[Intensity of the process of sulfate reduction in the Sea of Azov].

The distribution of sulphate reducing bacteria, sulphides and the rate of sulphate reduction were studied in the water and ground of the Azov Sea during different seasons. The rate of sulphate reduction was found to be 0.10--68.62 mg S per litre per day. The highest rate of sulphate reduction in the surface layer of bottom deposits was observed in summer; it depended on the content of easily destructed organic matter in the ground. The rate of sulphate reduction decreased by 2--5 times at a depth of 5--10 cm from the surface ground. A direct correlation was established between the number of sulphate reducing bacteria and the rate of sulphate reduction.