Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) represents the pillar of European Union, which aim is “Good Environmental Status” (GES) in European marine waters by 2020. As is well known, the Black Sea is one of the most vulnerable regional seas and Romania and Bulgaria are the European Member States responsible for implementation of MSFD, in close collaboration with the other non EU countries. The two descriptors that are tackled by the present proposal are Descriptor 1 – marine mammals/cetaceans and Descriptor 11 – noise in the Black Sea, improving the second cycle of MSFD implementation, by achieving greater consistency and coherence in determining, assessing and achieving good environmental status. The proposed activities will fill the lack of background data on the distribution/abundance of BS cetacean populations and on bycatch pressure and the lack of national expertise to implement effective noise monitoring. The main objectives are to assess D1 cetacean related criteria and establishment of thresholds values, to assess and support the development of D11 monitoring in the Black Sea and to enhance coordination among the Black Sea region through the dissemination of the project activities, results and outcomes.
CeNoBS is a 24 months project that aims to achieve 3 specific objectives:
Specific Objectives 1: Assessing D1 cetaceans related criteria and establishment of thresholds values
Specific Objectives 2: Assessing and supporting the development of D11 monitoring in the Black Sea
Specific Objectives 3: Enhancing coordination among the Black Sea region through the dissemination of the project activities, results and outcomes
CeNoBS is a multipartners project coordinated by Mare Nostrum NGO, and aims to improve second cycle of MSFD implementation for Descriptor 1 – cetacean and Descriptor 11- noise in the Black Sea, by achieving greater consistency and coherence in determining, assessing and achieving good environmental status (GES).
For this effort, 10 partners from 2 EU member states (Romania and Bulgaria) and Third Countries: Ukraine, Monaco, Georgia and Turkey. Both competent authorities from the EU MS are partners of the project, Romanian Ministry of Waters and Forests and Bulgarian Black Sea Basin Directorate together with the responsible of the scientific implementation of the MSFD, Institute of Oceanology – Bulgarian Academy of Sciences IO-BAS and National Institute for Marine Research and Development “Grigore Antipa” - NIMRD). Green Balkans NGO (Bulgaria) and Mare Nostrum NGO (Romania) support these institutes in the implementation of D1 cetaceans monitoring activities. And partners from third countries involved in the project activities are Ukrainian Scientific Centre of the Ecology of Sea (UkrSECS), Turkish Marine Research Foundation (TUDAV), Karadeniz Technical University (KTU) and Permanent Secretariat of the Agreement on the Conservation of Cetaceans of the Black Sea, Mediterranean Sea and contiguous Atlantic Area (ACCOBAMS).
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