9. The Diversity of Russian Estuaries

This paper gives an overview of the eight chapters of the book “The Diversity of Russian Estuaries and Lagoons Exposed to Human Influence” edited by R. Kosyan in the collection “Estuaries of the World”. The book gives a comprehensive review of the current state of knowledge of the estuaries and marine coastal lagoons of Russia, identifying the most urgent problems concerning the management of natural resources and ecosystem services they provide. The analysis of ecological, geographical and socio-economic aspects governing the evolution of these ecosystems demonstrates that the natural features which characterize them are not currently adequately addressed. The economic development of coastal areas in Russia does not sufficiently take into account the structure and functioning of these complex natural systems. There is an urgent need for recommendations as to integrated planning and balancing of economic activities taking place in coastal municipalities and regions of the Russian Federation that include such unique coastal systems as lagoons, estuaries and limans.