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In real navigation, a ship is subjected to the influence of wind, which for ships with a large windage area results in impaired maneuverability, especially in presence of strong and sudden gusts. In such conditions, environmentally critical situation may arise, such as a ship’s inability to perform an adequate maneuver when entering a restricted area, posing a risk of collision with another object or grounding in shallow water. This requires the study of the parameters of non-stationary wind impact using indicat...

The Black Sea ecosystem is increasingly affected by anthropogenic pressures, including the accumulation of organic pollutants such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). These contaminants,known for their persistence and toxicity, pose serious risks to marine biodiversity and food safety. The increasing presence of hydrocarbons in marine ecosystems poses a significant threat to biodiversity and sustainable fisheries. This study investigates the bioaccumulation of polycycli...

Coastal zones are among the most climate-vulnerable environments, exposed to extreme weather events, sea level rise, accelerating coastal erosion, biodiversity loss, and socio-economic vulnerability. As these pressures intensify, adaptation strategies have moved beyond engineered infrastructure toward nature-based solutions restoration interventions that work with ecosystems. One of most spread nature-based coastal restoration are seagrass and saltmarsh recovery, dune and wetland rebuilding, and integrated watersh...

Open data and informatics provide new opportunities for cost-effective environmental monitoring in data-scarce regions. This study applies a geospatial informatics approach to assess coastal microbial pollution patterns in Albania during 2023, using openly available datasets from the Albanian Institute of Statistics (INSTAT) and the European Environment Agency (EEA). Microbiological indicators of bathing water quality (intestinal enterococci, IE/100 ml) were combined with municipal solid waste statistics to explor...

This study examines the causes of maritime safety accidents in the fishing industry, focusing on situations where excessive onboard noise acts as a significant factor contributing to human error. Elevated noise levels, primarily generated by vessel engines, impair communication, mask alarms, and reduce attention, thereby increasing the likelihood of accidents. Prolonged exposure also leads to hearing loss and reduced well-being, further affecting safe work performance. Considering the specific working conditions o...

In recent years, significant effort has been dedicated to monitoring sea surface temperature (SST) trends at local scales. Previous studies using MODIS data reported an increasing SST trend of 0.05-C/yr for the Ionian Sea and 0.04-C/yr for the eastern Mediterranean. In this study, we use Copernicus Marine Service mean daily gap-free SST data to verify these satellite-derived trends and compare them with daily in-situ measurements from ten aquaculture sites to assess potential discrepancies. Both datasets cover a t...

Mollusca constitute a significant phylum within the Black Sea ecosystem. This study provides the first comprehensive checklist of the phylum Mollusca along the Black Sea Georgian coast. It is based on a collection and synthesis of data from various published sources and unpublished records. The checklist draws on material collected across diverse biotopes at depths ranging from 3 to 205 meters, over a period spanning from 1926 to 2023. These collections were conducted as part of various projects and national monit...

Aquaculture sector holds significant potential for ensuring food security, supporting economic growth, and contributing to the sustainable use of marine resources within the European Union (EU), aligning with the UN Sustainable Development Goal 14 Life Below Water . However, the potential of aquaculture is constrained by multilevel challenges, including environmental externalities, regulatory complexities, and social acceptance. These challenges are exacerbated by underlying tensions between goals for growing the ...

Generally, water quality involves the water-s physical-chemical and biological attributes that depend on the natural surrounding environment and anthropogenic impacts. Through the years, the river water quality in the Sf. Gheorghe Branch has been subjected to various hydro-sedimentary impacts, due to the anthropogenic meander cut-off plans initiated for navigational objectives. In this study, the Sf. Gheorghe Branch water quality evaluation was performed using in-situ observations, measurements, and datasets provi...

Managing water deficits in coastal areas presents significant challenges amid current climate fluctuations. This study examines the hydrological and water management factors contributing to seawater intrusion along the Bulgarian Black Sea coast. Utilizing data from field monitoring and hydrological model simulations, the research highlights the anthropogenic impacts shaped by the structure and dynamics of water supply. Findings reveal that rainfall levels in the Bulgarian Black Sea coastal region are below the nat...

There is a worldwide ecological problem of anthropogenic eutrophication. The problem is especially serious one for the ecosystems of lakes, water-storage basins, and closed seas, such as the Baltic Sea. The eastern part of the sea is the Neva Bay. The water area is totally located within the administrative border of St. Petersburg and is influenced by the megacity. There is monitoring of the total nitrogen and phosphorus inflow into the Neva Bay with water of the Neva River and its spill streams. Nevertheless, the...

From an ecological perspective, increasing autonomy in subsea operations is vital for maintaining marine sustainability. These operations involve inspecting, maintaining, and repairing underwater equipment and structures, which can significantly impact the ecosystem if not carried out correctly. Using precise systems can reduce the risk of human error and minimize disturbance to the surrounding environment. This article presents an integrated head tracking system for ROV submarines, using a 3- dimensional orbiting...

Algae are some of the oldest forms of life on earth, being consumed for centuries. There are numerous studies that highlight the health benefits of consuming seaweed, due to the high content of proteins, dietary fibers, vitamins, antioxidants, and the low-fat content. Nori seaweeds, which is used in the preparation of sushi rolls, stands out for its low caloric intake and high content of minerals, vitamins (vitamin B12 and vitamin C), as well as iodine. Only certain types of species of seaweed are used to make Nor...

The Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) is a framework for collective action in the marine environmental policy established by Directive 2008/56/EC of the European Parliament and the Council on 17 June 2008. It calls for EU Member States to create national marine strategies to achieve good environmental status (GES) by 2020 or to maintain it in areas where it already exists. Five factors are laid out in Commission Decision (EU) 2017/848 for GES assessment in regard to a number of broad habitat types, as two...

From time immemorial, the oceans, seas and their coasts have been the cradle of human civilization and still play a vital role in the lives of millions of people, indirectly affecting all of humanity. The phenomenon of coastalization suggests that our reliance on and dependence from marine and maritime sectors will grow, and their sustainable development is a topical challenge. The Blue growth strategy addresses this issue on a Pan-European level, fostering research and innovation with regards to marine environmen...

Reconstruction of ports, including dredging, is intensifying all over the world. Dredging is used to dredge ports - a type of excavation that is carried out underwater or partially underwater. Dredging helps to maintain waterways and ports navigable. It is a complex process consisting of stirring, lifting, transporting and disposing of the dredged material. The material obtained by dredging may be disposed of in the vicinity of the port or transported to another location by barge or by pipes in the form of liquid ...

The Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) requires that biodiversity, structure and function of benthic ecosystems are safeguarded against adverse effects from various human activities. Bottom-trawl fisheries have been identified as a major cause of sea-floor abrasion and it is legally required to evaluate the pressure and its impact. The present study provides a pilot assessment of the physical disturbance on the seabed by mobile bottom-contacting gears and links the pressure intensity to benthic habitats st...

The present study is aimed to assess the status of Black Sea fish species harvested by the Bulgarian fishing fleet, according to the three criteria of Descriptor D3 under the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD). Achieving healthy fish populations depends on the adverse impact on species as a result of fishing activity. Descriptor D3 of MSFD addresses the commercial fish stocks status by applying indicators assessing the exploited fish sustainability, reproductive capacity and recruitment, and the age and si...

Data analysis for multiple data source locations on the wave climate regime of the Western Black Sea Coast is significantly required in port design as well in the delineations of the sheltered conditions, various emergency situations in maritime port areas. Under the extreme wave’s regime circumstances, there is a limited possibility to find certain low-energy areas for ships sheltering. The wave regime presents specificities of the wave field generated by the wind, especially in the port adjacent areas, under the...

The Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) requires that biodiversity, structure and function of the marine ecosystems are safeguarded and benthic habitats, in particular, are not adversely affected by anthropogenic pressures. Evaluating the spatial and temporal variation of the benthic broad habitat types’ status in a six-year management cycle is mandatory under MSFD. The present study aims at assessing the benthic habitats status in the Bulgarian Black Sea shelf area in 2019. Benthic macrofauna diversity and...

The study aims to assess the diversity, density, and heterogeneity of seafloor litter, distributed in the Bulgarian Black Sea’s shelf area. The indicators for assessment follow the national monitoring program under Descriptor D10 of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive. The survey campaign took place between 19.10 – 14.11.2017. Marine debris was gathered by 53 trawl hauls distributed in four regions at depths between 30 and 100m. During the survey, all litter items were collected and classified into seven categ...

Concerning the volume of goods conveyed, maritime transport is leading, and the last period proved that the trend is ascendant. Increased marine traffic leads to raised accident risks. Despite the state of the art marine technology and consistent regulations regarding navigation safety, naval accidents still occur and produce severe damage to assets, human life, and the marine environment. The paper presents the main types of naval accidents, focusing on the Black Sea basin, a sea with a complicated status regardi...

Lakes on the Black Sea coast are the direct result of soil erosion and marine or hydrographic accumulations, consequence of the specific evolution of the nearby sea basin. They depend on the variations in groundwater levels, rainfall or other hydraulic surface sources. In recent decades, as a result of many small, local earthquakes, some deep currents have appeared. Lakes as origins, are of fluvial-marine estuary, lagoons or artificial. Many of them are tourist attractions, due to the specific microclimate establi...

The marine storms take place with a relatively high frequency at the Romanian Black Sea coast characterized by an active storm regime, especially in the winter times, when the reported values of wind speed at gust reach 40 m/s, producing the offshore waves high of 5-8 m and even more in the offshore area. Even the frequency of storm surges at the western Black Sea shore is relatively low comparing to other European seas, the North-East occurrence of such storms produces significant exposures. Due to the magnitude ...

Waves represent the most important factor in the evolution of the coastal zones. One of the main causes leading to the wave formation is the movement of the air masses. A particular influence on the wave agitation regime in the littoral sector is exerted by the shore configuration, water depth, bottom relief and the formation of ice cover in winter. The scope of this paper is to analyze the historical data on the wind and waves in the Danube discharge area. The emphasis is on the maximum values of wave heights and...

The Black Sea is known by the shipping industry, even from history, that present many issues area for sailing. Thus, in the Black Sea basin, serious naval accidents take place periodically. An important influence on these serious naval accidents is the sea state conditions acting on the ships and the action of the wind. Thus, for a series of accidents identified in time and space, the wind characteristics were analysed, while the sea state conditions were simulated. Based on the information regarding the wind and ...

Being an almost landlocked sea, the Black Sea has a particular situation regarding water exchange and circulation. Moreover, the anthropogenic pressure and shipping related activities worsen the situation of this sea from the pollution point of view. The introductory part of the article presents the role of the ballast water system onboard ships in a few words. Then, the paper presents the environmental context of the Black Sea with the focus on the wind and waves, factors which can affect the ship stability. The ...

Studies of bottom sediments in the Crimean Peninsula coastal regions are highly essential because these sediments are under heavy pressures of maritime activities, but their good ecological state is highly important due to resort attractiveness of this region. Correlation between physical and chemical characteristics of sediments makes it possible to determine sedimentation conditions and anthropogenic impacts. Samples have been taken from the surface layer of bottom sediments in the coastal regions of Crimea in 2...

An increase of anthropogenic load and intake of organic matter and nutrients leads to extremely negative consequences for coastal marine ecosystems. This is due to the fact that organic matter, deposited in the bottom sediments, contributes to the consumption of oxygen for its oxidation. With a lack of oxygen on the processes of mineralization of organic matter, its accumulation occurs. Oxygen consumption and organic matter accumulation in bottom sediments lead to appearance of anaerobic conditions in sediments an...

Environmental protection-related to economic activities have many important economic consequences. Normally, the threats to the environment come from economic development since all the problems concerning the protection of air, soil, and water always imply supplementary costs. All these costs must be well analyzed and balanced between the port administration, port companies, inhabitants, and authorities. In large ports areas from Romania, as Constanta and Mangalia near the Black Sea, during 1980-2010 were develope...

The commercialization of innovations in the food industry faces many risks. Only one in ten products successfully reaches supermarket shelves. In particular, the Latvian fish processing industry faces significant difficulties on the path to a successful launch of innovative products still depending on the production of one type of product ? canned fish. Continuing the study on the possibilities of using the fish species available in the country, Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies, in 2018-2019, de...

The eastern part of the Gulf of Finland of the Baltic Sea is the estuary of the Neva River. The study area has significant spatial variability in water salinity. The salinity regime is largely determined by the influx of fresh water from the Neva Bay and water exchange with sea waters from the western sections of the Gulf of Finland. Therefore, the eastern part of the bay is characterized by an increase in salinity from east to west. At the same time, salinity in the eastern part of the Gulf of Finland is characte...

This paper presents the results of the sea water heavy metals (Hg, Pb, Cd, As, Zn, Fe, Ni, Cu) content examination in the coastal area of the Sevastopol. The water pollution index was calculated using 4 parameters with the obligatory inclusion of dissolved oxygen. Determination of metal content in water samples was performed by the method of inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer PlasmaQuant MS Elite (Analytik Jena, Germany). The determination of the concentration of each of the chemical elements in seawater...

Europa has the densest, diversified and completely transport system on the entire world. Maritime transports have developed since ancient times (in the Mediterranean basin and the countries bordering the Atlantic Ocean) and they are still in development because they present a key point in freight transport. Europe controls one third of the world's commercial fleet and is one of the world's leading maritime centres with 329 key ports along the coast, including Rotterdam, which is the second largest port in the worl...

The report summarizes the results of research on the topic of the report carried out by the authors in 2017-2019 as part of the study of climate change problem. The purpose of the research is the approximate physical and cost assessment of ecosystem services of binding, long-term deposition and fossilization of excess atmospheric carbon dioxide by marine ecosystems. The object of research is dissolved organic matter (DOM) as a large reservoir of atmospheric carbon deposition in the seas of Northern Pacifica. The s...

The content of pollutants in the bottom sediments of coastal waters with limited water exchange characterize the total load on the water area and catchment of bays. This paper presents the definition of the total content of trace elements such as Cr, Co, Ni, Pb, Zn, V, Sr (mg/kg) and metal oxides TiO2, MnO, Fe2O3 (%). Samples were taken in the surface layer of bottom sediments of the Sevastopol Bay in 2016. The bottom sediments of the Sevastopol bays accumulate a wide range of organic and inorganic pollutants ente...

The article presents the materials of research conducted in the North of European Russia since 2004. We have studied soil, water and bottom sediments of rivers and lakes, biomaterials of the river inhabitants, and ground vegetation. For more than a 10-year period were accumulated actual data on concentrations of mercury in various components of the ecosystem of the mouth area of the Northern Dvina River, especially the interesting situation with the environment around pulp and paper mills (PPM). The main factor de...

The capacity of macroalgae for bioaccumulation of harmful elements is beneficial from the point of view of water treatment processes. Nevertheless, it is a threat to marine biocenoses, particularly to organisms on the individual levels of the trophic chain. Since algae have a great potential to bind trace elements, these organisms are often used as indicators of marine environment pollution. The aim of this study was to assess the content of Pb, Cd, B and Ba in water and algae collected in the region of Makarska R...

The paper aims to assess the macrobenthic diversity and habitats distribution in front of the Danube mouth along a depth gradient on the Romanian Black Sea shelf. During the reference 60 - 70?s period the benthic community diversity accounted for 75 species. In the 80?s (starting of eutrophication period) this has sharply decreased to 45 species as result of the ecological collapse due to economic development of the riverine Black Sea countries?. However, the area is naturally under the influence of the riverine i...

The Black Sea is referred to as a continental or semi-enclosed sea being connected with the Mediterranean Sea by Bosporus and Dardanelles straits and with the Azov Sea by Kerch Strait. The volume of water exchanged with the Mediterranean Sea is modest; thus the waters under 100 m depth are known as anoxic, and a high concentration of H2S is present. Taking into account its particular situation is a piece of evidence that even small slicks of oil discharged from operational purposes or by accident seriously affect ...

During the experimental and theoretical studies of the sea surface in the infrared range, it was proved that the microbubble air layer of the sea surface discovered earlier can be used as an indicator of the magnitude of the heat flux on the border of the sea-atmosphere. The result was obtained by developing a method for the simultaneous determination of the reflection coefficients, temperature and wave state of the sea surface measuring the radiation of the sea surface and atmosphere in the infrared range in a wi...

Data on detailed geochemical research reveal the specific features of the bottom sedimentation. Changes in sedimentation are caused by climate impact, chemical weathering intensity, distance from the source area, basin redox conditions and many other factors. Values of petrochemical modules (CIA, Fe/Mn, Ba/Sr, Sr/Ca) show changes in physical and geographical conditions and their influence on the sediments composition. Reconstruction of the paleoecological conditions of the environmental development based on geoche...

Northern European Seas environment has different sources of radionuclide contamination, both natural and artificial. In present work the radionuclide content of sediment samples (obtained in 2016-2018) of Keret Bay of Chupa Estuary, Kandalaksha Gulf of a semi-enclosed Arctic sea ? White Sea, Russia has been studied. Keret Bay is a small semi-isolated tidal estuary in the South-West part of Kandalaksha Gulf. The mouth of Keret river affected by strong tidal motion and spring flood. We have taken sediment samples in...

The Gulf of Finland belongs to the large gulfs of the Baltic Sea. The Eastern part of the Gulf of Finland is an estuary of the Neva River. The climate of the Gulf of Finland region is intermediate between marine and continental. Cyclonic atmosphere circulation prevails over the Gulf of Finland throughout the year. The heterogeneity of water masses in the Eastern part of the Gulf of Finland is closely related to significant spatial variability of salinity and water temperature. Water salinity strongly depends on in...

The added value generated by the fisheries sector in 2017 was only 0.15% of the total value added in Latvia, in the meantime its significance in external trade was higher, as the sector accounted for 1.8% of the total value of export production (EUR 206 million). The export capacity of the fishing sub-sector is mostly determined by the development of the fish processing sub-sector. Canned fish form 35% of the Latvian exports but this product group faces challenges of product and market reorientation due to decreas...

Seasonal and interannual variability of the Ekman pumping velocity in the Black Sea is studied based on ERA-Interim reanalysis data of 10 m wind speed for the period 1979?2015. Upward Ekman pumping prevails in the annual cycle due to the predominance of the cyclonic wind curl over the Black Sea. The maximum upward Ekman pumping occurs in winter. In June, the basin averaged pumping velocity is directed downwards. The magnitude and spatial distribution of the Ekman pumping velocity depends on the direction of the wi...

Accumulation of trace elements in aquatic organisms is an important problem associated with environment pollution and with their utilization for consumption purposes. The aim of the conducted research was to assess the content of Zn, Co and Ba in water and in selected organs of fish of blotched picarel (Spicara maena L.) and haddock (Merlangius euxmus L.), from Karantinna and Balaklava Bays in the region of Sevastopol. The second aim was to determine the level of bioaccumulation of these elements in organisms used...

In 1900, just at the end of the Little Ice Age, a present day fjord valley was filled with a huge glacier, Hambergbreen, which protruded into the Barents Sea. By 1936, a weakly incised bay, named Hambergbukta, appeared at the glacier?s front due its retreat. Afterwards, the glacier?s recession and frontal retreat have continued until the end of the 1950s, when a fjord appeared. This frontal retreat was reversed by the glacier?s surge which filled up the fjord valley with the fissured glacier?s tongue just after 19...

Zooplankton plays a significant role within the Black Sea ecosystem, contributing to the top ? down regulation of trophic web, by intermediating vital ecological processes such as the nutrients recycling (e.g., by controlling phytoplankton and bacterial aggregates development) within the pelagic and benthic habitats. It is considered an important indicator of ecosystem health, being a quality assessment element within the Water Framework Directive (2000/60/EC). Based on the 55 samples collected in the Romanian wat...

This paper presents the problems of ship-generated waste management in port areas. The first part contains a classification and characterisation of ship-generated pollution, with a particular focus on waste and cargo residues. Further to that, the legal and documentation aspects of waste management in seaports are discussed, along with the basic principles of rational waste management. The second part of the paper presents a diagram of the waste management model within a port area and analyses each individual stag...