BATUMI, 3 September 2017 – The research vessel «Mare Nigrum» equipped with latest scientific devices will be back to Batumi marine port from Odessa on September 3 to finalise a joint Georgia-Ukraine environmental research of the Black Sea.
Joint Black Sea surveys in the open sea with leading experts from Georgia, Ukraine and five EU member states at the biggest research vessel “Mare Nigrum” is one of the key activities of the project ‘Improving Environmental Monitoring in the Black Sea” (EMBLAS) co-financed by the European Commission (EC) and UNDP. The first surveys were conducted in 2016, the unique scientific facts were collected presented in the “12 New facts about the Black Sea” (read in Georgian here http://emblasproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Georgia_brochure.pdf )
The Joint Black Sea surveys -2 will include new topics and methods such as:
- List of marine life identified from DNA traces: All DNA, which is in the water as a residue of vital activities of aquatic organisms, will be studied to determine which organisms ‘left their trace’ by living in or moving through the sampling site area;
- Investigation of how toxic pollutants are being decomposed by bacteria with the depth of the Sea
- Further development of the list of the Black Sea Specific Pollutants: key pollutants present in the marine water will be analysed to complete the list of the specific pollutants for the Black Sea.
On 3rd of September 2017 at 19:00, in Batumi the journalists and public will have an opportunity to discuss with the scientists at the research vessel “Mare Nigrum” the research programme and expected results and also interesting facts collected in the open sea. There will be also an excursion arranged to the vessel to see the equipment used and samples taken.
Besides scientific results presentation, the results of the Black Sea SaveBook – a tool for public monitoring of the Black Sea aimed to collect data on the specific molluscs and algae (indicators of the ‘good’ Black Sea status), as well as marine litter and dolphins will be presented and the winners will be officially awarded.
The surveys contribute to the implementation of EU-Georgia Association Agreement in the field of environment, addressing namely the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive.
More information is available at http://emblasproject.org
Media contact:
Olena Marushevska, EMBLAS project, bluerivers.ukraine@gmail.com
Tea Shatirishvili, National Environment Agency (NEA), teashatirishvili1@gmail.com, +995 577 151541