon on spawning grounds of the main rivers was 17.9 % in the 2010-2013, the coefficients of their return varied from 1.0 % to 6.4 % that was lower than for the wild fish.

Sex structure, growth, maturing and spawning of clam Mercenaria stimpsoni at Primorye coast (Japan Sea) are considered on the data of histological analysis of gonad tissue preparations and gonad smears collected in diving surveys conducted eastward from Cape Povorotny in the summer-fall of 2006-2009 and 2012-2013. The mollusk dwells on sandy or muddy-sandy grounds at the depth to 20 m along the coast opened to surf waves. Its annual increments were identified in radial section of the outer layer of shell between the umbo and ventral margin. Its mature begins at the age 7-8 years with the shell length about 40 mm; all mollusks become mature at the age 10-11 years when their shell reaches the size 50-55 mm, so transition from juvenile to mature clam lasts about 3 years. The shell length of half-maturing is 43.5 mm that corresponds to the age 9-10 years. Males prevail among small-sized M. stimpsoni (40-44 mm) with the ratio 1.26 : 0.74, but the sex ratio is equal for the basic mature stock, and females prevail among large-sized clams with the ratio 0.70 : 1.30, so the sex ratio for the whole surveyed area is approximately equal. M. stimpsoni spawns there from mid-August to mid-September, with the mass spawning in late August - early September, under the water temperature 13-19^оC.

Structure of commercial hunting on northern fur seal at Tyuleny Island is considered including effectiveness of podding, age-sex composition of the podded and captured animals, age structure of culled males, and reasons of culling. In total, the number from 2650 to 5099 of fur seals were podded during the harvest seasons of 1990-2008, 45.80 ± 2.17 % of them were killed and 54.20 ± 2.16 % were released. The bachelors prevailed among the podded animals, as well as in the bachelor rookeries (51.70 ± 2.56 %). The bulls were more numerous in the pod (35.80 ± 2.12 %) in compare with the half-bulls (10.20 ± 0.99 %) and the females (2.00 ± 0.85 %). Among the harvested animals, the bachelors prevailed, as well (93.50 ± 1.06 %), whereas the bulls, females, and half-bulls weren’t numerous (3.83 ± 0.87 %, 2.51 ± 0.67 %, 1.49 ± 0.29 %, respectively); frequency of the bulls and females captures changed from year to year. The most numerous age group of captured seals was the 3-year old animals (52.80 ± 1.60 %). All groups were presented among the culling animals, but the bachelors prevailed. The most common reason for culling was injuring of seals by commercial fishery wastes (scraps of fishing nets, ropes, packaging tapes, etc.): 64.20 ± 6.86 % of the culled animals were injured by the wastes.

Lycodes soldatovi is one of the dominant mezobental fish species in the Okhotsk Sea, it has a commercial value. The minimal length for its sustainable fishery is defined on the base of mass measurements of 12075 ind., biological analysis of 3993 ind., and age determination for 628 ind. Its maximal registered length is 83 cm, the length of mass maturation is about 57 cm. The latter can be considered as the fishing length limit. Landings of L. soldatovi are low and do not affect negatively on the population, so any restrictive measures aren’t required yet.

Genetic diversity of yellowfin sole from the northern Okhotsk Sea is considered for the first time. The genetic differentiation is investigated for six samples of this flounder species spawning in the Tauiskaya Guba Bay (159 specimens in total), and 57 haplotypes are revealed on nucleotide sequences in fragment of the gene of cytochrome b . Average haplotype diversity for all specimens is 0.870. Two groups of the flounders typical for the eastern and western parts of the bay could be divided by the value of genetic differentiation with the coefficient of nucleotide differentiation between them N_ST = 0.0309. This structure of the yellowfin sole spawning stock should be accounted in management of the flounders fishery in the Tauiskaya Guba Bay.

Total commercially important stock of all bioresources in the Okhotsk Sea is estimated as 9.034 · 10⁶ t (fish - 8294 · 10³ t, invertebrates - 605 · 10³ t, macrophytes 99 · 10³ t, mammals 36 · 10³ t) that costs 799 billion rub. (23.5 billion USD), including 574 billion rub. (16.2 billion USD) in the North Okhotsk subzone, 100 billion rub. (2.7 billion USD) in the West Kamchatka subzone, 77 billion rub. (1.9 billion USD) in the East Sakhalin subzone, and 48 billion rub. (2.7 billion USD) in the Kamchatka-Kuril subzone. Mean specific value of the bioresources cost for the Okhotsk Sea is 569.6 thousand rub./km² (16,800 USD/km²), this value is calculated by subzones, as well. The natural and economic assessments of the Okhotsk Sea bioresources could be used as data input for modeling of the fishery economics.

Morphological description for 30 specimens of shark Centroscyllium ritteri caught off northeastern Japan in the 1980, including juveniles and adults of both sexes. Counts for vertebras, teeth rows, and intestinal valves are presented. The species biology is discussed.

Morphological description is given for 27 specimens of shark Etmopterus unicolor caught off northeastern Japan in 1980. Counts for vertebras, teeth rows, and intestinal valves are presented, as well. The species biology is discussed.

Species composition of macrozoobenthos in lagoons of Sakhalin Island (in total, 637 species) is described on the base of cited data and results of author’s surveys. Its species composition is formed under influence of wide spectrum of environmental factors, as size of lagoon, water salinity, periodicity of connection with the sea and type of the water exchange, river discharge regime, climatic and geographical isolation, etc. Generally, 6 types of lagoons are determined on the coast of Sakhalin differed by composition of benthic fauna: 1) large semiclosed salty lagoon (Lake Busse in southern Sakhalin); 2) small semiclosed salty lagoons with water stratification and periodic connection with the sea (Lake Izmenchivoe and Lake Ptichye in southern Sakhalin); 3) large shallow semiclosed lagoons (in northern Sakhalin); 4) small isolated brackish lagoon (Kuegda Bay in northern Sakhalin); 5) closed oligosaline lagoons (Lake Tunaicha and Lake Aynskoe in southern Sakhalin); 5) isolated freshwater lagoons (Vavaysko-Chibisanskaya lake system in southern Sakhalin). Salty and freshwater lagoons are distinguished by the highest species diversity.

Species composition, structure and seasonal dynamics of macrozoobenthos in small lakes of Sakhalin Island are considered on the data of benthic surveys conducted in 1994-2012. Features of the bottom fauna are determined by the lakes origin, their connection with other water bodies, biotic and abiotic conditions. The faunas of the lakes of northern Sakhalin are distinguished by the highest similarity. Generally, variety of benthic communities in small lakes corresponds to their biotope diversity and reduces with the size of lakes decreasing. The most typical benthic communities are those ones of the coastal belt of rigid plants, of the belt of pondweed, and profundal community of the open water area; the latter only is observed in very small lakes. Seasonal dynamics of the benthic communities is defined by biology of a few key species which dominate the whole year round. For example, seasonal dynamics of the profundal community in small floodplain lakes is determined mainly by generative dynamics of one species of chironomid: Chironomus gr. plumosus . Three phases could be traced in the seasonal succession: i) winter; ii) spring and early summer; iii) late summer and autumn. They change under influence of seasonal events as spring flood, summer low water, ice formation, or mass fish migration (reaction of benthic communities on fish migration is adaptive, not catastrophic). Food web of the benthic communities in small lakes is based on autochthonous organic matter of phytoperiphyton, phytobenthos and phytoplankton settled to the bottom. Benthic communities of floodplain lakes play important role in preserving of rheophilic fauna during catastrophic floods.

Downwelling/upwelling influence on hypoxia at the bottom of the Amur Bay is determined on the data of oceanographic surveys conducted aboard RV Impulse in August 2012 and RV Malachite in August 2013 coupled with the data of monitoring oceanographic station in the bay. The hypoxia develops in the period of downwelling circulation driven by southern and southeastern winds and relaxes in conditions of upwelling induced by northern and northwestern winds.

Various aspects of walleye pollock feeding at different stages of its ontogenesis are reviewed and discussed. Structure and functional features of its mouth organs are considered with meristic and quantitative description of the filter one. Lists of pollock prey are presented with attention to changes of food composition and dominant species in the process of its growth from larvae to adult fish. Daily rhythm of feeding is not usual for pollock, but it appears locally and temporary under regional or seasonal conditions of its prey (i.e. plankton). An important feature of the pollock trophology is cannibalism on its own larvae and underyearlings that allows to the population to extend the food spectrum toward small-sized zooplankton. Activity of the pollock feeding can change in several times during the year in dependence on food resources and physiological state of the fish. Year-to-year variability of mass groups of prey (copepods, euphausiids, hyperiids) abundance sometimes coincides with the pollock stock changes in the northern Okhotsk Sea, but variations of arroworms abundance (not important for pollock) never coincide with the stock changes. Daily food ration of pollock (relative to body weight) decreases with its age, but its absolute individual consumption increases that could be a reason of food conversion underestimation. However, large fish are few and feed mostly on fish and benthic invertebrates (similar to cod), so their consumption of zooplankton could be ignored.

Recent climate-scale (> 3 decades) changes of water temperature, salinity, and concentration of inorganic phosphorus, silicon and nitrogen (nitrites and nitrates) are considered for the Amur Bay where Vladivostok is located ashore. Mean seasonal values of these parameters are determined for the 1980s and 2000s. In summer, the tendencies of climatic scale are noted of SST heightening, temperature at the sea bottom lowering, and nutrients depletion in the upper layer, except of nitrate. In general, the bay becomes more stratified and less productive, on the primary trophic level, but the nitrate income, presumably from atmosphere, prevents the productivity decreasing. Links of the changes with external conditions are analyzed, and the summer monsoon weakening is defined as their main reason that determines weather conditions over Primorye and cross-shelf exchange on its shelf. These processes related with the summer monsoon present the mechanism of large-scale climate changes downscaling to meso-scale level. Besides, there is concluded that the Amur Bay is more vulnerable to marine processes than to terrestrial ones, though it is subjected to the large river discharge.

Composition, abundance, diet and trophic status are analyzed for dominant benthic and pelagic species in the deep-water Okhotsk Sea on the data collected in demersal and pelagic trawl surveys conducted by Pacific Fisheries Research Center (TINRO). Isotope composition of¹³С and¹⁵N is determined for tissues of 107 species of plankton, benthos, demersal fish, and cephalopods, which form a basis of pelagic and benthic communities. The carbon isotope content is significantly different between these groups: d¹³С ranges from -23.30 to -19.90 ‰ for zooplankton, from -18.90 to -13.33 ‰ for benthos, from -22.10 to -18.90 ‰ for fish (mean values), and from -20.08 to -15.75 ‰ for cephalopods. It depends mainly on proportion of pelagic and benthic food in their diet. Following to these values, 30 % of examined species of demersal fishes and cephalopods use resources of detritus food chain as the base of their diet. The range of d¹⁵N is from 6.79 ( Megayoldia thraciaeformis ), 6.88 ( Eucalanus bungii ) to 18.26 ‰ ( Molpadia roretzii ). Its highest level is observed for 4 species of benthic invertebrates and 8 species of demersal fishes on the continental slope characterized by high tropic level (≥5) and included to the bentho-pelagic food chain, that corresponds with their d¹³С values. Trophic relations in the deep-water Okhotsk Sea demonstrates high dependence between benthic and pelagiс communities, as far as many dominant species of pelagic and demersal nekton consume both benthic and pelagic food. Feeding about of 70 % of dominant species of demersal fishes and cephalopods is based on grazing rather than on detritus food.

Composition and structure of benthic communities in the Minonosok Bight (Posyet Bay, Japan Sea) are considered on the surveys data obtained in the 1990s and 2012. In total, 140 taxa of benthic organisms were found in the 1990s with domination of mollusks and algae by the species number, abundance; biomass, and occurrence; their total biomass was high, up to 29 kg/m². All these parameters became lower in the 2012 when the monodominant communities changed mainly to polydominant ones. In the 2012, the macroalgae weren’t fasten onto the bottom in the southern part of the bay because of its silting, but they were attached to mussel druses. Trophic structure of the sublittoral communities was changed: the producers were replaced by sestonophages, detritophages and predators.

Spatial heterogeneity of the sea ice drift is investigated for the northeastern shelf of Sakhalin around Veninsky and Kirinsky oil fields on the data of speсtroradiometers MODIS mounted on the satellites Terra and Aqua obtained in January-May, 2015. The ice drift is calculated for the time intervals of 105 min and one day. For the former case, its velocity was evaluated as 0.2-0.4 m/s (max 1.0 m/s, registered in 2.5 km from the coast of the Nabil Bay on May 22) that is twice faster than the values for daily intervals. All possible directions of the drift were observed, with the highest frequency of the southern ones. The drift wasn’t spatially uniform by its direction in conditions of weak, unstable winds.

Growth of potentially toxic diatom microalga Pseudo-nitzschia calliantha is investigated in laboratory culture under different conditions of cultivation. In the conditions without stirring, the highest abundance of algae was moderate (16131 cells/ml) and observed after 3 days of exposition; many chains of 5-8 cells were formed. Further exposition showed cyclic dynamics of the culture, the chains of 5-12 cells were numerous, chloroplasts looked healthy, their color was olive-green. After stirring, a short lag-phase preceded to the phase of active cells dividing with exponential growth of their number to the peaks of 59828-70566 cells/ml, chains of 2-8 cells were formed but rapidly settled to the vessel bottom, chloroplasts were discrete and bleached that indicated dying of the culture. P. calliantha is potentially toxic species, so the sites with active water circulation or constrained water mixing are recommended for aquaculture farming that protects the environments from its phycotoxins accumulation.

Dynamics of the scallop spat settling to collectors of marine farms in the Sukhodol Bay and Malye Kushi Bay (Ussuri Bay) in 2012-2014 is considered. In the Sukhodol Bay, the spat density was 225 ind./m² in 2012 that is close to usual value, but only 31 ind./m² in 2013. In the Malye Kushi Bay, both years of 2013 and 2014 were low-productive for the spat, with its density in 2.5 times lower than in the Sukhodol Bay. On the contrary, the number of starfish spat on collectors was extremely high in 2013 - up to 42 ± 3 ind./m². Size and weight parameters of juvenile scallops and starfish on collectors had year-to-year changes, as well. The starfish grown in conditions of high density in the 2013 had relatively small diameter (45.9 mm on average) and weight (1.8 g on average) in the age 1 year (in 2014), whereas the starfish spat grown in the 2014 with the density lower in 5.5 times reached larger mean size (55.5 mm) and weight (3.3 g). The scallop spat harvest in the bights of the Ussuri Bay is assessed in 0.5-1.5 · 10⁶ ind./hectare. In general, the spat settling in this area is less intensive than in the Posyet Bay, Vostok Bay, and Nakhodka Bay. Environmental conditions in the Ussuri Bay are not favorable for collection of juvenile scallops, so the technology of scallop cultivation should be adapted for this area.

Giant freshwater prawn Macrobrachium rosenbergii (De Man, 1879) is cultivated in Crimea since 2000 and technology of complete cycle of its cultivation from planting material to saleable product is successfully applied nowadays. This area is located beyond of the species native habitat and has other environments, so the larvae and juveniles can harvested in controlled conditions only: the open water bodies with the water temperature above 20^оC are recommended. Growing of the larvae in artificial conditions is the most difficult stage of the biotechnological process, with high mortality because of diseases, grazing by planktophages, and poor water quality. These factors were studied in conditions of spawn farm in 2001-2013 and the main reasons of the prawn mortality at the larval stage were revealed. They were the gas-bubble disease, low oxygen content in tanks, and penetration of predatory hydromedusae Sarsia tubulosa to tanks. All these problems were caused by failures in the cultivation technology. Measures for prevention of the prawn larvae disease because of external factors are proposed.

In commercial fishery, catching properties of fishing gears are developed mostly for effective catch of fish, rather than for precise measurement of fish distribution density in water, so a problem of catchability exists and this parameter should be determined for each fishing gear. Various methods for estimation of catchability for trawl survey systems are considered. The experimental method of its estimation (comparing of fish density in towed volume determined by other tools with trawl catch) is considered as the most authentic. Scheme and algorithm of the measurements and calculations are described for standard hydroacoustic tools, as scientific echosounder ЕК-60, and software is developed for recalculation of trawl catch to equivalent acoustic units of fish density in the towed volume of water. Results of the catchability estimation for the trawl RT/TM 57/360 used for walleye pollock stock assessment in the Okhotsk Sea are analyzed. Mean value of the catchability coefficient in this case varies from 0.42 to 0.81, generally increasing with depth but decreasing both at the sea surface and on the depth > 200 m. These results correspond well with the model of fish behavior in the noise field of vessel: the low catchability at the sea surface and its increasing with depth could be caused by avoiding reaction of fish to the noise and its moving to deeper layers. Besides, the catchability coefficient for pollock depends on fish size and time of day: it increases with the fish length but decreases for the largest individuals. Influence of the noise field of vessel on selectivity of survey trawls is modeled and there is shown that the depths of the maximum concentration of small-sized and large-sized pollock do not coincide. The developed software and received results are universal means for estimation of the catchability for trawls in all conditions of trawling, they allow to choose optimum mode for survey trawling in dependence on fish species, depth of trawling, and type of vessels and trawl.

Method for estimation of hydrodynamically effective area for fishing traps and nets is presented. Fish can detect hydrodynamic excessive pressure and water flow turbulence on the distance that depends on its lateral line sensitivity and swiftness of perception, but also on the flow velocity, drag resistance of fishing gear, fit coefficients for its covering, and type of the covering. The latter dependencies are considered. Algorithm for calculation of the effective area for flat netting gears is derived.

Effective utilization of marine biological resources is one of the major directions of the fish industry development in Russia that is realized by involvement into the fishery of unused and underused species. Japanese sardine and chub mackerel are still unused by Russian fishery but they are considered as prospective ones. On account of these prospects, the fund of standards currently in force in fish industry is analyzed in order to check possibility of their use for processing of these species. It includes mainly inter-governmental and industrial standards and regulations for manufacture of food and technical products. The age of these standards is 2-27 years, on average 14 years for the sardine and 13 years for the mackerel. The technical regulations and standards for frozen products of japanese sardine and chub mackerel are reviewed briefly. The standards GOST 814-96 «Chilled fish TU» and GOST 32366-2013 «Frozen fish TU» are recommended for the chilled and frozen products with a short shelf life, though they are not allowed for the raw materials destined for further processing at coastal fish enterprises. Recently new requirements for food safety are developing, so the current standards have to be reviewed and redeveloped, in particular the storage time of chilled and frozen products should be longer in 2-3 times. Variety of the products has to be extended, including canned and preserved ones, in particular new technical specifications for the specialized, medical-prophylactic products and dietary supplements should be developed or updated to the modern requirements. Role of standardization in improving quality and competitiveness of fish products and efficiency of the raw materials utilization is discussed.