Scientists, environmentalists and legal experts are discussing on management and monitoring procedures to support REEFS restoration in Black Sea
20-22 May 2013, Constanta, Romania

On 20-22 May 2013 in Black Sea Neptun resort, Second Round Table in the frame of the Project Research and REstoration of the Essential Filter of the Sea – REEFS under the “Black Sea Basin 2007-2013” (Black Sea Basin Programme) which is an EU funded Programme financed by the ENPI and IPA instruments, is taking place in Romania.

The aim of this round table is to review the management and monitoring together with the administrative procedures related to reefs conservation and restoration in Black Sea in the partnering countries Bulgaria, Georgia, Romania, Turkey and Ukraine.

Scientists, researchers, environmentalists, legal experts and public bodies' representatives are exchanging information and discussing on Black Sea REEFS Program and Action Plan as monitoring and management tools of the artificial reefs' deployment, needed advocacy measures as well as building networks and synergies between the stakeholders in the Black Sea Basin.

Opening speeches are giving Mrs Mihaela Candea, Head of the Romanian hosting partner NGO Mare Nostrum and Mr. Petko Tzvetkov, Project Manager on behalf of Bulgarian Biodiversity Foundation – REEFS Project Lead Partner.

REEFS project partners are: Bulgarian Biodiversity Foundation, Georgian ILIA State University from Tbilisi, Romanian NGO Mare Nostrum from Constanta, Turskish Black Sea Technical University in Trabzon and the host partner Mare Nostrum NGO from Constanta, Romania.

Research and Restoration of the Essential Filters of the Sea (REEFS) is an international pilot project focused on scientific research of artificial reefs environmental impact in Black Sea. The total project budget is 627 650 euro, of which the total Grand amount is 564 885 euro provided by the European Union through the Joint International Programme “Black Sea Basin 2007-2013”.

Scientists, environmentalists and legal experts are discussing on legislation and administrative procedures to support REEFS restoration in Black Sea
29-30 November 2012, Odessa, Ukraine

On 29-30 November 2012 in Odessa, Ukraine, First Round Table in the frame of the Project Research and REstoration of the Essential Filter of the Sea – REEFS under the “Black Sea Basin 2007-2013” (Black Sea Basin Programme) which is an EU funded Programme financed by the ENPI and IPA instruments, is taking place in Odessa, Republic of Ukraine.

The aim of this round table is to review the legislative and institutional framework together with the administrative procedures related to reefs conservation and restoration in Black Sea in the in the partnering countries Bulgaria, Georgia, Romania, Turkey and Ukraine.

Scientists, researchers, environmentalists, legal experts and public bodies' representatives are exchanging information and discussing on the legal and environmental aspects of the artificial reefs' deployment, needed advocacy measures as well as building networks and synergies between the stakeholders in the Black Sea Basin.

Opening speeches are giving Prof. Boris Aleksandrov, Head of the Odessa Branch of the Institute for Biology of Southern Seas (OBIBSS) and Mr. Petko Tzvetkov, Project Manager on behalf of Bulgarian Biodiversity Foundation – REEFS Project Lead Partner.

REEFS project partners are: Bulgarian Biodiversity Foundation, Georgian ILIA State University from Tbilisi, Romanian NGO Mare Nostrum from Constanta, Turskish Black Sea Technical University in Trabzon and the host partner the Odessa Branch of the Institute for Biology of Southern Seas (OBIBSS).

Research and Restoration of the Essential Filters of the Sea (REEFS) is an international pilot project focused on scientific research of artificial reefs environmental impact in Black Sea. The total project budget is 627 650 euro, of which the total Grand amount is 564 885 euro provided by the European Union through the Joint International Programme “Black Sea Basin 2007-2013”.

Development of a common intraregional monitoring system for the environmental protection and preservation of the Black Sea

It is widely recognized that the Black Sea faces serious environmental  problems. Some of the major European rivers, e.g., Danube, Dinper, Dnester, Bug discharge into the Black Sea carrying not only nutrients that determined biological productivity, but significant pollution loads as well. About one tenth of the land area of continental Europe drains into this semi-enclosed sea, which is connected to the Mediterranean through the narrow Bosphorous Channel.

The increased pollution load that enters the Black Sea has led to significant deterioration of the marine ecosystem and to a sharp decline of fisheries resources. Pollutants, including agrochemicals, toxic metals and radionuclides, made their way into the sea either through the atmosphere or river discharges. Increased “nutrients” caused an overproduction of phytoplankton, which block the light to reach the sea grasses and algae. Industrial activity, mining, shipping, and offshore oil and gas exploration further contributed to the sea’s destruction. Tanker accidents and operational discharges caused oil pollution, and coastal industries discharged wastes directly, with little or no treatment. Some countries dumped solid waste into the sea or onto wetlands. Urban areas flushed untreated sewage; and poor planning destroyed much of the aesthetics of the coastlines.

In the above context, the “ECO-SATELLITE”action focuses on the protection and preservation of the Black Sea ecosystem, with its main emphasis given to river deltas and protected coastal regions at the seaside. It deals with environmental problems posing a threat that cannot be addressed individually, but only in an unified way.

The Overall objective of “ECO-SATELLITE”project is the creation of a common intraregional environmental monitoring system for the whole Black Sea Basin. The system will make use of the technological assets provided by the satellite data and by geomatics facilities. The project will contribute to the efforts of strengthening the joint knowledge and information base needed for the environmental protection and preservation of the Black Sea ecosystem, through the promotion of stronger integration and development of research between the involved partners and by exchanging scientific data and know-how in the fields of monitoring and protection of marine, coastal and wetland systems in the Black Sea Basin.

Specific objectives of “ECO-SATELLITE”

1. Develop and test a system for monitoring the state of marine, coastal and wetland ecosystems. This objective will increase the intraregional knowledge for the coastal zones of Black Sea.

2. Create a unified, easy to update geodatabase covering the entire Black Sea area in order to support the design of a common cross-border environmental policy for the Black Sea.

3. Develop a Web-GIS system which will contribute to the environmental protection of the Black Sea ecosystems as it will raise awareness through the presentation of the study results and facilitate decision making, with the use of a decision support module that includes an effective help desk support.

4. Diffuse the project knowledge and outputs through training, mass media actions, web-portal and e-lessons.

5. Increase the capacity of decision makers who are related to Black Sea environmental policy

The ultimate goal of the project is to inform the decision makers who are responsible for the Black Sea Environmental policies about critical issues regarding the pollution of the Black Sea. In that way they can act in order to prevent pollution from spreading or restore the ecosystem to its previous status.

Print screen view of the WEB –GIS system  that will be available in the web site of the project after March 2013.

The project started in October 2011 and its duration is 24 months.

Kick off meeting in Thessaloniki, Greece 23/11/2012
	First project meeting, 11&12 July 2012, Odessa, Ukraine
Visit to the Danube Delta Institute for Research and Development in Tulcea, Romania, 23/10/2012
	0 km point in Danube Delta
Taking samples from Thermaikos Gulf in Thessaloniki
	Aerial View of the Danube Delta

The Beneficiary of the project is the  Decentralised Administration of Macedonia and Thrace, Thessaloniki, Greece. In addition, 5  more partners participate in the project which are:

• Aristotle’s University of Thessaloniki, Greece
• Balkan Environment Centre, Thessaloniki, Greece
• Danube Delta National Institute for Research and Development, Tulcea,  Romania
• Odessa Branch Institute of Biology of Southern Seas, National Academy of  Sciences of Ukraine, Odessa, Ukraine
• District Administration Varna, Varna, , Bulgaria

ECO-SATELLITE is co-financed by 90% from the “Black SeaBasin Joint Operational Programme”and by 10% from national resources. The total budget of the project is 650.000,00.

The“Black SeaBasin Joint Operational Programme” is co-Financed from the European Union through the European Neighborhood and Partnership Instrument and the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance. More information about the Black Sea Basin Joint Operational Programme could  be found at: http://www.blacksea-cbc.net

This press release has been produced with the assistance of the European Union. The content of this press release is the sole responsibility of the Decentralised Administration of Macedonia and Thrace and the Regional Development Fund of Central Macedonia and can in no way reflect the views of the European Union