strategic research agenda for the black sea basin
TRANSCRIPT
BLACK SEA
Black Sea Strategic Research Agenda WP 8 Task 8.1
Deliverable 8.1.1
April 2012
Author: TUBİTAK
1 SEAS‐ERA D.8.1.1 – Strategic Research Agenda for the Black Sea Basin
Black Sea Strategic Research Agenda
Grant Agreement n° 249552
Acronym: SEAS‐ERA
Title: Towards Integrated Marine Research Strategy and Programmes
PROPRIETARY RIGHTS STATEMENT
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DOCUMENT NOR THE INFORMATION CONTAINED HEREIN SHALL BE USED, DUPLICATED OR COMMUNICATED BY ANY
MEANS TO ANY THIRD PARTY, IN WHOLE OR IN PARTS, EXCEPT WITH THE PRIOR WRITTEN CONSENT OF THE SEAS_ERA
COORDINATOR. THIS RESTRICTION LEGEND SHALL NOT BE ALTERED OR OBLITERATED ON OR FROM THIS DOCUMENT.
WP 8: Black Sea Region
Task 8.1: Strategic Analysis in the Black Sea
Task Leader/Author: TÜBİTAK
Deliverable N°: 8.1.1
Security: PU
2 SEAS‐ERA D.8.1.1 – Strategic Research Agenda for the Black Sea Basin
Summary
One of the important outputs of the Black Sea WP of SEAS‐ERA Project in to develop a Strategic Research Agenda (SRA) for the Black Sea. This document is the output of a long process which includes consultations with the partner institutions, regional experts and two Strategic Analysis Workshops. Specific objectives of the SRA are:
Supporting the needs of Black Sea states stemming from international policy/legislation
Dealing with regional ecosystem problems
Strengthening international cooperation of the coastal states with ongoing and new actions and tools
Prioritising new topics and approaches at regional level
Supporting to multi‐disciplinary marine and maritime research in support of good (holistic) governance of environmental protection with human capacity building component at the national and regional level
Providing scientific and management tools
Identifying cross‐cutting issues to support research and their realization This SRA will be the basis for future activities of the WP8. It is also supposed to contribute to the Pan‐European Strategic Research Agenda which will be one of the important outcomes of the SEAS‐ERA Project.
Overall Coordination of the Work and the first drafting of the SRA is done by Dr. Çolpan Polat
Beken (TÜBİTAK/MRC) and Tarık Şahin (TÜBİTAK). Dr. Violeta Velikova (ex‐Pollution
Monitoring and Assessment Officer of the BSC PS) and Prof. Ahmet Erkan Kıdeyş (ex‐
Executive Director of the BSC PS) introduced valuable inputs for overall consistency of the SRA
via reviewing each section and helped TÜBİTAK in providing experts contacts.
Contributing experts are indicated at the end of the document and appreciated herewith for
their dedicated contributions.
Special thanks to Mrs. Alison Kıdeyş who helped for language editing and Mr. Alexander
Vershinin for providing most of the photos used in the document.
3 SEAS‐ERA D.8.1.1 – Strategic Research Agenda for the Black Sea Basin
TABLE OF CONTENTS
TABLE OF CONTENTS ............................................................................................................................................... 3 1. INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................................................. 4
1.1. The SEAS‐ERA Project ............................................................................................................................ 4 1.2. A Common Structure for the Sea Basin Strategic Research Agenda ..................................................... 5
2. A SHARED VISION FOR THE BLACK SEA ........................................................................................................... 6 3. THE BLACK SEA BASIN: REGIONAL SPECIFICITIES AND THE CONTEXT ............................................................ 7 4. A STRATEGIC RESEARCH AGENDA FOR THE BLACK SEA BASIN: OBJECTIVES AND BENEFITS ....................... 13 5. SPECIFIC RESEARCH PRIORITIES FOR THE BLACK SEA BASIN . ..................................................................... 15
5.1. Basic Research & Fundamental Understanding .................................................................................. 16 5.1.1. Understanding the geological structure and dynamics of the Black Sea Basin as a
primary factor influencing its general evolution .................................................................... 16 5.1.2. Physical climate, hydrological cycle, ventilation and inter‐basin
coupling .................................................................................................................................. 17 5.1.3. Understanding climatic variability and climate change impacts on coastal and
offshore ecosystems in the Black Sea including the effects of ocean acidification ............... 19 5.1.4. Changes in biodiversity and habitats, noting the introduction and
impacts of invasive species .................................................................................................... 22 5.1.5. Understanding and governing eutrophication of coastal waters and open sea:
Biogeochemical and primary biological basic processes, mechanisms and consequences ......................................................................................................................... 24
5.1.6. Ensuring Good Water/Sediment/Bioresources/Beach Quality for Human and Ecosystem Health (including litter) ........................................................................................ 26
5.1.7. Deep‐sea research ................................................................................................................. 28 5.2. Applied Research: Science supporting Society & Maritime Economy ................................................. 30
5.2.1. Renewable energy .................................................................................................................. 30 5.2.2. Exploitation of mineral resources, energy and communication projects .............................. 31 5.2.3. Maritime transport ................................................................................................................ 32 5.2.4. Fishery and aquaculture with focus on preservation and sustainable use of marine
living resources ...................................................................................................................... 33 5.2.5. Marine biotechnology ............................................................................................................ 35 5.2.6. Cross‐cutting issues ................................................................................................................ 36
5.2.6.1. Natural hazards and risk assessments ................................................................... 36 5.2.6.2. Socio‐economic research ....................................................................................... 39 5.2.6.3. Marine spatial planning and marine protected areas (MPAs) ............................... 40 5.2.6.4. ICZM, links with MSP & IRBM, coastal sciences & engineering ............................. 42
5.3. Research Support and Cross‐cutting Issues for Fundamental and Applied Research ......................... 45 5.3.1. Development of support tools for policy implementation ................................................... 45 5.3.2. Observation and forecasting systems for operational oceanography ................................... 46 5.3.3. Marine research infrastructure .............................................................................................. 47 5.3.4. Human capacity building ........................................................................................................ 49
6. HIGH‐LEVEL ROADMAP ................................................................................................................................. 50 6.1. Short Term ........................................................................................................................................... 50 6.2. Long Term ............................................................................................................................................ 52
LIST OF CONTRIBUTORS ........................................................................................................................................ 58 ABBREVIATIONS and ACRONYMS ......................................................................................................................... 62 SEAS‐ERA BLACK SEA PARTNERS ........................................................................................................................... 67
4 SEAS‐ERA D.8.1.1 – Strategic Research Agenda for the Black Sea Basin
1. INTRODUCTION
1.1. The SEAS‐ERA Project
The FP7 SEAS‐ERA Project (2010‐2014) is a
Network of Marine Research Funding
Organisations (an ERA‐NET) consisting of 21
partners and two Third Parties from 18
Member and Associated Member States
(Annex 1) located along the European
seaboard in the Atlantic, the Mediterranean
and Black Sea (www.seas‐era.eu).
The principle aims of the SEAS‐ERA Network
are to improve co‐ordination between
nationally funded competitive marine
research programmes, to facilitate enhanced
co‐operation in addressing shared
opportunities and challenges, to ensure better
use of existing resources and capacities, to
bridge identified gaps, to avoid duplication, to
jointly fund strategic projects of mutual
interest and, in so doing, contribute to the
sustainable development of the marine
resource and improve the establishment of
the marine component of the European
Research Area (ERA)1.
The SEAS‐ERA project builds on the experience
of the previous FP6 ERA‐NETS: MarinERA
(http://marinera.seas‐era.eu/) which involved
16 partners from 13 countries and which
organised a joint €5 million call for proposals;
AMPERA (www.cid.csic.es/ampera/index.php)
involved 10 partners from 8 countries and
organised a joint €2.25 million call for
proposals; and MariFish (www.marifish.net)
with 18 partners from 16 countries organised
a joint €4.1 million call for proposals and
common programming within five given
topics.
1http://ec.europa.eu/research/era/index_en.htm
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Fig. 1: Geographical Distribution of SEAS‐ERA Partners
For operational and management purposes,
the SEAS‐ERA project is divided into three
regional “Sea Basins” (i.e. the Atlantic, the
Mediterranean and the Black Sea), with each
region deciding on its own priorities, and
seven thematic work packages: Strategic
Analysis; Common Programmes; Joint Calls;
Infrastructures; Capacity Building;
Dissemination and Co‐ordination and
Management.
SEAS‐ERA Task 1.1 aims at undertaking an
inventory and an analysis of existing national
and sub‐national science and technology
strategies. This task was designed to:
Inform the development of the Sea
Basin Strategic Research Agendas
(SEAS‐ERA Task 6.1, 7.1 and 8.1)
Inform the development of Common
Programmes (SEAS‐ERA WP2) and
Joint Calls (SEAS‐ERA WP3).
SEAS-ERA Partn.BONUS Partn.SEAS-ERA Partn.BONUS Partn.
5 SEAS‐ERA D.8.1.1 – Strategic Research Agenda for the Black Sea Basin
1.2. A Common Structure for the Sea Basin
Strategic Research Agenda
The development of a common structure 2(Box 1) for the three SEAS‐ERA Sea Basin
Research Planswas facilitated by Partner 18
(Marine Board‐ESF) withinSEAS‐ERA WP1.2, in
liaison with the regional SeaBasin Leaders:
Partner 7 (GSRT/HCMR, Greece) for the
Mediterranean; Partner 9 (Marine Institute,
Ireland)for the Atlantic Sea Basin and Partner
15 (TÜBİTAK, Turkey) for the Black Sea.
The Black Sea Strategy is policy‐oriented to
2 The common structure approach allows for regional
specificities to be addressed, while, at the same time, providing consistency and ensuring comparison of the resulting outputs. While a common structure was agreed in preparing the draft marine research plans, approaches to the development of these differed from one Sea Basin to another.
specifically respond to regional environmental
priority issues agreed by the 6 Coastal
MemberStates (BS SAP 2009). These are
coupled with new innovative topics to
incorporate research support tools. A Draft
document was prepared by the Task Leader
based on the regional issues and proposed
research priorities during the 1st Regional
Workshop (March 2011). Following this
workshop, regional experts and Advisory
Board Members were consulted to contribute
to the process. These contributions produced
a second draft that was circulated among the
Project Partners, and a wider group of Black
Sea Experts (October‐November 2011) to
obtain general comments to aid final editing.
A second Regional Workshop (December
2011) was organized to finalize the document.
The SRA domains are:
The “Policy” – the SRA will focus on the
relevant policies/legislation implementation
(or development of new policies) taking into
consideration the need to harmonize
environmental protection practices within the
Black Sea countries.
The “Knowledge” and “Tools” – the SRA
section where the core scientific and
technological work shall be carried out in
support of informed decision‐making.
The “Capacity” building – the SRA will provide
the necessary information for strengthening
the institutional framework of research in the
Black Sea region.
The “Users” involvement ‐ where the results
and capacities developed by the SRA
implementation will be shared with and
explained to stakeholders, both through
training programmes and outreach activities.
Box 1. Common Structure of the SRA for
Sea Basins:
1. Introduction (1 page); 2. A Shared Vision for the [ ] Sea Basin 3. The [ ] Sea Basin: Sea basin specificities, critical regional issues, challenges and opportunities – related to policy, management, environmental and scientific matters. 4. A Strategic Research Agenda for the [ ] Sea Basin Objectives and Benefits 5. Specific Research Priorities for the [ ] Sea Basin
5.1.Basic Research & New Knowledge incl. climate change, new frontiers research (e.g.Deep‐sea) 5.2.Applied Research: Science supporting Society and Economy: Applied science themes incl. e.g. blue biotech, marine renewable energy, transport, etc.) 5.3.Research Support & Cross‐Cutting Issues.
6. High‐level Roadmap. Short, medium, long‐term priorities timeline, milestones, review, etc.).
6 SEAS‐ERA D.8.1.1 – Strategic Research Agenda for the Black Sea Basin
2. A SHARED VISION FOR THE BLACK SEA
The vision for the Black Sea is to preserve its
ecosystem as a valuable natural endowment
of the region, whilst ensuring the protection
and rational use of its marine and coastal
living resources as a condition for sustainable
development of the Black Sea coastal states,
well‐being, health and security of their
population (Ref: BS SAP, 2009).
This vision can only be achieved by
commitments at all levels of society. Clear
focused national and joint research
programmes and multi‐disciplinary projects
will form the scientific basis while political
vision and commitment, ownership and
funding by different stakeholders representing
various sectors, regional and pan‐European
cooperation at all levels, appropriate
regulation and governance at national and
regional levels will be requirements.
SEAS‐ERA is the second joint action among
national research funders3 for the Black Sea
region ‐ after Black Sea ERA‐NET ‐ having
committed to the goal of continued future
cooperations which face the multifaceted
environmental challenges of river basins,
coastal and marine waters of the Black Sea.
3Funding organizations from the Black Sea coastal states.
7 SEAS‐ERA D.8.1.1 – Strategic Research Agenda for the Black Sea Basin
3. THE BLACK SEA BASIN: REGIONAL SPECIFICITIES AND THE CONTEXT
The Black Sea is one of the most remarkable
regional seas in the world, being almost
completely separated from the rest of the
world's oceans and embodying an abyssal
basin with maximum depth of 2300 m
adjoining a very wide continental shelf area.
Its waters are permanently stratified under
the influence of fresh water supplied by large
rivers (Fig. 2) and the inflow of Mediterranean
water through the Bosphorus (Istanbul) Strait.
The Bosphorus and Dardanelles Straits
interconnected by the marginal
intercontinental Sea of Marmara form the
Turkish Straits System (TSS).
Fig. 2: The Catchment Area of the Black Sea
http://maps.grida.no/go/graphic/map_of_the_black_s
ea_basin
The Black Sea is considered to be a fantastic
laboratory naturally hosting oxic, hypoxic and
anoxic water masses permanently existing due
to strong vertical stratification. While strong
vertical stratification supports isopycnal
distribution of various biogeochemical species,
the wide range of redox conditions supports
specific processes rendering the Black Sea a
unique place to study the Earth System
responses to climate changes and
anthropogenic forcing. Since a large part of
the basin (i.e. approx. deeper than 100 m) is
anoxic, life forms in the Black Sea display
limited diversity and almost all pelagic and
8 SEAS‐ERA D.8.1.1 – Strategic Research Agenda for the Black Sea Basin
benthic fauna and flora dwell in the shallower
or upper oxic water layers.
Besides its natural peculiarities and
disadvantages4, the long‐term and intensive
anthropogenic pressures exerted on the
system aggravated the threats to the Black
Sea ecosystem related to climate change5.
Large amounts of various pollutants (oil, trace
metals, nutrients, pesticides, etc.) have been
discharged from coastal sources to the
nearshore waters since the 1960’s. Excessive
nutrients are considered to be the most
persistent in negative effects comparing to all
other pollutants. Their input via rivers,
agricultural drainage waters, and insufficiently
treated municipal/industrial wastewaters has
increased many‐fold over the last few
decades1 supporting progressive cultural
eutrophication. The latter has led to radical
changes in the Black Sea ecosystem since the
1960s and especially after 1970s when
critically important key habitats disappeared
from the large shelf areas. It has been
scientifically and politically accepted that
eutrophication has caused a major trans‐
boundary impact on water quality, biological
diversity, bio‐resources abundance, adversely
affecting all sectors relying on marine services.
It was also recognised that other
anthropogenic forces like overfishing and the
use of destructive fishing techniques, coastal
zone mismanagement and the introduction of
invasive species (most notably the ctenophore
jelly Mnemiopsis leidyi) simultaneously
occurred further damaging the functioning of
this ecosystem through trophic cascades.
Recovery started by mid‐90s via efficient
functioning of river basin management plans
4Since the Black Sea is virtually isolated, and its resilience to change is weak. The presence of a permanent anoxic zone is an additional risk factor. 5Climatic changes are associated with increased frequency in floods, north‐bound movement of species, sea‐level rise, etc.
and less extensive use of fertilizers for
economic reasons. Consequently,
anthropogenically‐induced hypoxic conditions
at the sea shelf almost disappeared and
biodiversity in benthic flora and fauna
increased. The appearance and establishment
of the predator of Mnemiopsis (Beroe ovata)
was seen to improve certain ecosystem
parameters.
Fig. 3: Good and bad invaders: The ctenophore Beroe ovata of the Black Sea with a semi‐digested Mnemiopsis leidyi specimen in its stomach. (Photograph by Ahmet E. Kideys)
More than 300 rivers contribute inflow to the
Black and Azov Seas. The northwestern Black
Sea receives the discharge of the largest rivers
in the Black Sea drainage area ‐ the Danube
River with a mean water discharge of about
200 km3/yr and the Ukrainian rivers Dniepr,
Southern Bug and Dniestr contributing with
about 65 km3/yr.
The influence of the Danube River and its
large Delta is predominant regarding the
sedimentation on the northwestern Black Sea
shelf area, and not only. The Delta impact on
hydrographic processes, transport of species
and the gene pool formation, chemical
content of water and sediment, migrations of
fish populations and birds, etc., etc. opens a
broad range of scientific challenges.
9 SEAS‐ERA D.8.1.1 – Strategic Research Agenda for the Black Sea Basin
Box 2. Ecosystem Quality Objectives (EcoQOs) that are set by the BS SAP (2009): EcoQO 1:Preserve commercial marine living
resources a. Sustainable use of commercial fish stocks
and other marine living resources. b. Restore/rehabilitate stocks of commercial
marine living resources. EcoQO 2: Conservation of Black Sea
Biodiversity and Habitats a. Reduce the risk of extinction of
threatened species. b. Conserve coastal and marine habitats and
landscapes. c. Reduce and manage human mediated
species introductions EcoQO 3: Reduce eutrophication EcoQO 4: Ensure Good Water Quality for
Human Health, Recreational Use and Aquatic Biota
a. Reduce pollutants originating from land based sources, including atmospheric emissions.
b. Reduce pollutants originating from shipping activities and offshore installations
From this perspective, the existence of the
Danube Delta – the Europe’s largest deltaic
system further increases the special
characteristics of the Black Sea.
Impacts of climatic variability and/or climate
change are clearly indicated by the arrival of
more Mediterranean species and
establishment of new niches in the Black Sea,
phenological changes in biota, direct
correlations between sea water temperature
changes and abundance/biomass of species
(plankton to fish) as well as variations in the
dissolved oxygen content of upper water
column layers.
At a regional level, the four priority trans‐
boundary problems for the Black Sea
ecosystem, re‐confirmed by TDA (2008,
http://www.blacksea‐
commission.org/_tda2008.asp ) and by the
SAP (2009), are (1) eutrophication/nutrient
enrichment, (2) changes in marine living
resources, (3) chemical pollution (including
oil), (4) biodiversity/habitat changes, including
alien species introduction. The BS SAP (2009)
defined the Ecosystem Quality Objectives
(EcoQOs) to manage these four trans‐
boundary environmental issues (see Box 2).
The Causal Chain Analyses in the 2008 Black
Sea TDA found climate change to be a
contributory factor to all four trans‐boundary
problems. The same analysis also concluded
that the four trans‐boundary problems cannot
be dealt with individually. It is stated that
“improvements in management of one
problem will have knock‐on effects for other
problems, and addressing individual causes is
likely to improve the situation with regard to
at least two, if not more, of the four
environmental problems”.
Clear, coherent scientific understanding of
coastal margins (both land and water) and
efficient management of human activities in
these areas are vitally important for achieving
all EcoQOs listed in Box 2.
The geographical scope for the BS SRA is
accepted as defined by the Bucharest
Convention and its Protocols as the marine
and coastal waters of the Black Sea proper.
However, in terms of linkage to the
Mediterranean, the Turkish Straits System as
well as the Azov Sea and the Kerch Strait will
also be considered in the context of the SRA.
It is also aimed to integrate events within the
catchment basins of rivers draining into the
sea (Fig. 2). Hence, the Black Sea with its
watersheds (catchment area), being one of
the LMEs of the world with ecology dissimilar
from that of the adjacent seas and ocean, is
considered in the context of the SRA.
10 SEAS‐ERA D.8.1.1 – Strategic Research Agenda for the Black Sea Basin
The regional Black Sea institutional
framework for the protection of the marine
environment involves two regional
organizations: the Commission on the
Protection of the Black Sea against Pollution
(Black Sea Commission, BSC), established in
1992 through Article 17 of the Bucharest
Convention and supported by the United
Nations Environmental Programme, and the
Organization of the Black Sea Economic
Cooperation (BSEC), also established in 1992.
The Black Sea Commission (www.blacksea‐
commission.org) was established exclusively
for the protection of the Black Sea marine
environment and is composed of the Black Sea
coastal states only; whereas BSEC the most
institutionalized and inclusive regional
organization, promotes cooperation in many
different fields over a wider Black Sea area6.
(see http://www.bsec‐organization.org).
Environmental protection is one of the fields
of cooperation among the BSEC countries
which includes, inter‐alia, regional reviews of
perspectives to provide a legal framework for
a green economy; including climate change
within the environmental strategy for the
protection of the Black Sea; enhancing
cooperation with other international
organizations dealing with protection of the
marine environment etc. A green energy
development has been recently established as
a subarea of cooperation within the broader
energy sector. Another topic BSEC deals with
is science and technology, closely related to
the goal of SEAS‐ERA: Promoting regional
cooperation in the field of science and
technology, putting knowledge to the
forefront of its activities, setting up joint
research projects and programs and greater
valorisation of the scientific and technological
6The area includes the territories of the following member states: the Republic of Albania, the Republic of Armenia, the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Republic of Bulgaria, Georgia, the Hellenic Republic, the Republic of Moldova, Romania, the Russian Federation, the Republic of Serbia, the Republic of Turkey and Ukraine.
potential are the main objectives. Integration
with European programs and projects
(Framework Program 7) and developing
cooperation between other international
organizations are among the main objectives
of the BSEC Member States. BSC and BSEC
have granted each other the observer status,
established close cooperation and may jointly
participate in the implementation of regional
projects.
The Bucharest Convention and its Protocols
together with their implementation plan, SAP,
constitute the regional legal/policy framework
for the protection of the Black Sea
environment. The Black Sea Commission (BSC)
is made up of one member from each of the
six national governments. Six regional activity
centers and six thematic advisory groups of
the BSC contribute to the regional
implementation scheme.
International institutions committed also to
the protection, preservation and rehabilitation
of the Black Sea marine environment are the
European Union7, GEF/UNDP8, International
Maritime Organization (IMO)9, Memorandum
of Understanding on Port State Control in the
Black Sea Region (MoU PSC)10, International
Commission for the Protection of the Danube
River (ICPDR)11, Danube Commission, United
Nations Economic Commission for Europe
(UNECE)12, United Nations Environment
Programme (UNEP)13, Agreement on the
Conservation of Cetaceans of the Black Sea,
Mediterranean Sea and continuous Atlantic
area (ACCOBAMS)14, Organization for Security
7E.g. Danube Black Sea Task Force (DABLAS): set up in 2001 with the aim to provide a platformfor cooperation to ensure the protection of water and water‐related ecosystems in the Danube andthe Black Sea. 8http://www.thegef.org/gef/ 9http://www.imo.org/Pages/home.aspx 10http://www.bsmou.org/ 11 http://www.icpdr.org/ 12 http://unece.org/
13 http://www.unep.org/ 14 http://www.accobams.org
11 SEAS‐ERA D.8.1.1 – Strategic Research Agenda for the Black Sea Basin
and Co‐operation in Europe (OSCE)15, NGOs16,
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
and others.
The Intergovernmental Oceanographic
Commission of UNESCO (BlackSeaGOOS,
ODINBLACKSEA): At the Eighteenth Session of
the Intergovernmental Oceanographic
Commission of UNESCO (IOC), the Assembly
adopted a resolution (Resolution XVIII‐17,
UNESCO, Paris, 7‐9 June 1995) which
established the IOC Black Sea Regional
Committee (BSRC). The First Session of the
BSRC was held in Varna, Bulgaria, (10‐13
September 1996). Two Pilot Projects "The
Assessment of Sediment Fluxes in the Black
Sea" and "The Black Sea GOOS" (named PP1
and PP2 in the following) were discussed
extensively and programs were developed.
The Black Sea GOOS MoU was signed by all
Black Sea countries, in 2001. This MoU serves
as the initial document for the Black Sea
GOOS, as an informal association whose
members seek to foster co‐operation with the
Global Ocean Observing System. The Black Sea
GOOS was established with the participation
of Bulgaria, Georgia, Romania, Russia, Turkey
and Ukraine with the recognition of the
importance of existing systems in research
and operational oceanography. By signing, the
MoU, countries become members of the Black
Sea GOOS, and agree to co‐operate in
promoting the GOOS in the Black Sea basin.
Black Sea GOOS activities are designed to
foster cooperation in operational
oceanography in the Black Sea basin. To
collaborate with and to maximise the benefits
from the existing activities of the EuroGOOS
and the Med‐GOOS, promoting the
integration of these activities within the
framework of the GOOS. The first Black Sea
GOOS Strategic Action and Implementation
15http://www.osce.org /index.php 16 http://www.bseanetwork.org
Plan (IOC/INF‐1176) was adopted in 2003 and
the second in 2010.
At the Nineteenth Session of the IOC
Committee on International Oceanographic
Data and Information Exchange (IODE‐XIX,
Trieste, Italy, 12‐16 March 2007) the project
document for the establishment of the Ocean
Data and Information Network for the Black
Sea Region (ODINBLACKSEA) was adopted.
Recognising that the lives of at least 160
million people are profoundly influenced by
the Black Sea and considering that all riparian
countries depend to a large extent on marine
and coastal resources, the ability to acquire,
manage, archive and disseminate data, as well
as the capacity to generate products and
services in support of decision making and
management of the Sea and Coastal Zones is
of vital importance. The Ocean Data and
Information Network for the Black Sea Region
(ODINBLACKSEA) Project is proposed to
respond to these needs through: (i) providing
assistance in the development, operation and
strengthening of National Oceanographic Data
(and Information) Centres and to establish
their networking in the region; (ii) providing
training and education in marine data and
information management, taking into account
the requirements of operational
oceanography; applying standard formats and
methodologies as defined by the IODE; (iii)
enhancing national and regional awareness of
Marine Data and Information Management;
(iv) assisting in the development and
maintenance of national and regional marine
data, metadata and information databases; (v)
assisting in the development and
dissemination of marine data and information
products and services, meeting the needs of
user communities at the national and regional
levels, and responding to national and
regional priorities; (vi) undertaking the
ODINBLACKSEA activities in close
collaboration and networking with other
12 SEAS‐ERA D.8.1.1 – Strategic Research Agenda for the Black Sea Basin
relevant organizations, programmes and
projects operating in the Black Sea region; and
(vii) undertaking the above activities applying
modern technologies for data collection,
processing, storage and dissemination.
Black Sea cooperation has been activated by
many pan‐European, regional scale and
bilateral/multilateral projects between the
Black Sea countries. Investigating and
understanding the Black Sea ecosystem and its
problems at regional and sub‐regional scales
have been supported by different donors like
EU, UNDP/GEF, NATO, WB, EBRD, UNEP,
IMO, SIDA.
The EU Framework Programme(s) (IV‐VII)
funded daNUbs, EUROGEL, IASON, SESAME,
HERMES, HYPOX, MEECE, ODEMM,
THRESHOLDS, PERSEUS, and many others to
tackle with Black Sea ecosystem issues
considering both climatic and anthropogenic
forces.
Another group of EU FP (VI, VII) Projects are
focused on the achievement of efficient
governance practices including ecosystem‐
based management to support sustainable
development in the Region, like INTERREG
PlanCOAST, SPICOSA, ENCORA, DEDUCE,
KnowSeas, ODEMM, PEGASO and COCONET.
GEF funded and executed through UNDP
BSEP17 and BSERP18(Phase I and II) projects in
support of the Bucharest Convention
implementation. It contributed to sustainable
human development in the Black Sea area
through reinforcing the cooperation of the
Black Sea countries to take effective measures
in reducing nutrients and other hazardous
substances to levels necessary to permit Black
Sea ecosystem recovery.
17Black Sea Environment Program 18Black Sea Environment Recovery Project
EU/TACIS/EuropeAid Projects, such as ECBSea,
SASEPOL served to strengthen regional
cooperation for the protection of the Black
Sea.
Projects focused specifically towards
improving the monitoring and forecasting
capacities and the operational status of
oceanographic services in conjunction with
better management of data collection and
networking of the Black Sea scientists
are:ARENA (FP5), ASCOBOS (FP6), ECOOP
(FP6), MONINFO (EC), BS SCENE/UBBS (FP6,7),
SEADATANET I/II (FP6,7) EnviroGRIDS (FP7),
EMODNET. Such projects have had valuable
impact on networking and capacity building in
the Black Sea marine research area.
In relation to the development of GMES core
services, MyOcean (FP7) has also played an
important role through its implementation in
the Black Sea. Finally, the EC EuroARGO
Project (part of GOOS) has enhanced efforts to
deploy argo floats in the Black Sea to support
GMES services and did the advancement of
operational monitoring in the Black Sea
region.
The Black Sea Era Net Project (2009‐2012) is
crucial for the region since it aims to identify
thematic priorities (i.e. environment, health,
energy, marine and maritime research) not
only for a Joint Call but also for the Black Sea
Research Programme (BSRP), a programme
that aims to establish sustainable and long‐
term cooperation in the region. The ERA NET
RUS Project (2009‐2013), on the other hand, is
a project that is specifically dedicated to
Russia; however, it also covers other
important countries from the Black Sea
region. Through a different approach to
innovation, academic science and technology
cooperation, the project aims to foster
collaboration between the private sector and
universities.
13 SEAS‐ERA T.8.1 – Strategic Research Agenda for the Black Sea Basin
4. A STRATEGIC RESEARCH AGENDA FOR THE BLACK SEA BASIN: OBJECTIVES AND BENEFITS
The overall objective of the SRA is to support
actions aimed at keeping the Black Sea
environment healthy with all its ecosystem
goods and services functioning whilst
economic recovery and further development
in the region are also being pursued.
While the overall objective aims to support
avoiding conflicts between nature well‐being
and human interest, the specific objectives of
the SRA are targeted at those domains of
Black Sea environmental research and
protection where the BS states need to
primarily concentrate their efforts at working
jointly for the benefit of the Black Sea and
those people living in the region. Besides the
environmental protection, it also aims to
tackle the maritime sectors; like transport,
energy and fisheries and their emerging
research needs in the SRA for the socio‐
economic welfare of the region.
From an end‐user perspective, progress in our
knowledge of Black Sea macro‐system
dynamics is vital for a better understanding of
interactions between ecological and socio‐
economic systems so as to respond to
environmental change whilst avoiding social‐
ecological mismatches. Applied science must
contribute to the development of new multi‐
scale models which span the entire range from
local, regional to global multi‐national
decision‐makings. Special attention must be
paid to the science policy interface to better
ground the scientifically developed decision‐
support tools for good governance and
adaptive management.
The specific objectives of and the expected
benefits from the SRA are:
1) The SRA will respond to the
requirements of the Bucharest Convention
and its four Protocols, BS SAP 2009 and the EU
Marine Strategy as the major environmental
management policies in the Black Sea region
having common goals/objectives. The SRA will
also take into account the requirements of
other relevant EU directives and international
agreements (ACCOBAMS, Espoo, IMO
Conventions, etc.) for improved cooperative
management of the Black Sea coastal and
marine areas. Therefore, the SRA will support
the needs of the BS states stemming from
international policy/legislation.
2) The SRA will deal with regional
ecosystem problems (Box 2) prioritising
research for achievement of both good
environmental status (GES) of the Black Sea as
stated in the MSFD and/or the long‐term
Ecosystem Quality Objectives (EcoQOs) set by
the BS SAP 2009. International cooperation
should continue by the existing mechanisms
and be further strengthened through actions
such as the common programming of the
coastal states.
3) The SRA will include conventional as
well as new subjects (new frontiers) for a
better understanding of the Black Sea
evolution and complexity. It will also aim to
achieve progress towards supporting green–
economy policies, valuing and promoting
investment in natural capital towards
achieving the overall Vision. Therefore, new
topics and approaches will be selected which
have priority at a regional level for improving
scientific observations and knowledge in a
harmonized manner directed at informed
decision making and innovation in research.
4) Multidisciplinary research, including
socio‐economy, is the asset of the Black Sea
sustainability focused model which is
associated with the ongoing process of
development of new management
frameworks in the Black Sea region,
encompassing ICZM, ecosystem‐based
14 SEAS‐ERA T.8.1 – Strategic Research Agenda for the Black Sea Basin
Box 3. SRA Implementation Principles
Utilization of knowledge, achievements, outputs and products of past projects based on lessons‐learnt and building on current EU and Black Sea Regional initiatives.
Streamlining ongoing project activities to avoid overlap.
Consultation and stakeholders involvement.
Capacity building and networking;
Promoting ownership and public‐awareness.
Regional partnership and international cooperation.
adaptive, and integrated river‐basin
management, and market‐based instruments.
The BS SRA aims to contribute to this process
by encouraging and supporting science
integration towards the successful
implementation of the BS SAP 2009
management targets and the MSFD objectives
realization (where applicable). The SRA
facilitates the step by step transition from the
current fragmented system to fully integrated
management accompanied by relevant
institutional framework development. Multi‐
disciplinary marine and maritime research in
support of good (holistic) governance of
environmental protection with human
capacity building component at the national
and regional level is looked for.
5) The SRA will aim to provide scientific
and management tools. This would include
guidance and support for improved
monitoring and quantitative assessments of
drivers, pressures, state, impacts, response
and recovery of the BS which at first requires
the further development and harmonisation
of the Black Sea observation systems
including monitoring activities,
data/information management tools, and
multi‐disciplinary and multi‐scale modelling.
6) It will identify the cross‐cutting issues
to support research and their realization.
Marine research infrastructure,
communication and promotion of science,
needs in harmonization and training,
exchange of good practices, utilization of
new technologies, further networking
including the private sector and national
funding bodies are among the key issues.
Beneficiaries of the environmental issues and
their management actions including RTD (as
re‐drawn from the TDA2007 in Annex I) were
identified as 42 institutional and stakeholder
groups based on their specific involvement
in/contribution to management and/or
protection of the Black Sea (per se the trans‐
boundary issues identified in the BS SAP2009).
The approach proposed for the SRA
implementation includes the following
principles (Box 3):
15 SEAS‐ERA T.8.1 – Strategic Research Agenda for the Black Sea Basin
5. SPECIFIC RESEARCH PRIORITIES FOR THE BLACK SEA BASIN .
The agreed Structure of the SRA by the SEAS‐
ERA Partners has been explained in Section
1.2. (the process of building the Black Sea SRA
is also described there). A “specific research
priorities” list has been compiled and grouped
under three main headings: Basic Research,
Applied Research to support society/economy
and Research on cross‐cutting issues (Box 4).
The sub‐titles along with their specific
research priorities were decided upon by
experts based on the regional needs.
Box 4. Summary of the Research Issues
Basic research and fundam
ental
understanding
Understanding the geological structure and dynamics of the Black Sea Basin as a primary factor influencing its general evolution
Physical climate, hydrological cycle, ventilation and inter‐basin coupling
Understanding climatic variability and climate change impacts on coastal and offshore ecosystems in the Black Sea including the effects of ocean acidification
Changes in biodiversity and habitats, noting the introduction and impacts of invasive species
Understanding and governing eutrophication of coastal waters and open sea: Biogeochemical and primary biological basic processes, mechanisms and consequences
Ensuring Good Water/Sediment/Bioresources/Beach Quality for Human and Ecosystem Health (including litter)
Deep‐sea research
Applied Research: Science supporting Society &
Maritim
e Economy
Renewable energy
Exploitation of mineral resources, energy and communication projects
Maritime transport
Fishery and aquaculture with focus on preservation and sustainable use of marine living resources
Marine biotechnology
Cross‐cutting issues :
Natural hazards and risk assessments
Socio‐economic research
Marine spatial planning (MSP) and marine protected areas (MPAs)
ICZM, links with MSP & IRBM, coastal sciences & engineering
Research support and
cross‐cutting issues for
fundam
ental and applied
research
Development of support tools for policy implementation
Observation and forecasting systems for operational oceanography
Marine research infrastructure
Human capacity building
16 SEAS‐ERA T.8.1 – Strategic Research Agenda for the Black Sea Basin
5.1. Basic Research & Fundamental
Understanding
5.1.1. Understanding the geological
structure and dynamics of the Black
Sea Basin as a primary factor
influencing its general evolution
During the last 120 million years the area of
the Black Sea has been subjected to strong
tectonic activity. Since its initiation,
compressional tectonic environments led to
subsidence in the basin, interspersed with
extensional phases resulting in large‐scale
volcanism and numerous orogenies, causing
the uplift of the Greater Caucasus, Pontides,
Southern Crimea and Balkan mountain ranges.
The on‐going collision between the Eurasian
and African plates and westward escape of the
Anatolian block along the North and East
Anatolian Faults dictate the current tectonic
regime, which features enhanced subsidence
in the Black Sea basin and significant volcanic
activity in the Anatolian region. It is these
geological mechanisms which, in the long
term, have caused the periodic isolations of
the Black Sea from the rest of the global ocean
system and were accompanied by
accumulation of large amount of sediments in
the Sea.
Furthermore, in the course of the Black Sea
geological history large‐scale sea level changes
(from +10/15 m to ‐120 m) occurred and they
caused radical reshaping of land morphology,
large accumulation of sediments in the deep
part of the Sea (about 12‐13 km of bottom
sediment thickness in the central part of the
basin) and modifications of environmental
settings. The Quaternary was especially
characterised by such spectacular changes,
which had been driven by global climate
change (glaciations and deglaciations). Under
the sharp sea‐level fluctuations of this period,
the sediment depocentres concentrated in the
deep‐sea zone of the Black Sea unlike the
present‐day position of sedimentation areas ‐
from delta bodies of different large rivers onto
the continental slopes.
During all these changes, the Black Sea water
level was also influenced by its limited
connection with the Mediterranean Sea
through the Bosphorus – Dardanelles Straits.
When the Black Sea level happens to fall
below the Bosphorus sill, its further variations
develop under specific regional conditions,
without being necessarily coupled to the
ocean level changes. Historically, one of the
main consequences of the lowstands has been
the complete interruption of the
Mediterranean water inflow into the Black
Sea, as the latter becomes an almost
freshwater giant lake for thousands of years
until the connection through the Bosphorus
re‐appears and the salinity of the Black Sea is
restored.
The main glacial periods of the Quaternary in
Europe (Danube, Günz, Mindel, Riss and
Würm) corresponded to the regressive phases
of the Black Sea, with lowstands of the water
level down to –120 m. The regressions
represent phases of isolation of the Black Sea
from the Mediterranean Sea and the World
Ocean. Only connection with the Caspian Sea
could occasionally appear through the
Manych valley. Correspondingly, during
regressions, and under fresh water conditions,
the particularities of flora and fauna
assemblages in the Black Sea had a
pronounced Caspian character. On the
contrary, during the interglacials, the water
level was rising to levels close to the present
level; the Black Sea was getting reconnected
to the Mediterranean Sea, and the
environmental conditions as well as the flora
and fauna characteristics were undergoing
Mediterranisation.
Presently, the Black Sea level is relatively
stable with a slight tendency of rise. Hence,
the surrounding relief and the physiography of
17 SEAS‐ERA T.8.1 – Strategic Research Agenda for the Black Sea Basin
Key research issues:
Complex geological and geophysical
investigation of the tectonic structure and
sedimentary accumulations within the
Black Sea basin: continental shelves,
slopes and deep‐sea zones.
Monitoring isostatic and eustatic sea level
changes, as well as the subsidence and the
compaction of sedimentary piles.
Investigation on river sediment fluxes and
mapping the sediment distribution on the
continental shelf and slope.
Modelling the dynamics of the Earth crust
in the Black Sea area with a special
attention to seismically active zones and to
areas exposed to other possible. geological
hazards.
the basin play the most important role in
shaping the sedimentation processes in the
Sea. The Eastern and Southern coasts of the
Sea are characterized by high and steep slopes
and narrow continental shelf; which facilitate
the direct transfer of sediments from the
continent to the deep sea and determine a
coarser grain size of these sediments. The
Western and North‐western parts of the Black
Sea have wide shelf and lower relief. Besides,
the Black Sea largest Rivers, discharging into
the North‐western part of the Sea, supply
major quantities of sediments of much finer
grain size composition (mainly silty and clayey
sediments).
5.1.2. Physical climate, hydrological cycle,
ventilation and inter‐basin coupling
Long‐term variabilities of the water cycle and
the physical climate: The Black Sea is a
sensitive ecosystem, vulnerable to potential
impacts on both its physical and biochemical
state by the expected intensification of the
hydrological cycle. Fed by major European
rivers (Danube, Dniepr, Dniestr, Don, Kuban
and others) which drain a catchment basin
roughly 5‐fold of its size, the Black Sea is
subject to large natural variation over inter‐
decadal time scales. The water cycle directly
modifies the vertical stratification of the Black
Sea, affecting the ventilation processes
intensity and impacting the transport and fate
of constituents, including pollutants, thus,
shaping the state of the ecosystem, in general.
Since the Palaeolithic and Neolithic prehistoric
times, climate change, accompanied by strong
tectonic activity, has induced hydro‐geological
transformations of the Black Sea and the
Turkish Straits System (TSS)19, impacting
human societies, notably among them the
demise of Troia VIIb in the late Bronze Age.
Climatic oscillations with increased
productivity periods of several hundred years,
associated with mass development of
coccolitophores, recorded in Black Sea
sediments since Holocene times, imply
relatively recent changes in the Sea hydrology
that could recur in future.
Ice floes reaching the Bosphorus from the
Black Sea have been reported in Herodotus,
and in AD 7‐17, 401, 739, 753, 755, 763, 928,
934, 1011, 1232, 1621, 1658, 1669, 1755,
1823, 1849, 1862, 1878, 1893, 1918, 1928,
1929 and 1954. Weninger (2009) note the
clustering of cold events after the 17th
century, in the cold period known as the Little
Ice Age. No such event was observed from the
13th century to the mid 17th century (medieval
warm period) nor since 1954 (global
warming?).
19 Located at the junction of two continents and two large interior sea basins, the TSS has been the center‐stage of ancient civilizations of the Old World, as evidenced by the recent discoveries of Palaeolithic and Neolithic migrations, the 8500 year old Neolithic settlement and the 1600 year old Byzantine port of Theodosius at Yenikapı, near the southern end of the Bosphorus, and settlement at Troy dating from 5 kyr BP.
18 SEAS‐ERA T.8.1 – Strategic Research Agenda for the Black Sea Basin
Effects of large‐scale climate patterns such as
the NAO, NCP teleconnection regimes, Indian
Monsoons and regional winter cooling events
are evident in the Black Sea region, with
observed impacts on ecosystems.
Fig. 4: Ice sheets drifting in front of Rumeli Hisarı on the Bosphorus Strait, 1 March 1929, (Photograph: Maynard Owen Williams) River catchments and integrated modelling of
the hydrological cycle: Major rivers which
shape the water budget of the Black Sea,
determine its stratification, drive boundary
currents as part of its general circulation and
energize its ecosystem are currently
threatened by expected net decreases in river
fluxes. Consequent changes in the Black Sea
stratification and nutrient ratios can impact
coastal and marine ecosystems in many
different ways. A sound knowledge of Black
Sea water and nutrient balance as dependant
on the riverine fluxes is essential in order to
assess the status and stability of the Black Sea
ecosystem, so that to formulate realistic socio‐
economic scenarios and relevant policies to
counteract potential negative impacts.
The European Strategy for the Danube Region
includes as a priority action the creation of an
International Centre for Advanced Research
on River – Delta ‐ Sea Systems, having as study
area the Danube River – Danube Delta – Black
Sea system. The establishment of the Centre is
in process. The Centre will be able to advance
the studies on the complex interactions
between the Danube River, its Delta and the
Sea. Similar investigations should be
continued or undertaken where absent for all
major Black Sea rivers.
Earth system models of river catchment
hydrology integrated with regional
atmospheric and ocean models can serve us
to better understand and improve our
prediction capabilities of the Black Sea water
cycle and related ecosystem change.
Ventilation Processes and Hydrochemistry: A
positive water budget and the restricted
exchange through the TSS result in the stable
stratification of the Black Sea, with the
pycnocline effectively sealing off the anoxic
deep waters from the surface, while the upper
water column is affected by the complex
formation process of the Cold Intermediate
Water (CIW). With a double diffusive interior,
convective boundary mixing processes
following the cascading shelf of
Mediterranean water drive interior renewal
processes in the upper 500m of the Black Sea,
leading from multi‐decadal to centennial and
millennial scale evolution of the interior.
Tracer studies have shown the role of specific
cascading and mixing processes in the interior
re‐distribution of properties at intermediate
depth. The chemical stratification of the
interior, mediated by subtle hydrochemical
processes plays an all‐important role in the
Black Sea ecosystem. The parameterization of
mixing processes in the Black Sea is a topic of
utmost importance, that could lead to
improvements in the long‐term predictive
capabilities of coupled hydrodynamical and
ecosystem models.
TSS and inter‐basin coupling: It is not possible
to understand the water and material budgets
of the Black Sea without prior understanding
of the two‐layer stratified exchange flows and
the dynamic controls imposed by the Turkish
Straits System (TSS). The interactive behaviour
of the Black Sea with the TSS is a truly multi‐
scale problem, which only can be addressed
19 SEAS‐ERA T.8.1 – Strategic Research Agenda for the Black Sea Basin
Key research issues:
Investigation of the elements and variability of the hydrological cycle and contributions to the stratification, mixing, circulation, transport of materials and productivity in the Black Sea region.
Predictions of the short and long‐term transport of land‐based materials (including pollutants) by interactive earth system models including transport components in the atmosphere, the ocean and the river catchments.
Parameterization and tuning of turbulent mixing and ventilation processes in Black Sea hydrodynamics models, for long‐term predictions of intermediate and deep‐water hydrochemistry with feedbacks on ecosystems.
Analyses for understanding the hydrochemical evolution since ancient times and since the industrial age, with a view on the current risks of eutrophication, mixing/turnover in response to ventilation, exchange, and biogeochemical processes.
Analyses of the roles of inter‐basin coupling and multi‐scale controls imposed by the Turkish Straits System on the Black Sea internal hydrochemical processes as well as the possible effects on the state of the adjacent Marmara and Aegean Seas.
Complex and interdisciplinary study river‐delta‐sea systems with special focus on frontal zones.
by the most advanced technological tools and
observational networks to be developed.
The maximal exchange imposed by
topographic and hydraulic controls at the
Bosphorus and the submaximal exchange at
the Dardanelles Straits are unique dynamical
regimes of mixing and entrainment through
surface and bottom plumes issuing into the
Black, Marmara and Aegean Seas. These
exchanges influence on the cycling of material
and biological productivity in the three seas.
The complexity of dynamic processes in the
Straits poses a serious challenge for the
development of predictive models, though
certain advancements in this field has been
already achieved.
5.1.3. Understanding climatic variability and
climate change impacts on coastal
and offshore ecosystems in the Black
Sea including the effects of ocean
acidification
Signs of climate change and variability: As
inferred by variations of the basin‐averaged
winter and annual‐mean sea surface
temperatures and the May‐November mean
temperatures of the Cold Intermediate Layer,
the Black Sea upper layer water column
experienced a cooling trend of about 0.7oC
from 1880 to 1910. This was followed by an
approximate 1.0oC warming trend during
1910‐1970 modulated by sub‐decadal scale
fluctuations after which a roughly 1.5oC
cooling trend occurred during the next 20
years up to 1993, concluded by an equally
strong warming trend afterwards during 1994‐
2002. The latter warming trend brought the
temperature back to its level at the beginning
of the 1970s, indicating that Black Sea did not
build up a net temperature increase after the
1970s contrary to the steady global warming
trend. The Black Sea interannual temperature
variations of around 2.0oC therefore appear to
be much more pronounced and distinctly
different than the ~0.4oC global temperature
rising trend since 1970. The warming trend
observed in the Black Sea winter
temperatures during 1910‐1970 is however
consistent with the global trend with the
exception of more pronounced fluctuations.
The large temporal oscillations in water
temperatures observed throughout the Black
Sea basin are also subject to considerable
regional variability. For example, winter sea
surface temperatures may vary as much as 3oC
between the colder interior basin and the
warmer peripheral zone and/or between the
northwestern and southeastern waters. In
general, regional meteorological conditions in
the eastern area favour milder winters and
20 SEAS‐ERA T.8.1 – Strategic Research Agenda for the Black Sea Basin
warmer winter temperatures in the surface
mixed layer. The western coastal waters that
receive freshwater discharge from the
Danube, Dniepr and Dniestr rivers and are
subject to more frequent and colder arctic
airflow, on the other hand, characterize the
coldest area of the Black Sea.
Based on the examination of 12 tide gauge
records around the Black Sea from 1923–
1999, sea level increases have varied between
a minimum of 2.0 mm yr‐1 and a maximum of
about 4.0 mm yr‐1 over the last 60 years. The
satellite altimeter data reveal a higher rate of
sea level rise of about 7.5 mm yr‐1 during
1993‐2007. This is slightly higher than the
global average rise of 1.8 mm yr‐1 from 1961
to 2003 (IPCC, 2007), 1.7 mm yr‐1 in the
Atlantic Ocean and 1.1‐1.3 mm yr‐1 in the
Mediterranean Sea. We note a relatively
minor contribution of thermosteric effect to
the overall sea level rise. In fact, the Black Sea
level due to thermosteric effect actually
decreased during 1970‐1993 in response to
excessive cooling of the sea whereas the
actual sea level has been rising. However, the
thermosteric effect is a significant contributor
and explains much of the observed global sea
level rise observed during the second half of
the 20th century. Furthermore, temporal
changes of net fresh water input into the Black
Sea (the river inflow plus precipitation minus
evaporation) indicate a net long‐term positive
trend in consistence with the sea level
changes. The positive trend is due to
increased river discharge as well as increasing
precipitation and decreasing evaporation
rates. Subdecadal‐to‐decadal changes in the
net fresh water input also correlate well with
the mean detrended sea level anomaly.
Periods of reduced fresh water input generally
correspond to those of relatively low sea level
also coinciding with relatively low sea surface
temperature.
Since the beginning of industrialization, the
ocean has taken up approximately one third of
total anthropogenic CO2 emitted to the
atmosphere. The continued uptake of man‐
made CO2 triggers changes in ocean
carbonate chemistry and pH referred to as
anthropogenic ocean acidification. At present,
the mean pH of ocean surface waters is
already 0.1 units lower compared to
pre‐industrial times and a decrease by 0.4
units is projected by the year 2100 in response
to a business‐as‐usual emission levels. This
change in pH drives profound changes in
carbonate chemistry and is likely to affect the
structure and functioning of marine
ecosystems. Despite the extreme importance
of this subject, no comprehensive studies exist
dealing with climate related changes on the
recent state of acidification in the Black Sea.
Biological consequences of climate change
and variability: Similar to the tropicalisation of
the Mediterranean, an increase in the rate of
new Mediterranean species arriving and
establishing new niches in the Black Sea (i.e.
increased Mediterranisation of the Black Sea)
has been suggested as unequivocal evidence
of global warming during the second half of
the 20th century. Warming has also facilitated
phenological changes in some fish species like
the gilt‐head (sea) bream Spratus aurata and
the salema Sarpa salpa. Formerly these
species seasonally migrated to the Black Sea
for spawning and feeding, however, they now
both reproduce intensively and remain longer
for overwintering in the Black Sea.
In addition to some suggested impacts of
anthropogenic global climate change on the
Black Sea ecosystem, the natural modes of
climatic variability introduce even stronger
impacts synergistically with other
environmental stressors. Some examples
reported by BSC‐SoE (2008) are as follows.
21 SEAS‐ERA T.8.1 – Strategic Research Agenda for the Black Sea Basin
Bacillariophyceae abundance in western coastal waters displayed a linear rising trend in the relatively cold years 1970 to 1993 and vice versa during the intense warming period after 1993. A similar decrease was also noted during the warming phase before 1970. Mesozooplankton biomass of the central‐eastern Black Sea tends to increase (decrease) in warm (cold) years. The boreal cold‐water organism Noctiluca scintillans displays increased levels of reproduction during cooler late‐spring (May–June) temperatures following more severe winters along the Bulgarian coast. Noctiluca biomass therefore increased an order of magnitude during the 1970s cooling period but then declined gradually during the subsequent warming phase of the 1990s. But factors like species food competition and prey‐predator interactions also contribute to their biomass changes. The relatively high Mnemiopsis abundance (>2000 ind/m2) in the eastern Black Sea during the months of August of 1989‐2003 is positively correlated with warm temperatures (26‐27oC) during 1989‐1991 and 2000‐2001. Similarly, the relatively cold periods (~24oC) of 1992‐1993 and 2003‐2004 are characterized by abundances an order of magnitude lower (~200 ind/m2). The doubling of the annual‐mean oxygen concentration from 170 μM to ~300 μM in the layer between σt ~14.45 and 14.6 kg m‐3 density surfaces, corresponding roughly to the base of the euphotic zone, in the northeastern basin from the early 1980s to the early 1990s is consistent with the cooling trend of the May‐November mean CIL temperature. Conversely, the subsequent decreasing trend for another 10 years up to 2002 follows the warming trend in the CIL temperature. Relatively higher subsurface oxygen concentrations during colder years should be associated with higher ventilation rates of the euphotic zone and the accumulation of more oxygen in the water column.
Cold years also characterize relatively higher phytoplankton biomasses. Generally, years with high phytoplankton productivity are expected to display reduced oxygen concentrations due to increased oxygen consumption associated with more intensive remineralisation processes. The positive correlation between the subsurface oxygen concentrations and phytoplankton biomass may suggest that the rate of oxygen production during colder years is more dominant than its consumption due to more enhanced plankton production over the entire year. The small pelagic fish catch (namely the sum of anchovy and sprat) was higher during the climatic cooling phase of the 1970s and 1980s and vice versa for the 1990s. The anchovy catch size along the Turkish coast positively correlated with monthly temperature changes from the November‐February period and the number of fishing days with an optimum temperature range of 9.4‐14.5oC.
Link between regional climate and
teleconnection patterns: There is a high and
significant correlation between the basin‐
averaged winter‐mean SST and the winter‐
mean air temperature anomaly and the NAO
index. They provide compelling evidence for
ensuring regulation of the regional hydro‐
meteorological conditions in the Black Sea by
large scale climatic teleconnection patterns.
The long‐term (1910‐1970) warming trend
coincides with declining NAO index values
toward more negative values whereas the
subsequent cooling up to the mid‐1990s is
related to strengthening of the NAO toward its
more positive phase. Therefore, more positive
NAO values imply colder, drier and more
severe winters in the Black Sea, exactly
opposite to the wetter and milder winters
experienced in the northwestern European
seas. The changes in long‐term detrended
average sea level reveal a negative correlation
with the winter‐mean NAO index. In general,
22 SEAS‐ERA T.8.1 – Strategic Research Agenda for the Black Sea Basin
Key research issues:
Effects of climate‐induced changes in hydrographic, hydrochemical structure and circulation patterns on structure and function of the food web.
Feedback mechanisms between the dynamic processes leading to anthropogenic global warming and natural modes of climate variability.
Identification of ecosystem vulnerability (resilience) during abrupt transitions in response to climate change.
Climate‐adaptation management strategies to preserve ecosystem goods and services
Develop knowledge of multiple sources and scales of ecosystem change to design management strategies.
positive NAO index values are associated with
a relatively low sea level.
In addition, the North Sea ‐ Caspian pattern
(NCP) is also used to explain some of the
variability on the Mediterranean, Black and
Caspian Seas hydro‐meteorological properties.
Furthermore, whilst the El Nino/Southern
Oscillation (ENSO) phenomenon constitutes a
major source of interannual climatic variability
over much of the globe, it has a weak
influence on the climate of the Eastern
Mediterranean‐Black Sea region.
5.1.4. Changes in biodiversity and habitats,
noting the introduction and impacts
of invasive species
Due to its specific features the Black Sea is
characterized by a naturally low species
diversity (e.g. about 3 fold lower in
comparison to the Mediterranean Sea). Even
after emerging from its highly degraded state
during 1980‐1990s, the Black Sea ecosystem is
still considered in a transitional phase which
makes it particularly sensitive to external
factors related to cooling and warming events
(SoE, 2008), as well as the continuous
anthropogenic and natural pressures over the
entire basin.
A better understanding of the ecosystem
structure and functioning supported by in situ
experiments and integrated monitoring at
required temporal and special scales is of
crucial importance. The monitoring activity
will also provide the information necessary to
update the list and conservation status of BS
threatened species, as well as their critical
habitats.
Understanding the value of all the various
components of marine biodiversity (as an
integrity of species, habitats, structure,
function and the related ecosystem processes)
is essential if we are to minimise the negative
impacts of human activities and adopt
successful management policies.
Habitat loss or damage in the Black Sea shelf is
evident and the substantial decrease of a well
known macrophytobenthos species from the
1970’s to 2000 has been documented (SoE,
2008). It is important to mention that the
spatial distribution of benthic flora and fauna
is inadequately studied, thus habitat mapping
is not well advanced. For this reason, as
targeted in the Black Sea SAP (2009), a
mapping system for the Black Sea habitats is
to be established utilising the inventory
prepared. Based on this information,
rehabilitation methods (e.g. artificial reefs)
could also be investigated to restore lost
habitats.
The Black Sea basin needs more protected
areas both in coastal and marine regions to
safeguard biodiversity and also sustain the
stocks of living resources. This has been
proposed as a network of protected areas on a
regional level with some countries being given
the priority to designate such areas in their
national waters or in transboundary areas
carried out in cooperation with neighbouring
23 SEAS‐ERA T.8.1 – Strategic Research Agenda for the Black Sea Basin
countries. Identifying ecologically or
biologically significant marine areas in need of
protection in both coastal and open‐sea
waters is a task of high priority in the Black
Sea. The criteria required to designate such
areas as protected include uniqueness or
rarity; special importance for life‐history
stages of species; importance for threatened,
endangered or declining species and/or
habitats; vulnerability, fragility, sensitivity or
slow recovery; biological productivity;
biological diversity; and natural beauty.
Relevant scientific studies should be organised
in a systematic mode.
The introduction of any non‐native species
could have destructive effects on the Black
Sea ecosystem as happened during the
introduction of Mnemiopsis leidyi in the early
1980’s via ballast waters, a period known as
‘jellies replaced the fish’. The trend began
during the onset of intense eutrophication in
the Black Sea and the establishment of the
invasive Mnemiopsis leidyi was preceeded by
a zooplankton shift in favour of non‐trophic
species (Noctilluca scintillans and Aurelia
aurita) and the wasp‐waist control of
gelatinous zooplankton then contributed to
the very low level of fodder mesozooplankton,
which in return supplemented the over‐fishing
leading to reduction in the stocks of valuable
commercial species.
After the mid 1990’s, when Beroe ovata
appeared in the Black Sea, the Mnemiopsis
population started to decrease, favouring the
recovery of edible zooplankton in both species
composition and abundance. Ironically, some
other invasive species such as the Japanese
snail Rapana venosa has become a
commercially important fishery target, despite
great damage to the benthic ecosystem
through its predation on the native
Mediterranean mussel populations. Research
and monitoring efforts are needed to survey
the abundance and present state of non‐
indigenous species and assess the impact of
invasives, including economic valuations of
degradation and long run commercial profits
(as in the case of Rapana) to recommend
mitigation activities.
Fig. 5: Invaders: Rapana eats black mussel
Determination of the ratio between invasive
non‐indigenous species and native species in
some well studied taxonomic groups (e.g. fish,
macroalgae, molluscs) shall provide a measure
of change in Black Sea species composition.
Relevant inventories are in process of
development and their advancement needs to
be further supported.
Besides, monitoring of invasive species in
ballast tanks and within harbour surveys, the
assessment of risks of their transfer via
maritime transportation is necessary. The
Black Sea is notorious for its many
unintentionally introduced aliens. Shipping is
the main vector delivering alien species to the
Black Sea coast. One strong reason that makes
the Black Sea a favourable host for
newcomers is its unbalanced and damaged
ecosystem structure. Since the Black Sea
ecosystem is in a transitional phase, as
mentioned above, in addition to monitoring,
special attention should be paid to analyse
high risk target species of dangerous potential
24 SEAS‐ERA T.8.1 – Strategic Research Agenda for the Black Sea Basin
Key research issues:
Development of novel tools for research and monitoring of non‐native species and ecological impact assessment.
Habitat mapping design for development of a classification system of Black Sea habitats (including pelagic domain).
Assessment of the effects of marine biodiversity in food‐web energy transfer (structure and functioning) and ecosystem resilience.
Synthesis of biodiversity results into operational indicators of ecological state (MSFD/GES relevant) based on scenario analysis and model simulations under various natural and anthropogenic pressures.
Taxonomic revisions of species based on modern research tools (genetics and genomics) including microbes and viruses.
which could become established in the Black
Sea.
Biodiversity, in general, is fragmentarily
studied; comprehensive inventories of species
(check‐list) are not finalized for some groups;
many uncertainties exist in the proper
taxonomic identification of species; serious
gaps exist in the investigations of important
phylla of marine biota (microbes and viruses,
fungi); innovative methods of taxonomic
revisions (genetic analysis) are of limited
application. Further research is needed to
better understand the fundamental role of
biodiversity in the provision of ecosystem
services: energy transport through the food‐
web, plankton/benthic coupling, life‐cycle
traits, role of secondary metabolites
(infochemicals as mediators), functional
biodiversity, synthesis of biodiversity results
into operational indicators of ecological state
in addition to provision of goods and services
of socio‐economic importance.
5.1.5. Understanding and governing
eutrophication of coastal waters and
open sea: Biogeochemical and
primary biological basic processes,
mechanisms and consequences
The process of eutrophication, defined as an
increase in the flux of organic carbon in an
aquatic system, often results from a
proportional increase in the load of nutrients
which leads to ecologically destructive
changes: loss of water quality, decline in
biodiversity, loss of marine biological
resources, etc. In order to address these
problems, basic processes governing
eutrophication should be investigated in
detail. These are fundamental changes in the
biogeochemical structure, C,N,P,Si cycles,
oxic/anoxic conditions, dramatic alterations
the structure of biological and microbiological
communities and associated in fluxes of
energy due to perturbations in the processes
of carbon transformation.
A knowledge of nutrient inputs, ratios,
distributions, recycling, and elimination has
been critically important for the Black Sea
ecosystem since the 1960's. However, the
1980's and early 1990's were the only periods
of intensive basin‐wide studies. An efficient
monitoring and research system including the
open sea does not currently exist and a
harmonized assessment of atmospheric
deposition, riverine input and inputs from the
Straits is lacking. Sporadic research activities,
despite their high quality and importance for
studying specific problems, are poorly
connected. As a result, very limited knowledge
on sequences and consequences is available
limiting scientific support of integrated
management at the ecosystem level.
Available data demonstrate that the
concentrations of both N and P were
increasing towards the early 1990's. Although
they have decreased since then, they remain
25 SEAS‐ERA T.8.1 – Strategic Research Agenda for the Black Sea Basin
at a higher level than in the 1960's. The
concentration of Si in the upper waters
decreased by an order of magnitude from the
early 1960's to the middle of the 1980's, and
has remained stable since. Though these
changes in the load and distribution of
nutrients have been demonstrated to cause
dramatic eutrophication, depletion of oxygen,
build‐up of sulphide, changes in the structure
of biological communities, shifts in the carbon
cycle, acidification, etc., the importance of
other driving forces, like climate changes,
trends in the fluxes of CO2 at the sea‐air
boundary, invasive biological species, etc.,
have been poorly evaluated/quantified and
often merely claimed.
Changes in N/P and other nutrient ratios and
their subsequent effects on the
biogeochemical processes are to be assessed,
quantified and parameterized for numerical
modelling. The diagnostic and predictive
capacity based on robust understanding of the
causal effects of such ratio changes on the
Black Sea ecosystem functioning has yet to be
developed. For this, systematic studies,
monitoring and modelling tools would be
required.
A nutrient modelling tool was asked to be
developed in the SAP (2009) for source
apportionment estimates to be done to
improve existing understanding of nutrient
sources that would directly improve the
targeting and efficiency of management
actions. However, to efficiently develop and
run such models, the mechanisms and basic
biogeochemical, biological and microbiological
processes have yet to be studied in detail,
parameterized and quantified for the Black
Sea conditions.
The trophic level and the frequency of
associated hypoxic events, as well as of the
phytoplankton bloom events in the Black Sea
shelf waters have decreased (SoE, 2008).
However, the pelagic system has often
become dominated by coccolithophores and
heterotrophic dinoflagellates. The biodiversity
(eukaryotes, cyanobacteria, etc.) of this
changing oxic environment has to be further
studied and ecosystem models have to be
expanded to include their dynamics. The latter
will improve our understanding of the
pathways and intensities of the energy flows
in the Black Sea ecosystem, and of the type of
its functioning (‘microbial‐loop’ vs. ‘grazing’,
fast sinking vs. slow sinking organic matter, N‐
fixing vs. denitrification, etc).
Regarding coastal waters, studies of the
abundance of perennial seaweeds and
seagrasses (e.g. fucoids, eelgrass etc) which
are adversely impacted by a decrease in water
transparency will be important for better
understanding and knowledge of both the
scale of eutrophication and the assimilation
capacity of coastal waters for nutrients.
Finally, the role of bacteria in eutrophication‐
related hypoxia/anoxia events in the shelf
area need to be further investigated. It is
known that there are shallow hydrothermal
vents in the Black Sea, similar to those seen in
the Mediterranean, which are populated with
bacteria. Some of these vents have been
recently studied near the Crimean coast (data
from the EU HYPOX project), but the scale and
the overall effect of these processes in the
Black Sea have still to be investigated and
evaluated.
26 SEAS‐ERA T.8.1 – Strategic Research Agenda for the Black Sea Basin
Key research issues:
Evaluation of different sources of nutrients (rivers and other land‐based sources (including diffuse), atmosphere, regeneration and recycling (including microbial processes), N‐fixation, denitrification, fluxes in water and from sediments), their importance for the stock and distribution of nutrients in waters.
Understanding the impact of changes in physical conditions and climatology, changes in the load, stock, distribution and N/P and other nutrient ratios on the rate and pattern of eutrophication or distrophication (increase or decrease in the flux of organic carbon in the system).
Understanding the impacts of eutrophication on biodiversity and ecosystem functioning (primary production vs. chemosynthesis, trophic cascades vs. eutrophication, microbial loop vs grazing, bottom up versus top down control, energy flows, etc.) and on the C, N, P, Si cycles and biogeochemical dynamics of shelf and open sea ecosystems (oxygen loss, sulphide buildup, CO2 removal by coccolithophorids, changes in pH (acidification) and carbonate system, including Ca(Mg)CO3 precipitation and dissolution, etc.).
Modelling scenarios and relevant economic valuations of eutrophication consequences and nutrient reduction schemes.
The role of coccolithophorids in removal of CO2 in the BS with respect to potential impact of pH increase.
5.1.6. Ensuring Good Water/Sediment/
Bioresources/Beach Quality for
Human and Ecosystem Health
(including litter)
Reduction of pollution and eutrophication has
been a major target in the region; however,
investigations and investments were almost
only focused on point sources of pollution.
Hence, atmospheric deposition and land‐
based diffuse sources from rural and urban
areas are poorly understood and have priority
for conducting further
research/monitoring/modelling. However,
despite the long‐term and often
comprehensive studies on river discharges,
there is no harmonization of river monitoring
strategies in the Black Sea region, hence no
clear understanding of the loads reaching the
Black Sea (both for pollutants and nutrients).
Water/Sediment/Biota qualities are studied
with varying success, based on different
methodologies and mainly in coastal waters.
The distribution of major pollutants (TPHs,
trace metals, detergents, pesticides, etc) is
poorly known, especially for sediments and
biota.
The Black Sea is known for its heavy shipping
traffic, including extensive oil transportation.
However, the frequency and impact of illegal
discharges from ships are not well known in
the Black Sea. There is no properly organised
monitoring of operational and accidental
pollution (e.g. in ports, platforms, ship
accidents, etc.). The influence of dredging and
dumping activities is also poorly understood.
The relationship between erosion and
pollution/eutrophication lacks investigation.
Bathing water quality is monitored by all BS
coastal states (not the same for the quality of
the beach), however, there is no
harmonization of standards and methods used
to assess bathing water quality.
The harmonization of methodologies and
environmental quality standards is required
for the Black Sea region (SAP 2009 target) and
the further development of a common
classification scheme for
water/sediment/biota quality is desperately
needed. Although the key contaminants are
determined at a regional level by the Black Sea
Commission, additions and deletions need to
be identified for the Black Sea, together with
the sources of the new pollutants and their
27 SEAS‐ERA T.8.1 – Strategic Research Agenda for the Black Sea Basin
Key research issues:
Identification of key contaminants for the Black Sea with their sources, levels and effects on water/sediment/bioresources quality,biota and human health (MSFD relevant).
Common environmental quality objectives (EQOS or GES) must be identified to improve assessments as a pre‐requisite of management procedures (MSFD relevant).
Origins, quantity, quality and impacts of marine litter (MSFD relevant).
Condition of benthic community based on multi‐metric indexes and other parameters.
effects on water and sediment quality, biota
and humans.
Based on the above, and in combination with
biological and biotoxicological studies, levels
which maintain a good environmental status
(as recalled in MSFD) should be identified so
that contaminant concentrations will not
adversely affect marine ecosystems.
Studies on the input, transport and dispersion
of pollutants from localized areas to a basin
wide or a sub‐basin scale must be conducted
alongside monitoring assessments coupled
with modelling tools. This would also provide
vital information for developing pollution
reduction schemes.
The regional marine litter assessment
undertaken in the Black Sea region
(UNEP/GPA/BSC, 2009) revealed the scale of
the problem, gaps in knowledge and became
the basis for the draft Strategic Action Plan for
the Management and Abatement of Marine
Litter in the Black Sea Region (BS‐ML‐SAP,
http://www.blacksea‐commission.org/_publ‐
ML.asp,). The plan contains concrete actions
aimed to reduce and eliminate where possible
the ML problem in the Black Sea region. In
support of research the Plan calls for:
common methodologies, unified standards,
guidelines and reporting format for the
monitoring and assessment of floating,
submerged, sea‐bottom and coastal litter, its
sources and effects.
Research needs have to be prioritized in line
with the objectives of this Plan. The Plan
stipulates the following needs in monitoring
and assessments:
spatial and temporal patterns of marine
litter (ML) distribution, accumulation and
transportation on the sea surface, within
the water column, over the seabed and
along the seashore with regard to
hydrological, hydrochemical and
hydrophysical peculiarities including the
pronounced vertical stratification of the
Black Sea, presence of stable and
transient sea currents, seasonal and
other fluctuations of sea level, etc.
mapping of sources, origin and hot spots
of ML
factors influencing the input and
accumulation of seaborne and coastal
litter, (e.g. role of rivers, floods, studies
on storm waters, effects and retention in
sewage plants, fishing related litter
(ghost nets, etc.)
adverse effects of marine litter on the
environment, biota, public health,
economics and social life
microplastics at sea and in sediments
modelling of ML distribution,
backtracking of ML‐ biodegradability of
litter, rates of degradation under the
anoxic conditions of the BS, development
of novel methods and automated
monitoring devices (hydroacoustics,
ultrasound, etc.)
One of the most effective ways of
understanding impacts of human activities on
marine ecosystems is by monitoring the
seafloor integrity and benthic habitats.
28 SEAS‐ERA T.8.1 – Strategic Research Agenda for the Black Sea Basin
5.1.7. Deep‐sea research
The biogeochemical processes occurring
within the Black Sea oxic‐anoxic layer have
been of great interest of different research
groups where both observations and
modelling efforts were considered. However,
existing notions require re‐consideration and
further development based on new
monitoring findings in order to better
understand the effects of both natural and
anthropogenic forcing on the characteristics of
the sub‐oxic/anoxic layers.
Methane emissions and gas hydrate
dissociation should also be further explored in
the Black Sea deep waters and seabed. The
influence of gas seepage on methane sources
and sinks, aerobic and anaerobic oxidation of
methane and the mediating microbial
organisms as well as bacterial chimney
formation in the Black Sea needs further
investigation.
Characterization of the variability in seep
phenomena requires an interdisciplinary and
integrated approach in order to reveal their
impact on sea budgets. Microbial reefs are of
particular interest as a biogeochemical barrier,
absorbing a considerable portion of methane
seeping from the seafloor.
Mud volcanoes are also an important target
for more detailed investigation since they are
the only source of seeping methane occurring
below the water depth of the upper boundary
of methane hydrates stability zone in the
Black Sea (i.e. > 725 m).
The biodiversity of anoxic bacteria in the Black
Sea is not well known. Increased knowledge of
these organisms is important not only for their
potential use in biotechnology, but also to
ensure better preparation prior to the
utilisation of resources (e.g. H2S) from this
huge layer. Phototrophic sulfur bacteria, such
as Chromatium warmingii and Thiocapsa
roseopersicina and Chlorobium
phaeovibrioides are able to survive at depths
of 660 and 2,240 m.
There are some publications detailing higher
forms than bacteria living in the anaerobic
zone, but these data still need additional
verification. The general perception is that
higher level organisms do not inhabit the
anoxic zone but have been brought to it by
currents or sliding sediments.
Evidence exists that cysts and spores survive
well on the bottom of the Black Sea under
29 SEAS‐ERA T.8.1 – Strategic Research Agenda for the Black Sea Basin
Key research issues:
Assessment of ecological and environmental role of methane seeps and the active mud volcanoes in the Black Sea anoxic basin.
Evaluation of significance of the methane‐derived microbial reefs as a biogeochemical barrier controlling the input of the seeping methane to the Black Sea water column and atmosphere.
Studies of conservation properties of the Black Sea anoxic sediments for cyst, spores and the possible influence of this factor on the biodiversity in contemporary Black Sea ecosystems.
Assessment of the current levels and trends of radioactive contamination of the Black Sea environments with special focus on development of radiotracer techniques to identify sources, pathways, cycling and trapping of redox‐sensitive nuclear and non‐nuclear pollutants in anoxic waters and sediments.
Development of models evaluating the carbon sequestration in the Black Sea.
anoxic conditions. This interesting
phenomenon is currently being investigated
and further research must be focused on
providing assessments based on the sediment
dating methodology and on the maximal age
of the living cysts and spores.
Radioactive pollution: Owing to its
geographical location, the Black Sea has been
one of the marine basins most heavily
contaminated with artificial radioactivity.
During the pre‐Chernobyl period, the main
source of radioactive contamination in the
Black Sea was global fallout from the
atmospheric nuclear weapon testing, which
peaked in 1962 before the 1963 Test Ban
Treaty was signed between the main nuclear
states. As maximum global fallout was
observed within the 40–50oN latitude band
that runs exactly across the Black Sea, this
semi enclosed water body received high levels
of the fallout radionuclides derived from the
atmospheric weapon testing. Being the closest
marine body to the Chernobyl NPP site, the
Black Sea along with its broad drainage areas
have received substantial amounts of the
long‐lived artificial radionuclides, particularly 90Sr, 137Cs, and plutonium isotopes, released
into the atmosphere from the damaged
nuclear reactor and delivered by air masses
drifting south and westward from the accident
zone. Besides direct atmospheric deposition,
the Black Sea received (and continues to
receive) additional radioactive input via river
runoff, particularly in its northwestern area
from the Danube and Dnieper Rivers. Post‐
Chernobyl tracing of the Black Sea
radioactivity has revealed a higher capability
for self‐purification of its waters against
soluble and particle‐reactive radionuclides,
compared to the Mediterranean Sea. Further
research topics e.g. environment half‐ lives
and removal fluxes of radionuclides in
different regions of Black Sea waters are badly
needed to provide updated assessments of
maximum permissible inputs of both nuclear
elements.
30 SEAS‐ERA T.8.1 – Strategic Research Agenda for the Black Sea Basin
5.2. Applied Research: Science supporting
Society & Maritime Economy
5.2.1. Renewable energy
Over the coming decades, the modern world
is increasing efforts to ‘go green’ from food
products and construction materials right
through to social services and power
generation. The UN and EU have drafted the
Green Concept through means of
declarations, strategies and initiatives
intended to render the Greening Processes
irreversible, as well as liberating resources
required to finance a Green Economy
transition20. The “Go Green” concept has been
steadily gaining in popularity bringing into
focus brave and innovative ideas reducing the
energy sector dependence on fossil fuels by
increasing the energy efficiency and reliance
on alternative/renewable non‐fossil energy
sources. The term ‘renewable’ or RES refers to
the energy that is capable of being renewed
by the natural ecological cycle, its sources
being wind, solar, geothermal, wave, tidal,
hydropower, biomass, landfill gas, sewage
treatment plant gas and biogases21. While
biomass, hydro, geothermal, solar and wind
energies are being increasingly utilized as
sources of power generation, the oceanic
thermal, wave, and tidal resources still require
the development of sophisticated application
technologies in order to become marketable.
Marine Renewable Energy is understood here
as Renewable Energy production which makes
use of marine resources or marine space.
Various potential sources of such energy
include offshore wind, waves, tides, ocean
currents, marine biomass (micro‐ and macro‐
algae), osmotic, thermal and chemical
20Towards a Green Economy: Pathways to Sustainable Development and Poverty Eradication ‐ A Synthesis for Policy Makers, UNEP, 21 February 2011, www.unep.org. 21 Directive 2003/54/EC, http://eur‐lex.europa.eu/
gradients. The vision of the Marine Board,
which is a pan‐European partnership of
national organisations involved in marine
scientific research is that “By 2050 Europe
could source up to 50% of its electricity needs
from Marine Renewable Energy.“ The
implementation of this vision would require,
among others sustained research to feed both
innovation demonstration, and to develop
appropriate environmental monitoring
protocols. The following proposition for
strategic development focuses on the
environmental issues and does not address
industrial and policy aspects.
Hence, it is aimed to highlight the potential of
marine renewable energy in the Black Sea and
associated opportunities and identify the
needs of this region and the necessary
relevant research.
There is a consensus that high levels of marine
renewable energy resources around Europe
exist off the coasts of Norway, UK, Ireland,
Portugal, Spain and France. In the Black Sea
area tides are insignificant for energy
extraction, wind and wave resources are not
well enough quantified except the findings of
NATO TU‐Waves Project, but are unlikely as
large as those in the above mentioned
countries. Nevertheless, relatively strong
winds in some areas along with shallow
northwestern shelf make it easier to harness
the wind energy by deploying wind turbines.
Recently, both Bulgaria and Romania began
using and exploring in detail opportunities for
marine renewable wind energy options and
now plans to install offshore wind turbines.
The offshore wind and wave power potential
of the Black Sea should be assessed on a
monthly, seasonal and annual basis. The
assessment should be based on model
simulations of high spatial resolution
combined with satellite and in situ
observations. For those coastal areas where
31 SEAS‐ERA T.8.1 – Strategic Research Agenda for the Black Sea Basin
Key research issues:
Perform an inventory of the potential of various marine energy resources in the Black Sea (mapping).
Investigating the interaction between waves and (floating or moored) structures, and the optimum positioning of wind turbines within an array.
Conducting wind wave climate re‐analyses and forecasting (short‐, medium‐ and long‐term).
Measuring, monitoring and mitigating environmental impacts of the use of renewables (alteration of water circulation and sediment transport patterns, physical and biological disturbance of the seabed and benthic habitats).
offshore wind farms are most likely to be
situated, high‐resolution wind maps should be
provided.
Osmotic gradient which is enhanced by the
river runoff around Europe could support the
production of 28TWh per year by 2040
(European Ocean Energy Association). Given
the significant amounts of freshwater from
the Black Sea rivers this source needs to be
evaluated. The main challenges relate to
membrane design. The next big challenge is to
explore the usability of the potential of energy
stored in the area of sharp gradients of
chemical and biological substances.
The potential of using micro‐algae species in
the production of biofuel has also not been
extensively investigated for the Black Sea.
All these new areas of research necessitate:
The improved coordination between
industry and research, including
development of collaborative networks
and consortia
Education and training coupled with
public and stakeholder support ensuring
next generation scientists. Research and
education efforts must target new and
developing areas of expertise in
technology, ecology, and marine
environmental monitoring.
Development of relevant policies and
infrastructures.
Improving resource predictions for
planning purposes and operations and
providing open access databases and
real‐time information on ocean climate
and related environmental parameters.
5.2.2. Exploitation of mineral resources,
energy and communication projects
The Black Sea coastal states economies are
more and more oriented to discover and use
traditional and unconventional marine
resources. For the Black Sea one of such
resources is represented by the sapropel mud
that can be used as agricultural fertiliser for
acid soils.
The oil industry is interested in new marine oil
reserves, including those in the deeper part of
the Black Sea (e.g. drilling operations at over
300 m water depth, on the continental slope
zone). One of the non‐conventional energy
sources is represented by gas‐hydrates
(usually located at water depth over 700 m)
and the literature gives many indications that
in the Black Sea there are important reserves
of this kind as a future energy source.
Besides, projects for laying down pipelines
and cables crossing the deep zone of the Black
Sea, for exploitation of other new types of
mineral resources in the deep sea are in
preparation. The environmental health of the
Black Sea and the security of these activities,
32 SEAS‐ERA T.8.1 – Strategic Research Agenda for the Black Sea Basin
Key research issues:
Inventory, map and assess potential marine mineral resources, including all types of conventional and unconventional marine energy resources in the Black Sea. Long‐term monitoring and assessments of deep water masses dynamics.
Investigations on mass‐wasting processes ‐ submarine slides, large debris flows, large turbidity currents, slumps and structure failures. Mapping of areas most exposed to mass‐wasting processes.
Deep sea processes and events data base development.
of the men‐made structures and of different
types of equipment very much depend on the
good knowledge of the near‐bottom and
seabed phenomena (deep water masses
dynamics, slope stability and failures, scale
and frequency of turbidity and gravitational
currents, sea floor processes, etc.) and of the
threats related to them.
5.2.3. Maritime transport
The rapid rise of maritime transport activities
(ships, offshore platforms, oil pipelines and
terminals, coastal installations and ports) has
created major risks and threats to the
environment, including marine pollution from
oil, chemical and dangerous cargoes, air
pollution, underwater noise and marine litter,
with adverse effects on bottom habitats,
ecosystem health and fish migrations.
Emerging energy corridors transporting huge
volumes of crude oil and gas across the
Eurasian continent expose the Black Sea and
its coasts to significant pollution and other
environmental risks that are amplified by the
existing congestion at straits, near large cities,
oil and gas terminals and commercial ports.
Sea straits have special significance for Black
Sea maritime transport. The Bosphorus and
Dardanelles are unique among the 264 sea
straits used by shipping worldwide, because
these narrow waterways provide the only
access to international waters for traffic
converging from the Black and Caspian Seas
and the Eurasian hinterland. Next, in respect
to congestion levels, is the comparatively
wider Kerch Strait, connecting the Azov Sea to
the Black Sea, and carrying part of the ship
traffic reaching the Caspian Sea through the
Volga‐Don Canal.
Linking three continents, the TSS is four times
busier than the Panama Canal, with about
10% of its shipping traffic carrying dangerous
cargo. Roughly half of the various accidents
result from poor visibility, strong currents or
winds in the Bosphorus, a narrow channel only
700m wide at its narrowest point with several
near 90 degree bends in its course where
navigable channels of only 200m in width
occur often serving ships of greater size.
Ferries carry 1.5 million people daily between
the two shores of the Bosphorus, and swarms
of fishing boats add to the congestion.
Immediate environmental threats affecting
safety and health of the Turkish Straits System
are internationally recognized. Whilst
precautions have been taken since the 1990’s,
the risks have significantly decreased but not
eliminated.
33 SEAS‐ERA T.8.1 – Strategic Research Agenda for the Black Sea Basin
Data analyses, risk assessments, management
strategies and integrated ocean services for
navigation and ship routing should aim to
reduce risks associated with maritime
transport. Advanced monitoring, detection
and decision support systems are needed to
provide assistance to controllers in complex
traffic and accident situations, based on multi‐
disciplinary data assembly, environmental
forecasting and platform specific response
characteristics.
Analyses, mapping of risks and the
development of integrated ocean services:
Analyses of information on navigational routes
and loads, ship and cargo characteristics,
vessel risks and casualties (collisions, fires,
groundings etc.) and the detection of
environmental, operational and human
factors in accidents, determination of the
effects of ship handling (harbour and piloting
services, load management) and queues at
congested areas (such as straits, oil terminals
and commercial ports), geospatial and
mapping of the temporal occurrence
frequencies of accidents are essential
elements of research aiming to assess and
reduce accident risks resulting from marine
transport.
In particular, near‐real‐time data acquisition
based on satellite and in‐situ sensor networks
(currents, waves, sea level and hydro‐
meteorological fields, pollution levels,
hydrocarbons and underwater noise),
integrated with forecasts of
hydrometeorology, interaction of waves and
currents, fog, visibility, gust probability and
storms at extended periods, ecosystem
parameters, spreading and fate of oil spills,
publicly shared on a large scale can aid
navigation and ship handling strategies and
safety at sea, while minimizing environmental
risks.
Decision Support Systems at Sea Straits: The
saturation of traffic carrying capacity makes
sea straits extremely predisposed to
accidents, ending in collisions, grounding, fires
and explosions involving ships, and oil spills
presenting extreme risks for potentially
irreversible damage to ecosystems,
threatening the very safety of the maritime
transport itself, and the surrounding
population centers.
Decision Support Tools integrated with
forecasting models and observation systems
(satellite detection and tracking of navigation
conditions and distress signals, the existing
information from Vessel Traffic Management
Systems – VTMS, computer optimization, and
critical path methods for ship routing),
enabling continuous monitoring of
environmental conditions will lead to the
development and testing of scenarios for ship
handling in dangerous waters alongside
emergency measures to be employed during
accidents, considering all operational and
environmental conditions together. Such
systems of expertise require finely tuned
technical excellence, considering ship
hydrodynamics, ship vibrations, manoeuvering
and command‐control dynamics, hydro‐
meteorological and operational conditions, in
order to ensure early warnings and correct
decisions in critical situations.
5.2.4. Fishery and aquaculture with focus
on preservation and sustainable use
of marine living resources
Black Sea marine living resources (MLR)
subjected to various trans‐boundary
environmental pressures as well as overfishing
(including illegal fishery), underwent a
collapse during the late 1980’s and early
1990’s. Available statistical data and surveys
show that while MLR improved during 2000 ‐
34 SEAS‐ERA T.8.1 – Strategic Research Agenda for the Black Sea Basin
2005, the stocks have still not fully recovered
compared to the levels recorded from 1970‐
1988 (SoE, 2008). Little effort has been
invested in measures to manage the decline of
MLR, such as introduction of hatcheries,
protection/ restoration of habitats,
aquaculture, strickter control on illegal fishing,
etc.
Undoubtedly, there are insufficient fish stock
assessments carried out using a standardized
and common approach in the region. Regional
harmonization efforts have focused on only a
few species and not on all those of
commercially importance. In addition to their
scarcity, existing stock national assessments
are mostly outdated. It is of fundamental
importance to understand the condition of
stocks and to be able to assess them at
species level. Thus, fish catch statistics are in
need of improvement, and stock assessments
require harmonization and regular update to
ensure the rehabilitation and sustainable
viability of Black Sea commercial fisheries and
other marine living resources as required by
the SAP (2009).
Introduction of ecosystem based bioresources
management will require establishing links
with other trans‐boundary problems such as
habitat loss due to pollution and
eutrophication, invasions, climate change,
etc., and the development of modelling and
relevant decision‐making support tools. A
network of marine protected areas for
biodiversity and MLR conservation and
rehabilitation should be built based on
relevant scientific investigations.
The socio‐economic impacts of the decline in
Black Sea fisheries need thorough
investigation. Loss of employment and income
for local communities could then be assessed
and alternative occupation opportunities
proposed.
Cetaceans are also under threat due to by‐
catch (turbot fisheries, abandoned nets, etc.),
pollution and illegal captures. Stock
assessment is needed to evaluate their
current role in the Black Sea foodweb.
Furthermore, regional by‐catch and stranding
networks are in need of establishment.
Underwater Noise, Algal Blooms and
Pollution Effects on Fish Migration through
the Turkish Straits System
Fisheries have always been of vital importance
for the Black Sea populations. In ancient
times, fish migrating from the Black Sea to the
Mediterranean were intercepted in the
Bosphorus, led into the Golden Horn22 and
trapped there by currents, where they were
fished extensively. One of the main threats to
Black Sea fisheries arises as a result of the
spawning migration of some fish species from
the Black Sea to the Mediterranean. These fish
become exposed to the extremely
deteriorated conditions in the Straits and the
Sea of Marmara during their migrations, and
their numbers are either reduced by such
conditions or may even become exctinct.
22 The Golden Horn (photo above) is a flooded
prehistoric inlet (estaury)of the Bosphorus dividing the city of Istanbul and forming a natural harbour that has sheltered Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Ottoman and other ships for thousand of years.
35 SEAS‐ERA T.8.1 – Strategic Research Agenda for the Black Sea Basin
Key research issues:
Understanding the condition of stocks and assessments at species level, including the spawning stocks of major commercial fish species via agreed methodologies (MSFD relevant). Evaluation of stock enhancement and aquaculture development.
Assessments of the biological safety limits for commercial exploitation of marine living resources, impacts on biodiversity and habitats. Investigations of fish habitats, illegal and ghost fishing.
Development of model‐based management tools.
Investigations on the effects of the Turkish Straits System (local fishing pressure, acoustic and chemical pollution, algal and toxic blooms, mucilage, jellyfish) on the migrating fish of the Black Sea.
Impacts on the market and non‐market economic values of the losses in fisheries and fish biodiversity. Integration of socio‐economic indicators towards ecosystem‐based bioresources management.
Underwater noise from ships, amplified in the
shallow Bosphorus and Dardanelles Straits has
been found to be elevated by about 20‐30 dB
above the ambient spectrum levels compared
to the deep ocean. The noise levels here are
among the highest measured in the world’s
oceans and threaten the safe passage of fish
schools through the Straits, in addition to the
fishing and pollution pressures already
exerted during their migration. It may well be
that the decease in some fish species known
to have undergone spawning migration
through the TSS and which have almost
disappeared may be related to such effects.
Other effects on migrating species passing
through the TSS are the exceptional levels of
pollution, algal and jellyfish blooms which
include toxic algae in the Sea of Marmara. The
polluted conditions and ‘dead water’ zones in
the Sea of Marmara with lack of currents and
ventilation in summer months have been
found to result in fish kills. There are cases of
mucilage and toxic dinoflagellate blooms,
characterized by complex aggregates covering
parts of the Turkish Straits and which are
becoming more frequent over the years. The
highest chlorophyll and bacterial
concentrations in the entire region including
the adjoining seas are observed in the Turkish
Straits System. In addition there is a
considerable effect of overfishing in the Sea of
Marmara and the Straits that curbs the
populations of migrating fish, despite all
efforts to ban illegal and uncontrolled
fisheries. The Black Sea fisheries decline and
loss of biodiversity have been previously
explained by different factors, yet missing the
effects of the TSS on the fish migration, which
is a serious shortcoming calling for urgent
attention.
5.2.5. Marine biotechnology
The Black Sea harbours a huge potential stock
of marine plants – more than 2000 species of
plankton and benthic microalgae and over 300
species of algae and sea grasses. The sea
grasses constitute a natural biomass from
which 1 million t could be harvested annually
36 SEAS‐ERA T.8.1 – Strategic Research Agenda for the Black Sea Basin
Key research issues:
Growth management of cultured BS microalgae: the theoretical and experimental simulation.
Microalgal screening for commercially promising producers of biologically active substances (BAS).
Growing microalgal biomass as a biochemically optimal fodder stimulating growth and survival rates of different developmental stages of cultured bivalve molluscs, fishes and crustaceans.
Designing the biotechnology for acquiring biologically important pigments from BS microalgae.
Screening macrophytes having adapted to the present BS environment as commercially interesting objects for the biotechnologies.
to be used for energy production or other
valuable extractions. The harvest of other
algae, which are markedly less abundant,
would threaten the ecosystem of the Black
Sea.
An alternative path suggests the farming of
biologically valuable micro/macroalgae,
especially Black Sea microalgae with high
restocking rates.
Research on the culture and biosynthesis of
microalgae is a priority for the extraction of
the industry of valuable products and
biologically active substances (BASs) in the
Black Sea. Pertinent examples to these
products are food proteins, oils, vitamins,
compounds of high bactericidal action,
toxicants, volatile oils, gelling agents,
cytochromes, amino acids, chlorophyll‐
carotene complexes, etc. One major obstacle
hindering the realization of marine
algotechnology is the absence of the
theoretical management of microalgal growth
and biosynthesis; without which profitable
farming of Black sea microalgae is
unattainable.
The search for commercially promising
microalgal species inhabiting the Black Sea is
among the actively developing trends of the
biotechnology, because of:
high biological importance of natural
BASs as strong antioxidants,
immunomodulators, radio‐, UV‐ and
chemoprotectors, antitumor agents,
immune, cardio‐vascular and nerve
system stimulators;
the broad spectrum of application
(pharmaceutics, production of
nutriceutics, natural food colorants,
dietetic foodstuffs, fodder additives for
aquaculture, poultry and cattle breeding,
cosmetics, etc.);
the steadily increasing market need for
natural BASs in response to the World
Health Organization initiative for
complete elimination of synthetic BASs
from food and forage manufacture.
For rational use of microalgal biomass of the
Black Sea, it is important to develop
biotechnologies for culturing new species fit
with optimal biochemical composition
required for different purposes. Therefore
elaboration of new approaches to produce
mass quantities of micro/macroalgae and the
corresponding BASs is essential for the
advancement of small‐ and medium‐scale
businesses related to marine biotechnologies.
5.2.6. Cross‐cutting issues
5.2.6.1. Natural hazards and risk
assessments
Coastal areas as boundaries between the sea
and land are highly desirable both for
settlement as well as for assorted human
activities. This results in rapid coastal
urbanization and subsequent development of
infrastructures, industry, transport systems
37 SEAS‐ERA T.8.1 – Strategic Research Agenda for the Black Sea Basin
etc. Whilst coastal zones account for only a
very small part of the Earth’s area, they
concentrate about 60% of the global world
population. The Black Sea coastal zone has
also witnessed a huge population increase and
has therefore become an overcrowded area.
As a consequence marine‐related natural
hazards have become increasingly dangerous
for local communities in highly populated
coastal areas.
The 2004 Indian Ocean and 2011 Pacific Ocean
Tsunami events reaffirmed the notion that the
protection of coastal communities from
marine‐related hazards is not solely
dependent on the existence of an effective
technological warning system and
communication network. Such tragic events
globally highlighted the vulnerability of coastal
communities and associated infrastructures
and ecosystems. Coastal populations are also
affected by a range of other natural hazards,
including erosion, saltwater intrusion,
subsidence, and floods due to both storm
surges and swollen rivers. The severity of the
impacts of these natural hazards are greatly
influenced by local factors, for example, the
exposition of the coast to the sea, the
presence or absence of natural protection
(sand barrier, dunes, vegetation) etc. Exposure
to such natural hazards is expected to increase
due both to growth in population density
increase in low‐lying coastal areas and the
effects of global climate change. Some of the
coastal management responses that are
relevant to tsunamis apply similarly to the
mitigation of these other hazards.
The terms “hazard”, “risk”, and “vulnerability”
can be defined as:
Risk= Hazards × Vulnerability
Since the 90’s several recent international
agreements recommend the concept of
Integrated Coastal Area Management (ICAM)
which environmental decision‐makers have
adopted as the best way to achieve the
sustainable management of coastal zones.
Therefore, it is imperative to integrate hazard,
vulnerability and risk within the ICAM context
in order to better address management of
these issues in coastal areas.
Within this context, the questions which arise
are:
How can hazard awareness and
mitigation be embedded in the ICAM
process?
What sorts of ICAM indicators may be
used to assist the risk management
process?
What is the appropriate level of country
response to some coastal hazards
(considering the uncertainties, and if the
perceived risk is scientifically justified)?
What are the short and long term social
and economic benefits of hazard risk
management and vulnerability reduction
within ICAM?
By addressing these questions, the IOC,
through its ICAM programme, developed a set
of guidelines on mainstreaming awareness
and risk mitigation of natural hazards in ICAM.
Such guidelines cover the following aspects:
1) Quantifying hazards: how countries
determine the frequency and magnitude of
hazard impacts on their coasts?
2) Measuring vulnerability: What is
“vulnerability” in the ICAM context? How to
assess/measure vulnerability?
3) Risk assessment: what is a “risk” in the
ICAM context? How can risk be quantified?
4) Managing the risk: which policies and
management plans, in the ICAM context,
should be developed to improve countries’
capacity of managing their coastal risks?
38 SEAS‐ERA T.8.1 – Strategic Research Agenda for the Black Sea Basin
5) Hazard awareness and emergency
preparedness: how to build capacity at
community, national, and transnational levels
to cope with hazard impacts as a response to
the perceived risk, thus enhancing community,
local authority and national – and
transnational – resilience?
6) Strategic mitigation and adaptation: in
the ICAM context, what are the strategic
responses that countries can make at local,
national and transnational authority levels to
manage the assessed risks of catastrophic and
long‐term progressive events in the coastal
areas?
7) Indicators of achievement: Which are
the indicators of hazard awareness and
mitigation (within the ICAM context)?
The subject is in connection with the Tsunami
Warning System projects being coordinated by
the IOC, in relation to the IOC’s
Intergovernmental Coordination Group
Tsunami Early Warning System and Mitigation
System in the North Eastern Atlantic, the
Mediterranean and Connected Seas
(ICG/NEAMTWS), especially the subgroup
which deals with tsunami early warning
system in the Black Sea. These activities
should cover other marine‐related hazards,
notably storm surges and wind‐forced waves,
as well as the much slower impacting hazards
of coastal erosion and sea‐level rise. The topic
is also inline with the EU Flood Directive (FD:
2007/60/EC, “on the assessment and
management of flood risks”).
Currently, Bulgaria and Romania are executing
a cross‐border co‐operation project aimed at
creating an early warning system in the
western Black Sea called
„MARINEGEOHAZARD ‐ Set‐up and
implementation of key core components of a
regional early‐warning system for marine
geohazards of risk to the Romanian‐Bulgarian
Black Sea coastal area”. The system under
development (called EUXINUS) will comprise a
network of complex automatic marine
measurement equipment (5 gauges deployed
in different location covering the western
Black Sea) and two coastal wave stations. The
data supplied by this network will be
automatically sent and processed at two
national data centers located in Romania
(Constanta) and Bulgaria (Varna). Additionally,
the Black Sea MARINEGEOHAZARD System will
have a network (called GeoPontica) of 18
DGPS on‐line stations, 3 marine seismicity
monitoring systems, 5 strong motion
seismometers and 5 extensometers for
geodynamic surveillance of the Western Black
Sea coastal area. A marine geo‐seismic data
base will be jointly sustained and regularly
updated. It will comprise all the information
needed in the process of elaboration and issue
of an early‐warning notification and
assessment of evolution of a marine
geological hazard situation. The system will
offer data to all the Global Earth and Ocean
Observing systems.
39 SEAS‐ERA T.8.1 – Strategic Research Agenda for the Black Sea Basin
Key research issues:
Quantifying hazards: determine the frequency and magnitude of hazard impacts on Black Sea coasts.
Measuring vulnerability: assess/measure vulnerability.
Risk assessment: preliminary Flood Risk Assessments, Flood hazard and flood risk maps.
Hazard awareness and emergency preparedness
Strategic mitigation and adaptation: management of the assessed risks of catastrophic and long‐term progressive events in the coastal areas.
Indicators of achievement: the indicators of hazard awareness and mitigation.
International data base on potential marine geological hazards in the Black Sea Basin.
Integration of data/information on marine geological hazards in the Black Sea to the European infrastructure (e.g. EMSO‐ERIC, NEAMTIC, etc.).
5.2.6.2. Socio‐economic research
The Black Sea supports a range of ecosystem
services, associated with coastal areas and
marine living resources, which are of
economic importance. Besides the most
obvious provision service, there are a number
of other biodiversity, biochemical and
hydrological services performed by the marine
system. Surprisingly little monetary valuation
has been attributed to such economically
viable services derived from the Black Sea
marine ecosystem. While no estimate of their
combined economic value is available, they
certainly amount to tens or possibly even
hundreds of millions of dollars per year.
Degradation of the Black Sea marine system
has resulted in the loss of some of the value
referred to above. This environmental
degradation in the Black Sea Region has been
documented in the Transboundary Diagnostic
Analysis (2008) and the State of Environment
report (SoE 2008). Underlying the more
proximate causes of degradation has been a
number of social and economic pressures such
as:
poorly regulated discharges (inflows of
nutrients, resulting in eutrophication;
inflows of pollutants);
overfishing and use of destructive
equipment (declines in populations of
various living marine organisms; loss of
habitats; and, the loss of higher trophic
level predator species, which has altered
food chain structure);
intensive shipping (introduction of alien
species, especially the jellyfish
Mnemiopsis leidyi);
modifications in river flow regimes,
which have affected the salinity of the
Black Sea, sediment flow and had other
effects;
mismanagement of coastal zone (erosion
of coastlines and others).
The pressures cited here have led to changes
in the environmental status of the Black Sea
marine system, but these are only
intermediate environmental effects, as they
cause further impacts both in social and
economic terms. Effects on the main sectors
of fisheries and tourism have been studied to
a limited degree, as have impacts on human
health (SoE 2008). However, sufficient
information on how other sectors are
influenced by the Black Sea environmental
degradation is not readily available and
relatively little work has been done in these
areas.
Policy and institutional factors also play a role
and can inhibit progress in addressing the
problems of degradation. For example, most
living marine resources are not independently
owned but shared, and may be therefore
subject to regulated open access and the
dissipation of economic benefits from
environmental improvements. Use of the
40 SEAS‐ERA T.8.1 – Strategic Research Agenda for the Black Sea Basin
Key research issues:
development of socio‐economic data systems and analytical capability to support research, especially offering integration of natural with social and economic data sources.
social impacts of environmental disruption (e.g. health concerns, loss of employment, revenue, etc.)
environmental governance and institutional analysis at the national and regional levels, development of indicator‐based reporting.
integrated ecological‐economic modelling, with special emphasis on the socio‐economic implications of non‐linear processes and ecological thresholds in the Black Sea marine system.
bioeconomic models of fisheries and other commercially important resources to determine optimal management strategies.
non‐market valuation of ecosystem services associated with the Black Sea marine system.
development/refinement of sustainability indicators for the Black Sea region (see SOE 2008).
Application of DPSIR model to evaluate socio‐economic drivers and their relation to environmental pressures and state changes, leading to social and economic impacts and, finally, policy responses .
Black Sea and its tributaries for the disposal of
wastes is free (un‐priced) and so this
ecosystem service is overused, imposing
external costs throughout the region. General
public policy failures include an inadequate
regulatory framework, poorly coordinated
planning mechanisms and a lack of
enforcement of existing laws and regulations.
Finally, insufficient international coordination,
given the transboundary nature of most living
marine resource stocks, further contributes to
the problem.
5.2.6.3. Marine spatial planning and marine
protected areas (MPAs)
MPAs are most often established to promote
the conservation of marine biodiversity,
although they can also be used to benefit
other interests such as fisheries and
recreation.
Marine spatial planning (MSP) has a much
broader remit, providing an overall framework
for managing activities in the marine
environment. The use of MSP would also
improve ability to minimize conflicts of use in
existing and future MPAs, and to take into
account cumulative and combined effects in
decision‐making. This would provide
information on where pressures are greatest,
specific management is needed and where
MPAs may best be placed. A framework of
MSP would ensure calculated forward
planning, providing a clear, easily accessible
mechanism for stakeholder involvement in
management of activities in the marine
environment.
Over the last 20 years, countries in the Black
Sea region have undoubtedly made progress
towards developing more effective
conservation policies and implementing
international commitments. Several marine
protected areas (MPAs) have been established
in Black Sea waters during recent years
(especially under the Habitats Directive in
Bulgaria and Romania) and more are likely in
the near future, considering the requirements
of the Maritime Strategy Directive. Resolving
the challenges of enforcing regulations within
these areas will become more urgent as
fishing depletes coastal resources. The
implementation of EU legislation in new
member states contributed significantly to the
effective protection of the MPAs.
However, the extent of protected areas still
falls significantly short of Western European
41 SEAS‐ERA T.8.1 – Strategic Research Agenda for the Black Sea Basin
figures (World Database on Protected Areas,
http://www.unep‐wcmc.org/wdpa).
Consequently, many Black Sea habitats remain
seriously damaged and in need of legal
protection23.
At present, a regional conservation strategy
does not exist for the Black Sea. The process
of designation of marine and coastal
protected areas is under development based
on national strategic plans available in all
Black Sea countries.
An increase in the number of protected areas
alongside improved conservation of species,
ecosystems and habitats, with particular
attention to marine protected areas, and their
management in a sustainable and
environmentally sound way aimed at
establishing the Black Sea Ecological Network
of MPAs are among the core targets of the BS
SAP2009 specified as follow:
Consider the need for creation of new
and/or expansion of existing protected
areas, including transboundary areas in
consultation with the relevant Black Sea
countries paying particular attention to
marine protected areas. Establishment
or extension of necessary areas must
consider not only the status of benthic
habitats but also the most important
breeding, feeding and wintering grounds
and migration routes of fish and marine
mammals and birds; Conduct relevant
scientific research, apply integrated
index of biological significance of aquatic
objects, etc.
Establish a regional mechanism for
regular information flow between
authorities dealing with PAs
management;
23 List of habitats critical to survival, reproduction and recovery of threatened flora and fauna species in the Black Sea was presented in the TDA (2008).
Develop management plans;
Monitor and facilitate the progress in the
implementation of nationally developed
management plans of the protected
areas;
Develop an inventory, classification and a
mapping system for BS habitats;
Develop ecologically coherent networks
of MPAs.
The principles of identification and
designation of MPAs within the Black Sea
states are non‐harmonised and practices
upheld in the different countries are not
shared, creating another urgent issue pending
in the regional agenda of environmental
protection. Guidelines for the establishment
of marine protected areas in the Black Sea,
recently developed by the ECBSea project
(http://81.8.63.74/ecbsea/en/documents/rele
vant/index.html) in cooperation with the Black
Sea Commission, is an important
harmonisation tool to be taken into account
by studies undertaking identification,
designation, the expansion and networking of
MPAs in the Black Sea region.
A draft List of Black Sea Habitats developed in
cooperation with the EU Topic Center on
Biodiversity is currently pending finalization;
habitat mapping based on modern techniques
should follow.
To facilitate the establishment of fishery‐free
zones and PAs, relevant mapping was initiated
in 2007 by BSC/PS and BSERP24 project. In
total 44 regional maps (excluding Turkish
waters) were prepared for areas of wintering,
spawning and fattening of adults, juveniles
and larvae and total distribution of species
(for fishes – seasonal distribution, for molluscs
– annual distribution). Whilst being the
property of the BSC, these existing maps and
similar mapping projects need to be further
24 UNDP/GEF Black Sea Environment Recovery Program
42 SEAS‐ERA T.8.1 – Strategic Research Agenda for the Black Sea Basin
Key research issues:
Determine new and/or expansion of existing protected areas, including transboundary areas in consultation with the relevant Black Sea countries.
Zoning in PAs. Development of indicators for assessing the
management effectiveness in designated marine protected areas.
Develop MPAs networks. Development of spatial planning (in the
sea), taking into consideration multiple uses, economic benefits and sensitivity of ecosystems.
developed, better communicated to decision‐
makers and utilised in studies related to the
development of MPAs network.
A robust, ecologically coherent network of
MPAs in the Black Sea as a whole will both
contribute to, and depend on, achievement of
other protection/conservation objectives (not
least in pollution reduction, sustainable
fisheries management, improvement of
legislation and enforcement, and capacity
building) set out in the updated Black Sea
Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis and
Strategic Action Plan.
For some species, such as dolphins and fish,
the designation of offshore areas as MPAs
could be vitally important. Since such areas
are utilized by multiple users at sea –energy,
industry, transport, fishery, aquaculture, etc‐,
a wider approach such as Marine Spatial
Planning could be applied. Introduction of
energy, including underwater noise, is among
the parameters which need to be defined to
better substantiate conservation efforts.
5.2.6.4. ICZM, links with MSP & IRBM,
coastal sciences & engineering
Analysis of issues in marine and coastal areas
and those originating from catchment basins
reveals that the underlying causes of
individual problems in several cases interact,
many have a common basis, and may
frequently lead to effects of a combined and
cumulative nature (TDA, 2008). One of the
root causes is poorly regulated development
and resource use in coastal zones. A brief tour
around the region immediately reveals the
scale of this problem. Obviously, the
multiplicity of interdependent problems can
only be dealt with and responded to in a
holistic and integrated manner.
The Black Sea coastal countries, cooperating
within the framework of the Bucharest
Convention, agreed therefore to employ
common governance methodologies based on
an ‘ecology tenet’. The ‘ecology tenet’ deems
that coastal economic development
(associated with the coast and the sea itself)
to be sustainable and should take full account
of marine and coastal environment safety and
also consider developments upstream within
the wider catchment areas which may
negatively affect the state of the Black Sea.
In particular, through signing the BS‐SAP
(2009) countries confirmed (Article 3.1) to
adhere to the following governance and
management approaches:
Integrated Coastal Zone Management
(ICZM);
The Ecosystem Approach; and
Integrated River Basin Management
(IRBM).
The combined application of ICZM and IRBM
was affirmed as a legally binding general
obligation in the updated Protocol on the
Protection of the Marine Environment of the
Black Sea from Land‐Based Sources and
Activities (LBSA, 2009), which is urging
countries (Article 4f) to endeavour applying
the integrated management of coastal zones
and watersheds.
43 SEAS‐ERA T.8.1 – Strategic Research Agenda for the Black Sea Basin
BS‐SAP (2009) shares the common definition
of ICZM with the Communication 2000 (547)
from the Commission of the European
Communities to the Council and the European
Parliament on Integrated Coastal Zone
Management: A Strategy for Europe (EU,
2000)25. Within the context of Ecosystem
Approach, the harmonization of ICZM and
MSP/MPA processes would be the
manifestation of the principle of integration of
terrestrial and marine domains26. Planning in
landward and seaward domains should
therefore be conducted in a truly coordinated
manner if the goal of the ‘ecology tenet’ is to
be fulfilled. MSP‐MPA, ICZM‐MSP and ICZM‐
IRBM links need to be legally established
careful planning practices, etc. for
sustainability of the governance and
environmental protection.
Furthermore, sound scientific knowledge and
background information on coastal margins
(land and water) and efficient management of
human development and activities in these
areas are indispensible for the achievement of
all four Ecosystem Quality Objectives
(EcoQOs) set by the BS SAP (2009).
25 Integrated coastal zone management (ICZM) is a dynamic, multidisciplinary and iterative process to promote sustainable management of coastal zones. It covers the full cycle of information collection, planning (in its broadest sense), decision making, management and monitoring of implementation. ICZM uses the informed participation and cooperation of all stakeholders to assess the societal goals in a given coastal area, and to take actions towards meeting these objectives. ICZM seeks, over the long‐term, to balance environmental, economic, social, cultural and recreational objectives, all within the limits set by natural dynamics (BS‐SAP, 2009), (EU, 2000). 26 "Integrated" in ICZM refers to the integration of objectives and also to the integration of the many instruments needed to meet these objectives. It means integration of all relevant policy areas, sectors, and levels of administration and also the integration of the terrestrial and marine components of the target territory, in both time and space (EU, 2000).
In 2007‐2008, the BSC ICZM AG27, based on
analysis provided by the UNDP/GEF BSERP
Project, made the following conclusions with
regard to the medium‐ and long‐term
priorities for ICZM in the Black Sea region:
Legal framework and strong
management instruments are needed in
all Black Sea countries to facilitate ICZM
implementation on the ground.
The Black Sea region should agree on and
apply a coherent system of indicators for
an integral assessment of the state of the
coastal zones in the Black Sea, and the
current progress with implementation of
ICZM.
ICZM Guidelines should be developed to
serve as a solution over a medium
period.
ICZM legal instrument, such as protocol
to the Black Sea Convention, could be
developed and adopted over a medium
to long‐term perspective.
Based on these conclusions, the BS‐SAP (2009)
contains two broadly defined targets (and
related outputs) in the field of ICZM: (i) to
further recognise and implement integrated
coastal zone management principles (through
development of ICZM Guidelines); and (ii) to
disseminate the knowledge of ICZM at various
levels of governance (through development of
education packages and delivery of practical
training).
These targets (and related research and
development needs) are in line with the
statements of the ICZM Communication
mentioned above (EU, 2000), concerning the
27 Black Sea Commission Advisory Group on Development of Common Methodologies for Integrated Coastal Zone Management in the Black Sea countries (ICZM AG) provides recommendations to the Black Sea Commission on integrated governance of the coastal areas and facilitates links with relevant national authorities, as well as with the international and national scientific expertise.
44 SEAS‐ERA T.8.1 – Strategic Research Agenda for the Black Sea Basin
generating information and knowledge about
the Coastal Zone (Section E), in which the
European Community pledges to (i) promote
the research that meets coastal zone
management needs; (ii) put special emphasis
on definition of indicators for the coastal
zone; (iii) support education and training in
ICZM.
It should also be recognized, that the coastal
management tasks and governance objectives
can not be achieved without the application of
sound science and its integration with coastal
decision‐making bodies. Therefore, through
the Shared ICZM Governance Platform for the
Mediterranean, the strategic research agenda
for coastal sciences has proposed to follow
such practices over two decades in this
partner region as well as in the Black Sea area
(see Annex 2, source: http://medcoast.org.tr).
Based on almost 20 years of experience, ICZM
work within the framework of the Bucharest
Convention and BS‐SAP, as well as by
extensive collaboration with EU initiatives
directed towards the Black Sea and other
regional seas, the following key governance,
policy and management oriented research
areas are proposed for inclusion in the field of
ICZM as part of the BS‐SRA:
See Footnote for *, **, ***, ****28.
28 * Protocol is proposed to prescribe ICZM governance
themes of institutional and legal nature, such as geographical coverage in application of ICZM; coastal management legislation; instruments for horizontal and vertical integration; integration of various coastal policies, strategies, programmes, plans and projects; and administrative rights for the public to challenge them; participation in strategic and environmental assessment; performance monitoring and review mechanisms; and some other issues related to transboundary, national and local coastal management arrangements, including coastal conservation and sustainable resources use. ** Outlined in Annex II. *** PEGASO (http://pegasoproject.eu) project (ongoing from February 2010 to January 2014), amongst many other objectives, is building and promoting the shared ICZM governance platform in the Black Sea, capacity building and dissemination to arrive at a legal agreement framework for ICZM in the Black Sea, similar to ICZM Protocol for the Mediterranean.
Key research issues (ICZM, links with MSP &
IRBM, coastal sciences & engineering):
Research to support the development of an ICZM legal instrument, such as protocol* for the Black Sea.
Develop monitoring and research capacity in the Black Sea region to comprehensively study the state of the coast, with special focus on sensitive coastal resources and ecosystems (beaches, dunes, wetlands, estuaries, lagoons, bays, river mouths, etc.).
Compile data in agreed formats for regular calculations of statistical, spatial and progress indicators for ICZM, including indicators defined for MSP and IRBM needs, and harmonized with coastal sustainability indicator schemes applied to other European regional seas.
Further promote and implement the strategic research agenda for coastal sciences & engineering** in support of ICZM in the Black Sea region, building on networking experiences of international scientific fora, such as the biannual Medcoast and Black Sea Outlook conference series.
Extend the research and application of the Shared ICZM Governance Platform developed under the FP7 PEGASO Project***.
Establish on an operational basis the observation system of the Black Sea catchment, following the key recommendations of FP7 enviroGRIDS****.
45 SEAS‐ERA T.8.1 – Strategic Research Agenda for the Black Sea Basin
5.3. Research Support and Cross‐cutting
Issues for Fundamental and Applied
Research
5.3.1. Development of support tools for
policy implementation
Development/implementation of
environment‐related legal/policy documents,
strategies, plans, management programmes
and informed decision‐making all require
problem‐related scientific research at various
temporal and spatial scales, and the
subsequent assessments/diagnostic analyses
and conclusions. Data/information for such
uses in the Black Sea region is compiled from
in situ and remote sensing data collected via
different monitoring programmes and
projects. However, the collection of data is in
itself not enough29, there must be an
associated data management, data products
production, and communication
infrastructure. This infrastructure needs to
provide data/information freely and within
certain time limit to both researchers and
policy makers. So far little has been achieved
in the development of such infrastructure and
data sharing in the region. The regional data
management tools are also poorly advanced30.
The Black Sea Data‐Information‐Knowledge‐
Decisions ‘pyramid’ analysis revealed
significant gaps at all levels preceding the
ecosystem‐based management of
environment protection. The relevance of the
existing monitoring, data management tools,
decisions, and assisting capacity of scientists
and decision‐makers are doubtful as reflected
**** EnviroGRIDS @ Black Sea Catchment (http://envirogrids.net) project (with duration from April 2009 to March 2013) is targeting the needs of the Black Sea Commission to help bridging the gap between science and policy by assembling an observation system of the Black Sea catchment that will address several GEO Societal Benefit Areas. 29 Obviously, for three centuries a huge amount of data have been collected for the Black Sea. 30 SeaDataNet/UBSS provides for meta data only. Most of the projects (EC, NATO, UNDP/GEF) created data bases which are not available at present for wider use.
through different documents developed by
the BSC.
For instance, the ‘Diagnostic Report’ to guide
improvements to the regular reporting
process on the state of the Black Sea
environment, elaborated in 201031, specified
the achievements and the gaps in the national
monitoring systems and in BSIMAP, as well as
provided assessment of suitability of data
obtained within the BSIMAP and external data
sources (projects and national programmes)
for indicators’ development as a supporting
tool for policy implementation in the Black Sea
region.
The analysis of identified datasets and BS
monitoring/observation systems revealed
gaps in regularity and coverage in the national
monitoring systems, and non‐compliance with
commitments in terms of reporting, problems
with data accessibility, compatibility and
suitability to produce indicators. Further
analysis of the accessibility of data and
relevance of monitoring systems, availability
of data management tools and their products
usage at the level of decision‐making,
capacities and potential for change is required
to recommend improvements.
Beyond the need of for improvement of the
monitoring and data management system in
support to the regional and EU Policies;
specifically the MSFD, environmental targets
and GES indicators, taking into consideration
Annex I and III of the MSFD, as well as the
corresponding criteria and methodological
standards are to be developed for the Black
Sea.
The MSFD requires the application of an
ecosystem approach to the management of
human activities and the achievement of good
environmental status in the Community’s
marine environment addressing the North‐
31 EEA&BSC Project
46 SEAS‐ERA T.8.1 – Strategic Research Agenda for the Black Sea Basin
Key research support issues:
Identification of suitability and introduction to routine monitoring of new parameters to improve the BS state of the environment assessment under the new conditions (recovery from eutrophication, climate change)
Harmonization of monitoring and assessment methodologies used in the region, including fish and other marine living resources, cetacean surveys, marine litter in the sea, contamination of marine sediments and marine biota
Development of methods and indicators allowing monitoring and assessment of the biological and ecological value of coastal zones
Setup assessment criteria and methodology for GES descriptors
Determination of GES and decision on GES objectives/targets relevant for the Black Sea, in line with ecosystem quality objectives and management targets established in the BS SAP 2009
Development of socio‐economic indicators to assess the associated impact of management scenarios
East Atlantic and the Baltic, Mediterranean
and Black Seas. The concept of Good
Environmental Status (GES) is the core target
of the Directive as described qualitatively in
Annex I which Member States must achieve by
2020. Eleven descriptors are identified for
determining GES (COM 2010/477/EU) using a
sets of indicators. The Directive will be
implemented in two‐phases: Preparation for
GES (how it will be expressed for each specific
region and made operational by 2014), and
achievement of GES (development of
programmes of measures by 2015 and their
implementation). Preparation phase consists
of assessment of environmental status (initial
assessment), setting environmental targets
(objectives) both in scientific and operational
terms and monitoring.
Having described the background
requirements above, the following are
proposed for consideration to support the
implementation of the MSFD (where
applicable) or harmonise the efforts of the
non‐EU coastal states with the EU‐member
states. This is also complemented with specific
key research issues mentioned in 5.1.4, 5.1.6
and 5.2.1.
5.3.2. Observation and forecasting systems
for operational oceanography
The marine environment is a complex and
turbulent system, characterized by strong
interactions between physical, chemical, and
biological processes. The study of these
processes whilst making meaningful
observations is difficult because of their high
spatio‐temporal variability (1‐1000 km
horizontal; days‐years‐decades+). The wide
range of scales makes it important to carry out
in‐situ observations at high spatial and
temporal resolutions over long periods.
The aim of operational oceanography is to
provide in “real time” reliable information and
forecasts for the marine environment in order
to support human activities at sea,
exploitation of resources and the protection
47 SEAS‐ERA T.8.1 – Strategic Research Agenda for the Black Sea Basin
Key research issues:
Creating collaborative objectives among riparian countries for the development and support of observing systems infrastructure in the Black Sea, real‐time in‐situ data collection, process studies, coastal and open sea moorings, profiling systems, research vessels and ships of opportunity, observing platforms such as floats, gliders, ferry‐boxes etc.
Development of earth systems forecasting capacity, integration of atmospheric, hydrological, ocean and climate models, improving predictability through data assimilation.
Integration and experimental design of observing systems, common data transmission, storage and backup facilities.
Data sharing policy development, availability of observing and forecasting system products to the general public and the special users.
Integration and collaboration with existing operational oceanography initiatives and development of common operational strategies.
of the environment. The development of
forecasting based on operational
oceanography tools improves the
understanding of the processes contributing
to the actual state of the ocean in the short‐
term, because better predictions require
these processes to be adequately and
precisely represented, while it is also most
likely that the long‐term response is also
represented by the same processes averaged
over time.
Observing platforms such as the traditionally
employed oceanographic ships, moorings, and
floats are tools for multidisciplinary
measurements of the ocean, but not always
with the required spatio‐temporal resolution.
The key point here is to avoid any aliasing
effect leading to erroneous conclusions. The
last 30 years have seen an increasing number
of actions dedicated to estimate the ocean
state or observe how climate change has
unfolded in the ocean. International programs
such as the GOOS and ARGO have been
instrumental in spreading and making
available the observational tools of
operational oceanography on a global scale,
and also at regional scale (e.g. EuroGOOS,
MedGOOS, MOON, MedARGO programs in
the Mediterranean region). Despite the Black
Sea regional initiatives such as Black Sea GOOS
and occasional uses of ARGO and other
drifters in the Black Sea, as well as
participation in the MyOcean program, there
is still much ground to be covered through
regional cooperation.
Operational oceanography encompasses (i)
specialized observing systems such as
repeated transects and mooring arrays (ii)
multi‐disciplinary observatories to monitor
short‐term as well as multi‐decadal patterns in
specific areas (iii) general operational
oceanographic tools such as ships of
opportunity, XBT’s, floats, drifters, ferry‐
boxes, AUV’s and gliders used to monitor
significant ocean variables through continuous
campaigns; (iv) remote sensing.
Further development of operational observing
systems and networks in the Black Sea is much
needed to better address diagnosis and
prognosis of circulation and ecosystem state,
in general, under climate and anthropogenic
forcing of various temporal and spatial scales.
5.3.3. Marine research infrastructure
Marine Research Infrastructure (MRI)
includes, among others, marine stations,
marine research organizations and research
vessels and their sustainability heavily
depends on national and international
projects. Recommendations for networking at
a regional level might be provided for the
48 SEAS‐ERA T.8.1 – Strategic Research Agenda for the Black Sea Basin
implementation strategy of this regional
research plan.
Marine research infrastructure, in general
terms, include research vessels, submersibles
and unmanned vehicles, research aircraft,
moored instruments, tide gauges, Lagrangian
observations facilities, coastal and marine
observatories, marine laboratories, satellite
oceanography centers, modelling and data
centers, and ships of opportunity. The
existence of, and access to a complex and
modern research infrastructure is a
prerequisite to a successful research strategy
for the Black Sea. They support both
fundamental and applied scientific research
on climate change, domestic offshore energy
production, marine shipping, and severe
storm tracking, sustainable fisheries, and
changes in marine ecosystem services.
Besides, sustained observations are essential
at a sufficiently high frequency to explore the
temporally varying properties of the sea
environment and the complex interrelations
between processes and properties from the
sea surface to the seabed. A comprehensive
range of marine research infrastructure is
needed to overcome the present challenges in
marine science, and increased inter‐ and
multi‐disciplinary research will require a
growing suite of innovative infrastructure.
Despite the strategic and economic
significance of marine resources, the Black Sea
countries have national marine resource
development and marine RTD policies or
strategies. As a result, management of existing
marine RTD infrastructures (vessels, observing
systems, etc) and the planning of future
marine research infrastructures are based on
and reflect national priorities. On the other
hand, significant components of infrastructure
in the Black Sea countries are aged, obsolete,
or insufficient to perform high quality
scientific research. Moreover, current barriers
have inhibited collaborative efforts to plan for
the operation and maintenance of major,
high‐cost, critical infrastructure assets such as
ships, and observing systems platforms. The
Black Sea countries should establish and
maintain a coordinated plan for critical shared
ocean infrastructure investment, and
maintenance. Such a plan should focus on
trends in scientific needs and advances in
technology, while taking into consideration
life‐cycle costs, efficient use, surge capacity
for unforeseen events, and new opportunities
or national needs. It is recommended that
development, maintenance, or replacement of
marine research infrastructure assets should
be prioritized based on (1) usefulness for
addressing important scientific issues; (2)
affordability, efficiency, and longevity; and (3)
ability to contribute to other missions or
applications.
Among the European Seas, the Black Sea has
very limited capabilities in terms of carrying
out state of the art research in operational
oceanography due to the lack of sufficient
data to be assimilated into the operational
models, with the exception of satellite‐based
information.
It is appropriate to link the initiatives taken for
the Black Sea marine research infrastructure
with the concept of the European Research
Area (ERA, which aims to coordinate research
activities and facilitate the convergence of
research and innovation policies at national
and EU levels).
49 SEAS‐ERA T.8.1 – Strategic Research Agenda for the Black Sea Basin
Key research support issues:
Identify important marine research infrastructure gaps and needs, and long‐term marine research infrastructure requirements and investments.
Identify the cost‐efficiency of mechanisms to shift from project based short‐term and unsystematic observational programs to long‐term and long‐time series sytematic sustained observations.
Identify mechanisms to link marine research infrastructure needs with funding opportunities.
Establish an interactive web‐based information system to provide access to information on the Black Sea and Europe’s marine research infrastructures.
Establish Marine Infrastructures Strategy Group and Forum for the co‐ordination of existing marine research infrastructures and planning of future infrastructures (in the context of a European Marine Research Area).
5.3.4. Human capacity building
Human Capacity Building activities and
programmes are crucial both for supporting
and creating new capacities of marine
scientists and managers. In order to consider
this huge gap (ageing of scientists but increase
of RTD demand), a review and modification of
education/training programmes could be
suggested especially to support the new
research topics and multi‐diciplinary research.
In order to achieve a vibrant future generation
of scientists in marine and maritime research
for the region, an Association of Young
Scientists (http://www.em‐a.eu/) should be
encouraged to be established for the Black
Sea. Such a platform should encourage
incentives and be well informed about the
policies/strategies regarding marine and
maritime research. Good examples of similar
initiatives could be contacted for advice
(http://www.eurocean.org/np4/file/2002/EuY
mast_Forum.pdf).
In parallel, a regional center/forum to
coordinate training and regional mechanisms
for the exchange expertise and experts could
be organized.
Existing education and training schemes
should be utilised especially for the support of
multi‐disciplinary research such as the “Black
Sea Universities Network”.
The Black Sea Universities Network
(www.univ‐ovidius.ro), a network that
involves more than 100 member universities
from the region, is one of the frameworks
suitable to strengthen inter‐university
cooperation for improving the quality of
higher education programs and facilitating the
involvement of students in marine and
maritime research. At present, BSUN is
coordinating the UN “Academic Impact” hub
on sustainable development that is a platform
for cooperation between the universities
worldwide and the UN in promoting education
for sustainable development (www.unai‐
sustainability.org ).
50 SEAS‐ERA T.8.1 – Strategic Research Agenda for the Black Sea Basin
6. HIGH‐LEVEL ROADMAP
6.1. Short Term
Short term implementation strategy of this
SRA is closely linked with the tasks of the
SEAS‐ERA project. One of the objectives of the
project is to foster synergies at regional and
pan‐European level, mobilising competitive
and non‐competitive funds for research in a
more coordinated way, through common
programs and joint calls, so as to reach a
critical mass to address major cross‐thematic
marine and maritime research challenges.
Moreover, SEAS‐ERA will be a step forward
towards achievement of the Joint
Programming concept that promotes the
efficiency of funding returns by avoiding
fragmentation and enhancing cooperation
between partner countries research
programmes.
Common programming: Common
Programming is an independent Work
Package (WP2) in the SEAS‐ERA Project. This
WP is given the responsibilities to coordinate
and to harmonize a step‐by‐step approach
between the different regions to address a
process towards common programmes,
mostly based on non‐competitive funds
operated directly by the research performing
organisations (RPOs). It will facilitate the
exchange of methodologies among the marine
regions and will monitor the progress being
made during their implementations. It will be
in charge of implementing the common
transversal programmes at the pan‐European
level. More precisely it is expected to:
identify the right strategy to involve
ministries as well as national research
funding and research needing
organisations in the decision‐making and
resourcing processes (based on the
outcomes of WP1);
define and promote a common vision by
the participating member‐states on the
application of marine and maritime
research strategy to fulfil the requests of
society;
combine and strengthen existing national
programmes in the long term
perspective;
fill the existing gaps in cooperation by
proposing new collaborative
programmes;
propose test cases for common
programmes including the setting of the
best common practices to reach
excellence;
implement common programmes at the
pan‐European level. Description of work
Within WP2 initially, the programmes
implemented by the Research Performing
Organisations (RPOs) will be addressed. These
programmes will be developed by the partner
countries. For those programmes of highest
priority, project analyses will be performed
adhering to relevant information such as
objectives, content, duration, manpower
involved, total costs, partnerships,
infrastructure requested all of which are
necessary parameters to be stated in the
process of combining programmes. All
programmes will be identified independently
of their funding sources e.g. direct funding
from state ministries to RPOs, competitive
funding by various national funding agencies,
European agencies, international agencies and
private funding (foundations, industries...).
The inventories already produced by the
previous ERA‐Nets (i.e. MariFish, MarinERA
and AMPERA) will be used, completed and up‐
dated as most of the information refers to
competitive funding. Then, a synthesis will be
provided to allow the comparison of common
51 SEAS‐ERA T.8.1 – Strategic Research Agenda for the Black Sea Basin
priorities. These will be matched with the
priority issues devised in WP1 using the
foresight exercise developed there, the long‐
term objectives being to help co‐ordinate and
guide common visions of the main priorities of
marine and maritime research.
These visions will be addressed both at the
pan‐European level in this WP, and at the
regional level (Atlantic, Mediterranean and
Black Sea) by the dedicated regional WPs.
Secondly, the Strategic Research Agenda will
be transmitted into a list of eligible common
programmes and a specific and precise
organisational system for the key scientific
challenges. In this way the Common
Programming Task (Task 8.2) will be the
regional component of the WP2 in the Black
Sea. Task 8.2 is expected to be one of the
main tools to achieve realization of the
implementation of this SRA. It aims at
identifying the right strategy to bring together
national ministries, research funding bodies
and research performing organizations to
define a mechanism for the implementation of
the common research component of this SRA
funded by existing resources. This task will
build and enrich the information gathered in
the scientific component of the SRA, looking
more in‐depth into the analyses of the current
activities of the research performing
organizations and the instruments for
supporting regional scientific policies in the
area of marine research.
Call: Joint Calls are one of the core
components of the ERA‐NET Scheme. They are
an important instrument in support of the
development of the ERA, for improving the
coordination of national and regional research
activities and programmes, and enhancing
European competitiveness.
The potential RTD themes for pilot
competitive calls will be selected among the
scientific component of this SRA. The call will
be launched during the third year of the
project (month 30). This will be a major
milestone of the WP8. The results of the call
and proposals for follow‐up actions will be
examined during a workshop to be held at the
end of the project.
Black‐Sea Era.Net: The marine related ERA‐
Net experience of the Black Sea Region in FP6
was poor since there were no participants in
the ongoing ERA‐Nets. However, in FP7, the
research funding organizations of the region
established BS‐ERA.NET which became
operational by January 2009. BS‐ERA.NET is a
networking project aimed at integrating the
participating countries from the Black Sea
extended region in the European Research
Area by linking research activities within
existing national, bilateral and regional RTD
programmes. The project is financed by the
European Commission within the FP7 and
managed by a consortium of 17 institutions
from 13 European countries, namely Romania,
Greece, Italy, Turkey, France, Azerbaijan,
Armenia, Germany, Ukraine, Moldova, Malta,
Georgia and Bulgaria. The initiative has a
major objective, amongst others, of improving
the coherence and coordination of national
and regional research programs in the BS
Region. This will provide a good complement
for the development of the Black Sea
component of SEAS‐ERA.
A pilot joint call was implemented under the
BS‐ERA.NET Project and 11 Joint projects have
been decided to be supported under this call.
The thematic distribution of these projects is
as follows:
Water pollution prevention options for
coastal zones and tourist areas – 6
projects
52 SEAS‐ERA T.8.1 – Strategic Research Agenda for the Black Sea Basin
Hydrogen production from H2S rich Black
Sea Water – 2 projects
CO2 capture and storage technologies
for zero emission power generation in
the Black Sea Region – 2 projects
Exploitation and transport of mineral
resources ‐ impact on environment – 1
project
By looking at the distribution of the supported
projects and considering that over 70 percent
of the project applications were submitted in
the area of environment, one can conclude
marine science to be a extremely important
common area of research for the countries of
the Black Sea. For this reason, a synergy
between BS‐ERA.NET and SEAS‐ERA must be
created. This document may be used as a
guide to possible future calls under the
planned Black Sea Research Programme.
Bearing in mind that BS‐ERA.NET is in its
finalization process, possible ERA.NET Plus or
Article 185 actions, which will target this
region have to be considered as important
possible implementation areas of this SRA.
6.2. Long Term
JPI Oceans: Joint programming is a concept
introduced by the European Commission in
July 2008 and is one of five initiatives aimed at
implementing the European Research Area
(ERA). The concept intends to tackle the
challenges that cannot be solved solely at the
national level and allows Member States and
Associated Countries to participate in those
joint initiatives beneficial for them.
The Objective of JPI is to increase the value of
relevant national and EU R&D and
infrastructure investments by concerted and
joint planning, implementation and evaluation
of national research programmes.
Member States and Associated Countries are
expected to coordinate national research
activities in the broadest sense, group
resources, benefit from complementarities
and develop common research and innovation
agendas, as a basis for long‐term cooperation
in order to face major societal challenges.
The Joint Programming Initiative: Healthy and
Productive Seas and Oceans (JPI Oceans) is
a coordinating and integrating long‐term
platform, open to all EU Member States and
Associated Countries who invest in marine
and maritime research.
While uniting the participating Member States
and Associated Countries the JPI Oceans aims
to achieve positive results by:
avoiding fragmentation and unnecessary
duplication
planning common and flexible initiatives
facilitating cooperation and foresighting
establishing efficient mechanisms for
interaction and knowledge transfer
between the scientific community,
industry & services, and policy makers at
high level to more effectively solve the
major challenges.
Through its role as a coordination platform,
the JPI will focus on the so‐called
institutionalised money within national
research budgets which represent 85% of the
EU marine funding. One of the JPI’s goals is
to develop joint research programs in which
countries can be involved on a voluntary basis
(variable geometry). Participating countries
will also decide what contribution to make:
this may include institutional, project‐related
or new funds.
The JPI Healthy and Productive Seas and
Oceans will be run by a top‐level Managerial
Board consisting of two representatives from
each country with sufficient authority to agree
53 SEAS‐ERA T.8.1 – Strategic Research Agenda for the Black Sea Basin
on joint action plans and potential funding
initiatives across Europe.
The Managerial Board will appoint a Strategic
Advisory Board of high‐ranked scientists,
technologists, economists and industrial
sector representatives. Their task will be to
develop a strategic research and innovation
agenda (SRIA) and to advise on the
implementation tools needed. The Managerial
Board will approve the SRIA which will be used
to produce an implementation plan.
The JPI Oceans will be compiled on the
principle of variable geometry. Participating
countries will decide which actions to
participate in and which contributions to
provide. By doing so the JPI will seek to use
the broadest range of funding and
instruments available for research,
infrastructure and innovation at national,
regional and European level:
additional funds, in‐kind support (human
resources, infrastructure and
institutionalised money),
structural and cohesion funds,
grants,
foster networking and research alliances
(across the innovation chain), and
adopt mechanisms to foster open access
to knowledge, data and information.
The ERA‐NETs have invaluable experience in
solving the issues of cross border funding and
the JPI could benefit widely from such
experience. This also applies in the
development of the JPI Strategic Research and
Innovation Agenda. In this regard, SEAS‐ERA is
expected to provide a significant contribution
to the JPI Oceans. This SRA can be perceived
as the contribution of the Black Sea region to
the JPI Oceans.
The SRA implementation will be supported by
the two main regional organizations – BSEC
and BSC.
BSEC was founded with the purpose of
enhancing peace and stability through
cooperation among the BSEC countries and
has been an active player in many fields
through its special Working Groups, including
fostering of scientific research. The BSEC
project‐oriented policy is supported by two
Funds: the Project Development Fund (PDF)
and the Hellenic Development Fund (HDF).
The Working Group on cooperation in science
and technology is important and amongst
those worth mentioning, as this group deals
with horizontal issues which also include
marine sciences. The Ministers responsible for
Science and Technology of the BSEC Member
States adopted, in May 2010, the “2nd Action
Plan on Cooperation in Science and
Technology 2010‐2014”, an important policy
document promoting general S&T cooperation
within the region. With its focus on the four
pillars of policy orientations namely, human
resources, capacity building, research
infrastructure and innovation, the document
denotes the willingness and commitment of
the BSEC countries for the enhancement of
cooperation in areas which marine research
should also benefit from. From a more specific
approach, the efforts of the Working Group on
Environmental Protection are also crucial. The
Action Plan on Environmental Protection,
endorsed by the Ministers of Environment of
the Member States in 2006 calls for enhanced
cooperation in specified areas, such as
international cooperation, harmonization of
environmental legislation, protection of the
Black Sea marine and coastal environment,
and environmental based education and
training. At the Meeting held in May 2011, the
Ministers in Charge of Environmental
Protection, decided to update the Action Plan,
54 SEAS‐ERA T.8.1 – Strategic Research Agenda for the Black Sea Basin
according to the new challenges and priorities
of the region. The Council of Ministers of
Foreign Affairs of the BSEC Member States
held in November 2010 adopted the Joint
Declaration on Combating Climate Change in
the wider Black Sea area (“Thessaloniki
Declaration”). The Council established a Task
Force, within the Working Group on energy to
promote Green Energy by identifying common
aspects of Green Growth policies pursued by
the Member States and exploring ways to
develop Green Energy projects and the
necessary investments, in particular on
renewable energy sources, energy efficiency
and environmentally friendly technologies.
All such efforts are crucial, in that they show
the needs and expectations of people in the
region are properly being addressed and
supported at the political level.
The Black Sea Commission is presently the
regional Focal Point in environmental
protection, dealing with monitoring activities,
policy and legislation development, state of
the environment assessments, decision‐
making, harmonization in different aspects
(standards, methodologies, policies),
emergency situations, etc.
The BSC is made up of one representative
from each of the Black Sea coastal states,
parties to the Bucharest Convention (Bulgaria,
Georgia, Romania, Russian Federation, Turkey
and Ukraine). The institutional structure of the
BSC includes subsidiary bodies: Permanent
Secretariat, based in Istanbul, and six Advisory
Groups working in the fields of environmental
safety aspects of shipping (ESAS), pollution
monitoring/assessments (PMA), land‐based
sources of pollution (LBS), integrated coastal
zone management (ICZM), biodiversity
protection and conservation (CBD), and
management of living resources (FOMLR). The
advisory Groups serve not only as specialized
technical bodies but also as an intermediary
between the Commission and the national
authorities and other stakeholders.
Article XV “Scientific and technical
cooperation and monitoring” of the Bucharest
Convention stipulates Contracting Parties to
cooperate in “conducting scientific research
aimed at protecting and preserving the marine
environment of the Black Sea...”; conducting
studies on assessment of pollution and of its
effect on the ecosystem, establishing a
pollution monitoring system for the Black Sea.
The respective function of the BSC is to
“receive, process and disseminate to the
Contracting Parties relevant scientific,
technical and statistical information and
promote scientific and technical research”.
The Black Sea Integrated Monitoring and
Assessment Programme (BSIMAP) has been
implemented by the Black Sea Commission
since 2001. The BSIMAP is addressed to the
main transboundary environmental problems
in the Black Sea region: eutrophication, water
pollution and water quality, biodiversity
change and decline, habitats destruction and
overfishing. The main purpose of the BSIMAP
is to provide data for the state of the
environment reporting, impact assessments of
major pollutant sources, and transboundary
diagnostic analysis. The final version of
BSIMAP was adopted in 2006 at the 13th
Meeting of the Commission. The BSIMAP is
based on the national monitoring and
assessment programs. It is operational,
providing common format reports to the BSC
annually. The data from the reports are
loaded into the Black Sea Information System
(BSIS) and used to evaluate changes over time
in the coastal and marine environment.
Following the recommendations of the Black
Sea Strategic Action Plan (BS SAP 2006), the
BSC is organizing regular (bi‐ or tri‐annual
55 SEAS‐ERA T.8.1 – Strategic Research Agenda for the Black Sea Basin
Black Sea Scientific Conferences to strengthen
the scientific foundations of decision‐making
in the Black Sea region. The first Conference
was held in Istanbul, Turkey in May 2006, the
second – in Sofia, Bulgaria in October 2008,
and the third ‐ in Odessa, Ukraine in
November 2011. The updated BS SAP 2009
was adopted at the Meeting of the
Contracting Parties to the Bucharest
Convention held in Sofia, Bulgaria in April
2009. The need to support scientific activities
was reconfirmed in its Management Target
25: “Support coordinated scientific studies,
increase resources to marine science and
improve capacity particularly through targeted
training programmes supporting scientific
projects/programmes”.
Facilitating the establishment of regional
scientific programs is included in the Work
Program of the Black Sea Commission. The
BSC Work Program also contains provisions on
the integration of Black Sea scientific projects
in the work of the BSC. Furthermore, the BSC
promotes addressing SAP targets in national
and international projects dealing with the
Black Sea. Scientific news are published on the
web page of the Black Sea Commission
(www.blacksea‐commission.org).
56 SEAS‐ERA T.8.1 – Strategic Research Agenda for the Black Sea Basin
Annex 1
GENERIC EVALUATION OF STAKEHOLDER INVOLVEMENT & MANAGEMENT IN BLACK SEA TRANSBOUNDARY ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES (TDA 2007)
Stakeholder Involvement And Impact Description Management Involvement Degree Impactedby Issue Management of issue:
Directly Indirectly Not Involved
Degree Impacted:
High Medium Low
Nu
trie
nts
Fis
her
ies
Pol
luti
on
Bio
div
ersi
ty
Nu
trie
nts
Fis
her
ies
Pol
luti
on
Bio
div
ersi
ty
1. Water, Hydro-meteorological Department
2. Environmental Ministry32
3. Industry Ministry
4. Energy Ministry
5. Economic Ministry
6. Foreign Affairs Ministry
7. Defence Ministry
8. Internal Affairs Ministry
9. Agriculture Ministry
10. Fisheries Agencies
11. Social Welfare / Public Health Ministry
12. Labour Ministry
13. Public Administrator/ planning agency
14. Regulator agent official/ Enforcement agent
15. Shipping Agencies
16. Parliamentary committees33
17. Inter ministerial Committees/Basin Committees
18. Non Governmental Organization
19. Scientists
20. Manufacturing industry
21. Agro-industry
22. Live stock industry
23. Shipping industry
24. Fishing industry
25. Harbour/port administration
26. Regional government official
27. District water management official
28. Environmental Protection Agencies official
29. Municipal Government
30. Municipal waste manager
31. Nature reserve staff
32. Community based organization
33. Worker on a state owned farm
34. Worker on a privately owned farm
35. Fisherman small-scale
36. Educator/teacher
37. Student
38. Public health care provider
39. Member of coastal community
40. Tourism/Recreation industry
41. Press and media
42. International Funding Inst.
32 Natural Resources, Ecology, Water, Forestry, Sustainable Development 33 Parliamentary committees for environmental protection
57 SEAS‐ERA T.8.1 – Strategic Research Agenda for the Black Sea Basin
Annex 2
FIELDS OF RESEARCH IN COASTAL SCIENCES, ENGINEERING, GOVERNANCE AND DEVELOPMENT IN THE CONTEXT OF INTEGRATED COASTAL MANAGEMENT (www.medcoast.org.tr)
COASTAL SYSTEMS, CONSERVATION ISSUES
Physical features;
Geography, coastal geology, geomorphology, sedimentology;
Coastal oceanography;
Coastal and marine ecosystems, biology and ecology;
Marine mammals, problem of exotic & invasive species;
Conservation issues, biodiversity, endangered species,
Coastal ecosystem management;
Rehabilitation of damaged ecosystems;
Coastal and marine protected areas;
Coastal landscapes. INTEGRATED COASTAL ZONE MANAGEMENT
Theoretical framework and case reports;
Coastal management tools and instruments, databases;
Coastal and marine policy, science and policy integration;
Coastal governance, institutional arrangements;
International, national and local efforts and programs pertinent to ICZM;
Legal, economic and social issues;
Environmental and ecological economics, instruments;
Training and education, public involvement & NGO role, media role;
Evaluation of ICZM impacts, coastal management indicators;
Demonstration pilot projects. COASTAL MANAGEMENT ISSUES
Coastal wetlands, coastal dunes, estuaries, deltas and lagoons;
Beaches and their management;
Coastal water resources and watershed management;
Water quality management, water and sediment pollution, land based sources, hazardous wastes, algal blooms, bio‐indicators of pollution and monitoring, pollution control, sea outfalls, waste water treatment, reuse and recycling;
Marine litter, solid wastes management;
Trans‐boundary pollution issues;
Coastal and environmental impacts, coastal degradation, environmental impact assessment (EIA) for coastal projects, Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA);
Environmental risk management;
Climate change impacts and adaptation strategies;
Coastal and submarine archaeology; management of ancient sites, monuments and ship wrecks.
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF COASTAL AREAS
Sustainable development concerns, indicators, sustainable development of coastal and sea resources;
Coastal and maritime spatial planning;
Urban development issues; waterfront renovation;
Coastal tourism planning and management, facility sitting, alternative tourism, ecotourism, recreation;
Marine tourism, cruises, yachting, marinas;
Living resources, fisheries, mariculture;
Transportation issues: oil transport and pollution;
Sitting of major industrial facilities. COASTAL ENGINEERING, MODELLING, DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEMS AND DATA MANAGEMENT
Coastal, environmental and ecosystem modelling;
Coastal hydrodynamics;
Coastal sediment transport and erosion;
Coastal processes; shoreline management and erosion control;
Coastal and ecocoastal engineering;
Water level changes, sea level rise and consequences;
Monitoring of coastal environment;
Use of remote sensing technology and geographic information systems in coastal management.
58 SEAS‐ERA T.8.1 – Strategic Research Agenda for the Black Sea Basin
LIST OF CONTRIBUTORS
EXPERTS CONTRIBUTED TO THE TEXT
SRA Part Lead authors/supporting
contributions E‐mail
Introduction Dr. Çolpan Polat Beken, Dr. Violeta Velikova, WS Experts
[email protected][email protected]
A Shared Vision For the Black Sea Dr. Çolpan Polat Beken, Dr. Violeta Velikova, WS Experts
The Black Sea Basin: Regional Specificities and the Context
Dr. Çolpan Polat Beken, Dr. Violeta Velikova, WS Experts
A Strategic Research Agenda for the Black Sea Basin: Objectives and Benefits
Dr. Çolpan Polat Beken, Dr. Violeta Velikova, WS Experts
Specific Research Priorities for the Black Sea Basin:
Basic research and fundamental understanding
Understanding the geological structure and dynamics of the Black Sea Basin as a primary factor influencing its general evolution
Prof. Nicholas Panin
Physical climate, hydrological cycle, ventilation and inter‐basin coupling
Prof. Emin Özsoy [email protected]
Understanding climatic variability and climate change impacts on coastal and offshore ecosystems in the Black Sea including the effects of ocean acidification
Prof. Temel Oğuz [email protected]
Changes in biodiversity and habitats, noting the introduction and impacts of invasive species
Prof. Dr. Snejana Moncheva, Prof. Ahmet Kıdeyş, Dr. Violeta Velikova
[email protected] [email protected] [email protected]
Understanding and governing eutrophication of the coastal and deep parts of the sea: biogeochemical and primary biological basic processes, mechanisms and consequences
Prof. Sergey Konovalov (Supported by SoE (2008) and inputs of BSC officers and experts)
Ensuring Good Water/Sediment/Bioresources/Beach Quality for Human and Ecosystem Health (including litter)
(Developed basing on SoE (2008) and inputs of BSC officers and experts)
Deep sea research Prof. Sergei Gulin [email protected]
Applied Research: Science supporting Society & Maritime Economy
Renewable energy Dr. Emil Stanev [email protected]
Exploitation of mineral resources, energy and communication projects
Prof. Nicholas Panin
59 SEAS‐ERA T.8.1 – Strategic Research Agenda for the Black Sea Basin
Maritime transport Prof. Emin Özsoy [email protected]
Fishery and aquaculture with focus on preservation and sustainable use of marine living resources
(Developed basing on SoE (2008) and inputs of BSC officers and experts)
Marine biotechnology Dr. Vitaliy Ryabushko [email protected]
Natural hazards and risk assessments Prof. Atanas Palazov palazov@io‐bas.bg
Socio‐economic research Dr. Duncan Knowler [email protected]
Marine spatial planning (MSP) and Marine Protected Areas (MPAs)
Prof. Ahmet Kıdeyş, Dr. Violeta Velikova, Dr. Tania Zaharia, Dr. Valeria Abaza
[email protected] [email protected] [email protected] valeria.abaza@blacksea‐commission.org
ICZM, links with MSP & IRBM, coastal sciences & engineering
Dr. Mamuka Gvilava [email protected]
Research support and cross‐cutting issues for fundamental and applied research
Development of support tools for policy implementation
Dr. Violeta Velikova, Dr. Çolpan Polat Beken, Dr. Valeria Abaza
[email protected]@mam.gov.tr valeria.abaza@blacksea‐commission.org
Observation and forecasting systems for operational oceanography
Prof. Emin Özsoy [email protected]
Marine research infrastructure Prof. Temel Oğuz [email protected]
Human capacity building Prof. Eden Mamut (supported by all experts)
emamut@univ‐ovidius.ro
High‐Level Road Map Tarık Şahin (with contributions from BSC and BSEC)
Prof. Erdal Özhan ([email protected]) contributed with his comments on specific sections
and thoroughly reviewed the SRA.
60 SEAS‐ERA T.8.1 – Strategic Research Agenda for the Black Sea Basin
EXPERTS PARTICIPATED IN THE SECOND STRATEGIC WORKSHOP– 16 December 2011, İstanbul
# Name Institution E‐mail
1 Çolpan Beken TÜBİTAK Marmara Research Center [email protected]
2 Ahmet Kıdeyş Middle East Technical UniversityInstitute of Marine Sciences
3 Emin Özsoy Middle East Technical UniversityInstitute of Marine Sciences
4 Bayram Öztürk Istanbul University [email protected]
5 Ertuğ Düzgüneş Karadeniz Technical University (KTU) Faculty of Marine Science
6 Erdinç Güneş Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, General Directorate of Agricultural Research
7 Temel Oğuz Middle East Technical University Institute of Marine Sciences
8 Volodymyr Myroshnychenko
Black Sea Commission Permanent Secretariat (BSC PS)
volodymyr.myroshnychenko@blacksea‐commission.org
9 Violeta Velikova SURDEP [email protected]
10 Mamuka Gvilava Black Sea Commission Permanent Secretariat (BSC PS)
11 Marian Traian Gomoiu
Romanian Academy, GeoEcoMar –National Institute for Marine Geology and Geoecology, Ovidius University Constanta
12 Atanas Palazov Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Institute of Oceanology
palazov@io‐bas.bg
13 Eden Mamut Ovidius University of Constantza emamut@univ‐ovidius.ro
14 Amb. Aliosha Nedelchev
Organisation of Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC)
anedelchev@bsec‐organization.org
15 Tania Zaharia National Institute for Marine Research and Development (INCDM)
16 Viorel Vulturescu National Authority for Scientific Research (ANCS)
17 Olexander Polonsky National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (NASU) ‐ Marine Hydrophysical Institute
18 Volodymyr Novikov National University “Lviv Politechnic [email protected]
19 Sergey Gulin National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (NASU) ‐ Institute of Biology of Southern Seas
20 Sergey Konovalov National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (NASU) ‐ Marine Hydrophysical Institute
21 Snejana Moncheva Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (BAS) ‐Institute of Oceanography
61 SEAS‐ERA T.8.1 – Strategic Research Agenda for the Black Sea Basin
EXPERTS PARTICIPATED IN THE FIRST STRATEGIC WORKSHOP – 11 March 2011, Ankara
# Name Institution E‐mail
1 Çolpan Beken TÜBİTAK Marmara Research Center [email protected]
2 Ahmet Kıdeyş Black Sea Commission ahmet.kideys@blacksea‐commission.org
3 Emin Özsoy Middle East Technical University Institute of Marine Sciences
4 Bayram Öztürk Istanbul University [email protected]
5 Ahmet Cevdet Yalçıner
Middle East Technical UniversityDepartment of Civil Engineering Ocean Engineering Research Centre
6 Ertuğ Düzgüneş Karadeniz Technical University (KTU) Faculty of Marine Science
7 Erdinç Güneş Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, General Directorate of Agricultural Research
8 George Kordzakhia The National Environmental Agency [email protected]
9 Mamuka Gvilava Black Sea Commission Permanent Secretariat (BSC PS)
10 Kakha Nadiradze Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development, Sustainable Development Department
11 Nicolaie Panin Romanian Academy, National Institute of Marine Geology and Geo‐ecology – GeoEcoMar
12 Marian Traian Gomoiu
Romanian Academy, GeoEcoMar –National Institute for Marine Geology and Geoecology, Ovidius University Constanta
13 Viorel Vulturescu National Authority for Scientific Research (ANCS)
14 Atanas Palazov Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Institute of Oceanology
palazov@io‐bas.bg
15 Volodymyr Novikov National University “Lviv Politechnic [email protected]
16 Olga Andrianova Hydroacoustic Branch of Marine Hydrophysical Institute, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine
17 Tamara Kukovska State Science Institution "Department of Marine Geology and Sedimentary Ore Formation NAS of Ukraine"
62 SEAS‐ERA T.8.1 – Strategic Research Agenda for the Black Sea Basin
ABBREVIATIONS and ACRONYMS
ACRONYM TITLE WEBSITE
ACCOBAMS Agreement on the Conservation of Cetaceans of the Black Sea, Mediterranean Sea and continuous Atlantic area
http://www.accobams.org/
AMPERA European Coordination Action to Foster Prevention and Best Response to Accidental Marine Pollution
www.cid.csic.es/ampera/index.php
ARENA A Regional Capacity Building and Networking Programme to Upgrade Monitoring and Forecasting Activity in the Black Sea Basin
ARGO The broad‐scale global array of temperature/salinity profiling floats
http://www.argo.net/
ASCOBOS A Supporting Programme for Capacity Building in the Black Sea Region towards Operational Status of Oceanographic Service
http://www.ascabos.io‐bas.bg/
BASs Biologically Active Substances
Black Sea ERA‐NET
Networking on Science and Technology in the Black Sea Region
http://www.bs‐era.net
BlackSeaGOOS
Global Ocean Observing System (Black Sea) http://www.ims.metu.edu.tr/Black_Sea_GOOS/
BONUS Science for a Better Future of the Baltic Sea Region
http://www.bonusportal.org/
BSC The Commission on the Protection of the Black Sea Against Pollution (the Black Sea Commission)
http://www.blacksea‐commission.org/main.asp
BSC ICZM AG Black Sea Commission Advisory Group on Development of Common Methodologies for Integrated Coastal Zone Management in the Black Sea Countries
http://www.blacksea‐commission.org/_ag‐tor‐iczm.asp
BSC/PS Black Sea Commission Permenant Secretariat
http://www.blacksea‐commission.org
BSC‐SoE The Black Sea State of Environment Report (2001‐2006/7)
http://www.blacksea‐commission.org/_publ‐SOE2009.asp
BSEC Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation
http://www.bsec‐organization.org
BSEP Black Sea Environment Programme
BS‐ML‐SAP Strategic Action Plan for the Management and Abatement of Marine Litter in the Black Sea Region
http://www.blacksea‐commission.org/_publ‐ML.asp
BS SAP Black Sea Strategic Action Plan
BSERP Black Sea Environment Recovery Project
BSIMAP The Black Sea Integrated Monitoring and Assessment Programme
http://www.blacksea‐commission.org/_bsimap.asp
BSRC IOC Black Sea Regional Committee
BS SCENE Black Sea Scientific Network Project http://www.blackseascene.net/
BSUN The Black Sea Universities Network http://www.bsun.org/
CBD The BSC Advisory Group on Conservation of Biological Diversity
http://www.blacksea‐commission.org/_ag‐tor‐cbd.asp
CIESM The Mediterranean Science Commission http://www.ciesm.org/
CIW Cold Intermediate Water
COCONET Towards COast to COast NETworks of Marine Protected Areas (from the shore to
63 SEAS‐ERA T.8.1 – Strategic Research Agenda for the Black Sea Basin
the high and deep sea)
daNUbs Nutrient Management in the Danube Basin and its Impact on the Black Sea
DEDUCE Sustainable Development of European Coastal Zones
http://www.deduce.eu/
DPSIR Driving Forces‐Pressures‐State‐Impact‐Response
EBRD European Bank for Reconstuction and Development
http://www.ebrd.com
EC European Commission http://ec.europa.eu/
ECBSea Environmental Collaboration for the Black Sea
http://81.8.63.74/ecbsea/en/documents/relevant/index.html
EcoQOs Ecosystem Quality Objectives
ECOOP European Coastal‐shelf sea operational Observing and forecasting system
https://ecoop.progecta.info
EMODNET European Marine Observation and Data NEtwork
ENCORA European Platform for Coastal Research Coordination Action
http://www.encora.org
ENSO El Nino/Southern Oscillation
EnviroGRIDS Building Capacity for a Black Sea Catchment Observation and Assessment System supporting Sustainable Development
http://envirogrids.net/
ERA European Research Area
ERA‐NET European Researh Area Network
ERA‐NET RUS Linking Russia to the ERA: Coordination of MS/AC S&T Programmes towards and with Russia
http://www.eranet‐rus.eu/
ESAS The BSC Advisory Group on Environmental Safety Aspects of Shipping
http://www.blacksea‐commission.org/_ag‐tor‐esas.asp
Espoo Convention on Environmental Impact Assessment in a Tranboundary Context
http://www.unece.org/env/eia/eia.html
EU European Union http://europa.eu/
EU FP European Union Framework Programmes http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/home_en.html
EuroARGO European Contribution to ARGO Programme
http://www.euro‐argo.eu/
EUROGEL EUROpean GELatinous Zooplankton: Mechanisms behind Jellyfish Blooms and Their Ecological and Socio‐economic Effects
http://www.bio.uib.no/eurogel/
EuroGOOS European Global Ocean Observing System http://www.eurogoos.org/
EUROPEAID Development and Cooperation Directorate General of the European Commission
http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/index_en.htm
FOMLR The BSC Advisory Group on Environmental Aspects of Fisheries and other Marine Living Resources Management
http://www.blacksea‐commission.org/_ag‐tor‐fomlr.asp
GEF Global Environment Facility http://www.thegef.org/gef/
GES Good Environmental Status
GFCM/SAC Scientific Advisory Committee of the General Fisheries Commission fort he Mediterranean
http://www.gfcm.org
GMES Global Monitoring for Environment and Security
http://www.gmes.info/
GOOS Global Ocean Observing System http://www.ioc‐goos.org/
64 SEAS‐ERA T.8.1 – Strategic Research Agenda for the Black Sea Basin
GPA Global Programme of Action
GSRT General Secreteriat for Science and Technology
http://www.gsrt.gr
HCMR Hellenic Center for Marine Research http://www.hcmr.gr
HDF Hellenic Development Fund http://www.bsecprojects.com/
HERMES Hotspot Ecosystem Research on the Margins of European Seas
HYPOX In Situ Monitoring of Oxygen Depletion in Hypoxic Ecosystems of Coastal and Open‐seas and Land‐locked Water Bodies
http://www.hypox.net/
IAEA International Atomic Energy Agency http://www.iaea.org/
IASON International Action for Sustainability of the Mediterranean and Black Sea Environment
http://www.iasonnet.gr/
ICG/NEAMTWS
Intergovernmental Coordination Group Tsunami Early Warning System and Mitigation System in the North Eastern Atlantic, the Mediterranean and Connected Seas
IPCC Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
http://www.ipcc.ch/
IOC Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission
http://www.ioc‐unesco.org/
IODE International Oceanographic Data And İnformation Exchange
http://www.iode.org/
ICAM Integrated Coastal Area Management
ICPRD İnternational Commission For The Protection Of The Danube River
http://www.icpdr.org/
ICZM Integrated Coastal Zone Management
IMO International Maritime Organization http://www.imo.org/Pages/home.aspx
IOC International Oceanographic Commission
IPCC Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
http://www.ipcc.ch/
IRBM Integrated River Basin Management
KnowSeas The Knowledge‐based Sustainable Management for Europe's Seas
http://www.knowseas.com/
LBSA Land Based Sources of Pollution and Activities
MariFish Strengthening the links between European marine fisheries science and fisheries management
http://www.marifish.net/
Marine Board‐ESF
Marine Board‐European Science Foundation
http://www.esf.org/
MarinERA http://marinera.seas‐era.eu/
MedARGO http://www.medargo.com/
MEECE Marine Ecosystem Evolution in a Changing Environment
http://www.meece.eu/
MedGOOS The Mediterranean Global Ocean Observing System
http://www.medgoos.net/
MESMA Monitoring and Evaluation of Spatially Managed Areas
http://www.mesma.org/
MLR Marine Living Resources
MONINFO Monitoring And Information System For Reducing Oil Pollution İn The Black Sea
65 SEAS‐ERA T.8.1 – Strategic Research Agenda for the Black Sea Basin
MoU PSC Memorandum of Understanding on Port State Control in the Black Sea Region
http://www.bsmou.org/
MPAs Marine Protected Areas
MSFD Marine Strategy Framework Directive
MSP Marine spatial planning
MyOcean http://www.myocean.eu.org/
NATO North Atlantic Treaty Organization http://www.nato.int/cps/en/natolive/index.htm
NCP North Sea ‐ Caspian pattern
NGO Non‐governmental organization
ODEMM Options for Delivering Ecosystem‐Based Marine Management
http://www.liv.ac.uk/odemm/
ODINBLACKSEA
The Ocean Data and Information Network for the Black Sea
http://www.odinblacksea.org/
OSCE Organization for Security and Co‐operation in Europe
http://www.osce.org/
PDF Project Development Fund
PERSEUS Projecting European Seas and Borders through the Intelligent use of surveillence
http://www.perseus‐fp7.eu/
PlanCOAST http://www.plancoast.eu/
PMA pollution monitoring/assessments
RPOs Research Performing Organisations
SAP Strategic Action Plan http://www.blacksea‐commission.org/_table‐legal‐docs.asp
SASEPOL Development of Security Management and Maritime Safety and Ship Pollution Prevention for the Black Sea and Caspian Sea
http://www.sasepol.eu/
SEAS ERA Towards Integrated Marine Research Strategy and Programmes
http://www.seas‐era.eu/np4/homepage.html
SEADATANET I/II
Pan‐European İnfrastructure For Ocean And Marine Data Management
http://www.seadatanet.org/
SESAME Southern European Seas: Assessing and Modelling Ecosystem Changes
http://www.sesame‐ip.eu/
SIDA Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency
http://www.sida.se/English/
SoE State of Environment
SPICOSA Science and Policy Integration for Coastal System Assessment
http://www.spicosa.eu/
SRA Strategic Research Agenda
TACIS EC Technical Assistance Commonwealth of Independent States
TDA Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis http://www.blacksea‐commission.org/_publications‐GEF.asp
THRESHOLDS http://www.thresholds‐eu.org/
TPH Total petroleum hydrocarbon
TSS Turkish Straits System
TÜBİTAK The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey
http://www.tubitak.gov.tr/
UN United Nations http://www.un.org/
UNDP/GEF United Nations Development Programme/Global Environment Facility
http://web.undp.org/gef/
UNECE United Nations Economic Commission for http://www.unece.org/
66 SEAS‐ERA T.8.1 – Strategic Research Agenda for the Black Sea Basin
Europe
UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
whc.unesco.org/
UNEP United nations environment programme (UNEP)
http://www.unep.org/
UpGrade Black Sea SCENE
http://www.blackseascene.net/
VTMS Vessel Traffic Management Systems
WB World Bank http://www.worldbank.org/
WP Work Package
67 SEAS‐ERA T.8.1 – Strategic Research Agenda for the Black Sea Basin
SEAS‐ERA BLACK SEA PARTNERS
TÜBİTAK The Scientific and Technological
Reseach Council of Turkey, Turkey http://www.tubitak.gov.tr/
UEFISCDI
The Executive Agency for Higher
education, Research, Development
& Innovation Funding, Romania
http://www.uefiscdi.gov.ro/
MEYS Ministry of Education, Youth and
Science, Bulgaria http://www.mon.bg
KyivCSTEI
Kyiv State Center for Scientific,
Technical and Economic
Information, Ukraine
http://www.cntei.kiev.ua/index_e.php
SRNSF Shota Rustaveli National Science
Foundation, Georgia http://rustaveli.org.ge/index.php