The main objectives of the proposal is
(i) to continue monitoring physical and biogeochemical state of the Black Sea for next three years as a follow-up of the past oceanographic research carried out during the 1990s,
(ii) to investigate the present state of the Black Sea ecosystem by means of new measurements, satellite data and model simulations. The particular emphasis will be given to assess the impacts of anthropogenic loads and climate-induced variations on the present and future states of the ecosystem.
The proposed studies must be regarded as a continuation of the National Oceanographic Research Program which has been lounched during the mid-1990s and carried out with some success since then. Along the objectives of this program, a series of physical and biogeochemical measurements will be carried out within the Turkish Exclusive Economical Zone (which comprises approximately the southern half of the basin) with typically 35km x 35 km station network (roughly 150 stations all together) using the R.V. Bilim. Three such cruises, one per year, are planned for the 2005-2007 period.
A further motivation of the proposed project is to provide an observational basis for our ongoing and future possible projects within the European 6th Framework Program. Such observational programs, funded by national sources, are a fundamental component of the integrity with Europeran research institutes, such as our participation to Black Sea-GOOS (Global Oceanographic Observation Systems) as a part of the Euro-GOOS program, and the Black Sea-Globec as a part of the GLOBEC (Global Ocean Ecosystem Dynamics) Program. | 