Black Sea Knowledge Bridge Addressing fundamental Black Sea research challenges

Main Goal 1

Developing innovative multi-disciplinary research, building on existing initiatives, including data sharing mechanisms that will generate the knowledge needed to increase ecosystems resilience.

Actions

Address the main Black Sea challenges on eutrophication, deoxygenation, invasive species, emerging pollutants, litter (Medium /Long Term)

Main Actor(s)-Initiatives

Academia, BSC, FAO, GFCM Ministries and Related Governmental Agencies, Private Sector, Research Institutions

Enhance food systems research including fisheries, recruitment, stock assessment and sustainability, MPAs, biotech (such as alternative protein sources) (Medium/Long Term)

Main Actor(s)-Initiatives

Academia, BSC, FAO, GFCM, Ministries and Related Governmental Agencies, Research Institutions

Fill gaps in understanding the evolution of the Black Sea, ecosystem dynamics, biogeographic patterns, biodiversity, and ecosystem functions (including living resources) and potential impacts of aquaculture. (Short Term)

Main Actor(s)-Initiatives

Academia, BSUN, FAO, GFCM, IOC-UNESCO, Ministries and Related Governmental Agencies, National Authorities, Navy Oceanographic Offices, Research Institutions, UNEP

Promote socio-economic research focusing on coastal communities interacting with the marine ecosystem to understand how drivers of marine environment and human induced pressures impact the communities (systems approach) (Short/Medium Term)

Main Actor(s)-Initiatives

Academia, Black Sea NGO Forum, BSEC, CPMR, Maritime Clusters, National Statistical Institutes, Port Authorities, Research Institutions, Union of Black Sea Municipalities

Increase knowledge on ecosystem resilience through an improved understanding of specific Black Sea features such as Rim current dynamics, mesoscale features (such as fronts, eddies, vertical upwelling), suboxic-anoxic interface, deep part (including the sea bottom) in the Black Sea and their roles in nutrient fluxes, productivity and fisheries (Short/Medium Term)

Main Actor(s)-Initiatives

Academia, Ministries and Related Governmental Agencies, Private Sector, Research Institutions, Space Agencies, UNDP

Main Goal 2

Providing new knowledge to mitigate the impacts of global climate change and the multiple environmental and anthropogenic stressors in the Black Sea from land-sea interface to the deep basin

Actions

Quantify sources of natural and anthropogenic inputs including from the river catchments, atmosphere, maritime activities, towards an understanding of the drivers and processes that influence the Black Sea at wider scale (covering river-to-sea interactions and atmosphere – hydrosphere interfaces) (Short/Medium Term)

Main Actor(s)-Initiatives

Academia, BSC, Coastal Communities, Maritime Agencies, Ministries and Governmental Agencies Municipalities, NGOs, Port Authorities, River Commissions, Research Institutions, Research Infrastructure Networks, Space Agencies

Develop research on integrated coastal and marine management including the interaction between land-based and sea-based activities and their impacts on coastal zones, both landward and seaward (Short/Medium Term)

Main Actor(s)-Initiatives

Academia, BSC, CPMR, Ministries and Government Agencies, MEDCOAST, Municipalities, NGOs, Research Institutions

Establish research on coastal hazards: erosion, submarine landslides, sea level rise, extreme events, flooding, and connections with climate change (Short/Medium Term)

Main Actor(s)-Initiatives

Academia, Copernicus, Ministries and Governmental Agencies, Municipalities, Research Institutions

Use state of the art geochemical proxy tools and advanced models to enhance Black Sea paleoclimate archive to shed light on the recent geological and biogeochemical natural evolution of the Basin (Short/Medium Term)

Main Actor(s)-Initiatives

Academia, Infrastructures from IODP, IOC-UNESCO, International Marine Research Networks, Research Institutions

Reveal the interactions between multiple stressors, biodiversity and marine ecosystem functioning as well as demonstrate how adaptation and evolution may change ecosystem response to changing stressors (Short/Medium Term)

Main Actor(s)-Initiatives

Academia, Copernicus, Global and Regional Observing Systems, IOC-UNESCO, Research Infrastructure Networks, Research Institutions

Develop integrated, novel evolutionary end-to-end (microbes to fish) modelling and data analyses capacity

Main Actor(s)-Initiatives

Academia, Copernicus, Research Institutions