CERCETĂRI MARINE / RECHERCHES MARINES

6

Authors: Marta Plaza-Hernández, Juan Manuel Corchado, George Katranas

Over the past five years the Internet of Things (IoT) technology has grown rapidly, finding applications in several sectors. Large shipping industries are already investing in IoT techniques to optimize transparency, safety and reduce costs. However, there is a global shortage of trained engineers and technicians to handle this new technology safely. The SMARTSEA project, financed by the European Commission, aims to develop an interactive MSc course on Maritime and Surveyor IoT systems which help complete the market void in technical and maintenance specialists generated by the prompt expansion of the Smart Maritime & Surveying industry. The course duration is eight months, plus three mobility periods; two of them to participate in large-scale laboratories, and a 1-month industrial placement.

8

Authors: Mădălina Galaţchi, George Ţiganov, Cătălin Păun, Cristian Danilov, Daniela Roşioru, ValodiaMaximov,Mioara Costache

The purpose of this study is to highlight new aspects regarding the behavior of Engraulis encrasicolus (Linnaeus, 1758) anchovy on the Romanian Black Sea coast, anchovy being one of the most important economically species in the Black Sea riparian countries and with great importance in the trophic chain of the marine ecosystem. Thus, some behavioral aspects in the migration process of anchovy for feeding, reproduction and for wintering are underlined. Different changes were observed in anchovy behavior: the feeding period overlaps with the breeding period, the temperature is a declining factor of the breeding process, the preparation for wintering determine increased levels of lipids.

8

Authors: Mariana Golumbeanu, Fabrice Messal, Răzvan Mateescu, Elena Vlăsceanu

The Training workshop Copernicus Marine Service 2019 BLACK SEA organized in Constanta, Romania, falls within the programme of activities of the Copernicus Marine Service, namely to create training opportunities which will strengthen the existing of all maritime regions in their activities ranging from harbour management, aquaculture to water quality monitoring in the frame of national and European policies. The Training was hosted by the National Institute for Marine Research and Development “Grigore Antipa” (NIMRD) Constanta, Romania (26-27 of June 2019). The planning of the training workshop was done jointly by Mercator Ocean International and CMEMS. The overall scientific objectives of Copernicus Marine Service 2019 Black Sea Training Workshop were to increase the knowledge of users about the EU Copernicus Programme and the CMEMS capacity (products portfolio releases, new services, opportunities), facilitate the acquisition and improvement of skills and competencies of users and potential users linked by a common region, by common needs or common domain of interests and to design an effective and innovative research governance framework based on sound scientific knowledge. The training covered the main issues focused on: Black Sea Model Products (ocean currents, sea level, waves, chloropyll-a); Satellite Ocean Color products; Satellite Wave Products; Satellite Sea Level Products; In Situ Products.

10

Authors: Victor Niță, Magda-Ioana Nenciu, Simion Nicolaev, Houssam Hamza

The Black Sea is acknowledged to be a unique aquatic ecosystem, characterized by complex aquaculture - environment interactions, whereby a tailored approach of this field is absolutely necessary. Black Sea aquaculture, although not as developed as in the Mediterranean, is exposed to the spread of aquatic diseases and pathologies that can cause heavy losses to farmers, as well as generate public health problems. The 10th session of the Scientific Advisory Committee on Aquaculture (CAQ) of the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) (Turkey, March 2017) recognized that environmental protection is a major concern and stressed the importance of tackling all environmental aspects related to aquaculture at sea, including the use of risk analysis and data recording to assess aquaculture - environment interactions, as well as the vulnerability of ecosystems and the ecological services they provide. Furthermore, the GFCM adopted, at its 41st Session (Montenegro, October 2017), a strategy for the sustainable development of Mediterranean and Black Sea aquaculture (Resolution GFCM/41/2017/1). Target 2 of this strategy aims in particular at enhancing interactions between aquaculture and the environment, while ensuring animal health and welfare in order to minimize potential negative externalities, ensure adequate and responsible aquaculture management in the region and guarantee food safety and food quality. In this context, in the frame of NIMRD’s Shellfish Aquaculture Demonstrative Center (S-ADC), a dedicated training course was organized during 6-10 May 2019, focusing on preventing and controlling mussel pathologies by acquiring knowledge of bacterial contamination, as well as early diagnosis. The course included both theoretical and practical modules (sampling, laboratory analyses, field visits). Also, complex issues were addressed, such as legislative and institutional gaps in the classification of mollusks from the veterinary point of view for consumption and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP). The trainees represented institutions from Bulgaria, Georgia, Turkey, Russia, Ukraine and Romania, and the lecturers were both NIMRD and foreign experts in shellfish pathology.

17

Authors: Luminița Lazăr, Laura Boicenco, Oana Marin, Oana Culcea, Elena Pantea, Elena Bișinicu, Florin Timofte, Valeria Abaza, Alina Spînu

The paper aims to investigate the peculiarities and difficulties of the integrated assessment of the Romanian Black Sea’s eutrophication status encountered during the second cycle reporting under the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD). Thus, we discussed the geographical and legislative constraints, overlaps and, gaps of the Water Framework Directive (WFD) and MSFD, our lack of knowledge and data for the second cycle report of the marine environment status. We collected samples along the Romanian Black Sea during 13 cruises (2012-2017) and used historical data, where available, for causes (nutrients) and effects (dissolved oxygen, transparency, chlorophyll a, Noctiluca scintillans blooms, macroalgae and, macrozoobenthos) of eutrophication classified as criteria by the European legislation. Fragmentation of the criteria because of natural characteristics, including seasonality, or lack of knowledge and data makes it difficult to integrate them in a global assessment. Use of Black Sea Eutrophication Assessment Tool (BEAST) showed us that the Romanian waters of the Black Sea have reached a good state in a proportion of 49% (stations of the total number), representing about 7900 km2 and about 49% of the surface (km2) of the Romanian Black Sea waters (exclusive economic zone). Despite improvements in water quality for some parameters (e.g. phosphorus), nutrient concentrations are still high and create effects, particularly in the warm season. The coupled effect of climate change and the anthropic impact of point and diffuse sources may have an impact on increasing nutrient concentrations as a result of hydrological changes in river flows but also stratification of water masses and the regime of winds and currents thus intensifying eutrophication. The evaluation can provide the information needed to take the measures to achieve or maintain good environmental status (GES) in the marine environment for descriptor 5 (Eutrophication).

18

Authors: Valeria Abaza, Camelia Dumitrache, Adrian Filimon, Oana Marin

Benthic fauna on sedimentary habitats has been analysed on 133 samples collected in 43 stations between 2015 and 2018 from the national monitoring network at depths ranging from 5 to 100m. The aim of the analysis was the identification of the main communities inhabiting sandy, muddy and mixed habitats and the assessment of their ecological status. In the above-mentioned period, 113 zoobenthic species have been identified; also, distinct communities have been evinced at 5-10, 20-30, 35-57 and 70-100m, dominated by Ampelisca sarsi (Chevreux, 1888) (at 5-10m), Melinna palmata (Grube, 1870) and various bivalves such as Chamelea gallina (Linnaeus, 1758), Abra prismatica (Montagu, 1808), Spisula subtruncata (da Costa, 1778), Anadara kagoshimensis (Tokunaga, 1906) (at 20-30m), Mytilus galloprovincialis (Lamarck, 1819) and its associated fauna (at 35-57m) and Modiolula phaseolina (Philippi, 1844) (at 70-100m). For the environmental status assessment of sedimentary habitats based on zoobenthic communities, abundance values were used to calculate the species’ richness, Shannon diversity index, AMBI index, and its five ecological groups, and multimetric index M-AMBI*(n). By applying the principle “One Out All Out” set out by the WFD, the sedimentary habitats on the Romanian shelf were assessed as non-GES. In shallow waters (0-3m), in the Romanian southern area, from Navodari to Vama Veche (eleven sampling stations), benthic habitats dominated by key species (Zostera noltei Hornemann, 1832, Cystoseira barbata (Stackhouse) C.Agardh, 1820) and various macrophytes have been analysed in the same period (2015-2018) based on the Ecological Index (EI) while the ecological status of benthic habitats dominated by macrophytes and marine phanerogams were assessed.

26

Authors: Andra Oros

The current paper provides an overview of the heavy metals monitoring data (2006 - 2018), matrices and proposed threshold values used for the assessment of the Descriptors 8 and 9 during MSFD reporting cycles: Initial assessment (2012), and updates of the MSFD Articles 8, 9 and 10 (2018). Compiled information helps evaluate long-term trends and actual state of Black Sea Romanian waters with respect to these contaminants and to identify aspects that need further development, in order to achieve consistency with the MSFD Commission Decision (EU 2017/848) and also harmonization at regional and European level regarding the assessment methodologies of good ecological status (GES).