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MSFD Guiding Improvements in the Black Sea Integrated Monitoring System

Funding Programme:

European Commission

Sea Basin(s):

Ico_BlackSea Created with Sketch.
Black Sea

Countries:

Bulgaria
Romania

Status:

Completed

Completion Year:

Contact Person(s):

Dr. Laura BOICENCO

National Institute for Marine Research and Development “Griore Antipa”

Department of Ecology and Marine Biology

+40 241 543288

+40 729 831510, 

lboicencoatalpha.rmri.ro (lboicenco[at]alpha[dot]rmri[dot]ro) / laura_boicencoatyahoo.com (laura_boicenco[at]yahoo[dot]com)

Implementation Period:
-
Specific Funding Programme:

EU DG Environment

Budget:

872.066€

About the Project:

The overall goal of MISIS is to support efforts to protect and restore the environmental quality and sustainability of the Black Sea.

Additional specific objectives are:

  • to improve availability and quality of chemical and biological data to provide for integrated assessments of the Black Sea state of environment, including pressures and impacts (in line with Annex I and III of the MSFD) ;
  • to increase number and size of protected areas in the Black Sea as well as to improve their degree of protection;
  • to enhance stakeholders participation and public awareness on environmental issues.

Model cases included:

  • Black Sea (Romania, Bulgaria, Turkey)
  • Intercalibration exercises for the chemistry (nutrients and contaminants) and biological parameters (phytoplankton, zooplankton and zoobenthos)
  • Pilot study in the proposed transboundary marine protected area Strandza – Igneada (Bulgaria – Turkey)

The main results of the MISIS project are:

  • The Diagnostic Report II – Guiding Improvements in the Black Sea Integrated Monitoring System, data management and assessment;
  • The revision of National and Regional Monitoring Programs;
  • A position Paper on the Black Sea monitoring compliance to Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD);
  • The analysis of needs in harmonization, design of affordable program for harmonization of QA/QC procedures; list of species  (check-list, non-native species, IUCN list) for phytobenthos, phytoplankton, zooplankton, zoobenthos have been advanced;
  • Based on MISIS Joint Cruise – organisation of intercalibration exercises for nutrients, chlorophyll, contaminants,  phytoplankton, zooplankton, zoobenthos;
  • The overview of marine environmental monitoring in Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey;
  • The creation of information management tools in support of decision-making, a WebGIS application (http://smartatlas.misisproject.eu/smartatlas/) with  data/information related to the MSFD;
  • The Black Sea MPA Review Report;
  • The Scientific Report of State of the Environment of the Stradzha – Igneada MPA;
  • The draft Management Plan for the Stradzha – Igneada MPA;
  • The state of the Environment – report of the Western Black Sea based on Joint MISIS cruise.

Monitoring sites included in MISIS project

Project partners:

  • National Institute for Marine Research and Development “Grigore Antipa” (NIMRD) - Lead Partner (RO)
  • National Institute of Marine Geology and Geoecology (GeoEcoMar) (RO)
  • Ovidius University (RO)
  • Institute of Oceanology – Bulgarian Academy of Science (IO-BAS) (BG)
  • SINOP University Fisheries Faculty (TR)

Sub-contractors:

  • TUBITAK (TR)