Neva Estuary is one of the largest estuaries of the Baltic Sea, experiencing significant anthropogenic impact because of the second largest metropolis of Russia, St. Petersburg, located on its coast. Regular annual field expeditions to the estuary have been carried out since the early 1980s. They are devoted to the study of the combined effects of natural and anthropogenic factors on aquatic ecosystems, such as climate change, eutrophication of open and coastal waters, accompanied by the massive development of harmful species of algae and cyanobacteria, pollution with toxic substances, invasions of alien species, large-scale engineering works, etc.
