Black Sea SIERRA

 

Project Black Sea SIERRA «Harnessing complementary curricular preparedness via sustainable management in response to civil and military pollution on the coastline, tributaries and lagoons in Black Sea‘s North, West, South zone»

The project is implemented within the framework of the Programme Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) –  EMFAF-2023-PIA-FLAGSHIP.

Project duration: 36 months (starting date: 1 October 2023)

Enhancing Marine Pollution Response in the Black Sea Region

The Black Sea SIERRA project will prepare and adapt decision-makers’ response capacity to current/emerging marine pollution, by coordinated cross-border response to armed conflict contamination. The consortium, combining Black Sea (Romania, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Turkey) and Mediterranean experience (Italy), focuses on two key priorities:

Priority 1: Pollution Identification and Assessment

  • Identifying specific types of marine pollution, including war-related contaminants, across approximately 90,000 km² along the Black Sea shoreline (territorial and international waters), tributary rivers, and lagoons
  • Quantifying added marine pollution from armed conflicts through detection of new contaminants and hotspot diachronic and synchronic assays of undisturbed core sediments (via project risk maps)
  • Detection and assay of novel hazardous substances: war-generated/emerging contaminants, microplastics, and pesticides to assess impact and threats on key marine biodiversity
  • Creating a map of underwater noise pollution to assess its impact on biodiversity (particularly dolphins)

Priority 2: Management and Capacity Building

  • Conducting research to support management planning and training curricula on armed conflict contribution to marine pollution
  • Providing a handbook on marine pollution assessment methodology and sources, including armed conflicts in the Black Sea region
  • Developing remedial measures for implementation by competent authorities
  • Conducting training workshops and meetings with decisional stakeholders and policymakers to increase response capacity and optimize cooperation among Black Sea participant countries

Work Package Structure

The activities are organized in 6 work packages:

  • WP1: Project management and performance
  • WP2-3: Quality data sampling and database generation for pollution, bioaccumulation, and underwater noise
  • WP4: Marine pollution impact assessment and identification of Best Available Techniques
  • WP5-6: Development and optimization of regional science-policy dialogue and training regarding marine pollution, monitoring, and remedial solutions through joint actions of EU/non-EU countries.

The project consortium includes 7 organisations from 5 countries:

  • INSTITUTUL NATIONAL DE CERCETARE-DEZVOLTARE PENTRU PROTECTIA MEDIULUI BUCURESTI (https://www.incdpm.org/)
  • INSTITUTE OF OCEANOLOGY BAS (https://io-bas.bg/en/home-en/)
  • M. ASSOCIAZIONE A.R.C.E.S. (https://www.arces.it/)
  • ORDU UNIVERSITESI (https://www.odu.edu.tr/)
  • UKRAINIAN SCIENTIFIC CENTRE OF ECOLOGY OF THE SEA (https://sea.gov.ua/?lang=en)
  • ACADEMIA NAVALA MIRCEA CEL BATRAN (https://www.anmb.ro/)
  • UNIVERSITATEA TEHNICA GHEORGHE ASACHI DIN IASI (https://www.tuiasi.ro/)

 

 

 

Read more about the Project here: www.anmb.ro/blackseasierra/Home.html