MSFD Guiding Improvements in the Black Sea Integrated Monitoring System

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.

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)