Invasive Alien Species Observatory and Network Development for the Assessment of Climate Change Impacts in Black Sea Deltaic  Protected Areas

Description

Under a global changing environment, the Black Sea is found in between the European and Asian crossroad and in the transition between the Mediterranean and North. A great number of stakeholders have developed economic activities around the Black Sea coastline, especially at the deltas, which are known for their density in population and growth potential (such as fishing, fisheries and aquacultures, tourism and recreation, farming etc). Historically, the Black Sea is under the invasion of alien species from the Indian Ocean and Mediterranean Sea due to various reasons such as shipping and global warming and at present, mediterraneanisation of the Black Sea is being discussed widely in the scientific community due to climate change. Invasive Alien Species (IAS) is the central point on which this proposal makes focus, because if not sufficiently monitored and assessed they may alter dramatically not only the ecosystem balance but also a range of already well established socio-economic activities. The overall objective of the project is to establish and perform joint monitoring actions on IAS in Black Sea deltaic ecosystems of five countries (Georgia, Greece, Ukraine, Romania and Turkey) and assess their response under current and predicted climatic conditions.