This liman (brackish lagoon) is a half-closed water body, periodically connected to the Azov Sea. It includes sandy-shell islands and peninsulas. In years when the lagoon is connected to the Sea, the brackish water supports high biodiversity. When the water level is low, the lagoon is disconnected, its salinity increases and fewer specialized species predominate. The vegetation around the lagoon consists of reedbeds, saline meadows and marshes. The Site is important for waterfowl: up to 23,000 birds winter at the Site, while the vulnerable common pochard (Aythya ferina) and red-breasted goose (Branta ruficollis) use it as a migration stopover. It is a spawning ground for the commercially important so-iuy mullet (Liza haematocheilus) and European flounder (Platichthys flesus). Human activities include conservation education, recreation, aquaculture, fishing and hunting. Continuous scientific studies have been conducted for over 80 years. The Site’s boundary was extended and delineated more accurately in 2021, increasing the area by 6,752 hectares.