Project Activity 5: Upgrade and operation of the web-based Black Sea Water Quality Database

(as stated in the progress report # 1 January 2016 – 31 July 2016)

The overall aim of this PA is to further develop the Black Sea Water Quality Database (BS WQD), put it on-line and promote its sustainable update, maintenance and use by stakeholders. It will allow storage of the monitoring data already collected and newly collected during the project, with focus on upgrade of the Black Sea Information System (BSIS). The data are being collected through the Data Collection Templates that are customized to the Black Sea JOSS and NPMS.

Progress of work and delivered results

Data Collection Templates (DCTs) for collection of physico-chemical data, chemical data, phytoplankton, zooplankton, macrozoobenhtos and macrophytes data were agreed upon by EMBLAS partners and considered as a basis for programming the database at UKRSCES. The work is on-going. Database modules for Mnemiopsis and Phytoplankton are based on the available SOPs from SIO-RAS and group of experts supervised by IMB (Phytoplankton).

Planned activities until the end 2016

After the cruises implementation, the work on the online database modules will continue, based also on the Data Collection Templates prepared for NPMS and JOSS. It is planned to hire a short term Database Expert to support this activity. A special attention will be given to the training of users, how to operate the database and how to extract information and interpret the data.

Overview on overall deliverables

  1. Upgraded on-line BS WQD
  2. Mnemiopsis on-line database module
  3. Phytoplankton on-line database module
  4. Web-based manual for:
    • Upgraded version of the database
    • Mnemiopsis module / Phytoplankton module
  5. On-line training on the use of the BS WQD to the users
  6. Upgraded and harmonised Data Collection Templates (DCTs) and database export/import functions
  7. Preparation, distribution and evaluation of a questionnaire / e-mail (feedback for testing users’ satisfaction and gather suggestions for improvement of data products)
  8. Proposal for handing over the database including (i) report on the activities undertaken, (ii) proposal for the further development of BSIS and (iii) related draft formal agreements