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.

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)