Assessing the vulnerability of the Black Sea marine ecosystem to human pressures

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Monitoring and assessment of the sea and coast, based on scientific knowledge, is the indispensable basis for the management of human activities, in view of promoting their sustainable use and conserving marine ecosystems. Project proposal aims to deliver, through collaborative efforts among partners, a common strategy related to the Joint Monitoring of the Black Sea, using the most adequate common agreed assessment criteria and indicators, in order to assess the status of the Black Sea, as a basis for further actions. Project proposal builds upon the monitoring related provisions of the Black Sea Commision, taking into account existing regional (BSIMAP) and national monitoring programs, the best practices of other Regional Sea Conventions, and last, but not least, Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) principles, aiming to contribute further to harmonization of methodologies and filling of knowledge gaps identified in the region. The collection of quality controlled and comparable data sets for the Black Sea environmental status assessment, is supported via conducting case studies in selected study areas: coastal and open sea by testing the Black Sea Monitoring and Assessment Guidance: comparative assessment of rivers impact on the Black Sea water quality; response of coastal ecosystems under the influence of human pressures, implementation of the methodology for identification and prioritization of Hot Spots (Hot Black Sea tool); guidance tool on the adaptative environmental impact assessment (EIA) procedures of specific human activities; Joint Scientific Cruise organized having in mind harmonized methodologies, and the need to include in the assessment new/common criteria and indicators related to biodiversity, eutrophication, contamination, marine litter, and also areas beyond the coastal areas in a representative and efficient way; pilot study on the quality of Black Sea seafood, with aim to provide new data on chemical contamination of aquatic organisms and potential risks, thus filling knowledge gaps identified for Black Sea region. The two case studies on beach litter and cetaceans will enhance the mile stone of the educational and awareness rising campaigns. Project will promote innovative technologies, like unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) for the detection of floating marine litter at river mouths and coastal waters, dolphins surveys in specific locations, remotely operated vehicle (ROV) and sidescan and multibeam for assessing physical pressure on the seafloor from fisheries and its impact on benthic communities, and remote sensing. Data and information gathered through project activities will create a compatible and open pool of data, usable by regional partners, general public and relevant stakeholders, thus contributing to improvement and upgrading of existing Black Sea data base, and to a better understanding of the human-induced changes.

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