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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...

The study deals with estimation of theoretical wave power resources and their spatial variability in transitional waters along the Bulgarian Black Sea coast. It is based on wave climate data obtained by means of hindcast of wave conditions during 2013-2022. Numerical simulations were performed using the third-generation spectral wave model SWAN and the theoretical wave power was computed using the spectral output in terms of energy transport per unit of the wave crest length. Estimates for wave power means and max...

Water and sediments in coastal areas interact at different scales, thus shaping the marine environment and providing physical habitat for ecosystems. Hence, the hydromorphological conditions represent a key aspect of aquatic ecosystems considered in the Water Framework Directive as supporting quality elements (alongside the physicochemical), which are expected to provide the boundary conditions for the biological quality elements. Any alteration in those can reshape the corresponding biological conditions at vario...

Since putting in operation of Chernomorets fishing port (Sozopol municipality, southern Bulgarian Black Sea coast) in January 2016, a number of negative effects have been observed in the area. The disturbance in the existing hydrodynamic balance led to intense coastal erosion and unwanted sand accumulation in the wave shadow area. Additionally, the coastal water quality has deteriorated in the port area. In order to undertake measures to mitigate the observed adverse effects, it is necessary to assess in detail th...

The study presents results and discuss statistical properties of wind-generated sea waves measured in transitional waters of the Burgas Bay at the Bulgarian Black Sea. Wave measurements were acquired by Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler at two locations offshore Kraymorie and Chernomorets at water depths of approx. 15 m and 18 m, respectively. At each location, data were recorded for about three and a half months in winter seasons of 2021-2022 in front of Chernomorets and in 2022-2023 offshore Kraymorie, when stor...

Knowledge of the coastal hydrodynamics, in particular the storm induced waves, is essential for management of the extremely vulnerable coastal environment. There, wave processes dominate surge, coastal currents, sediment transport and species distribution. Therefore, it is important to have a detailed insight into the exposure of different coastal areas to wave action. The study proposes a wave exposure classification of the Bulgarian Black Sea coast according to wave climate conditions as required by the Water Fr...