Coasts
The high level of anthropogenic impact on the Black Sea leads to the degradation of its open sea and coastal ecosystems. It is particularly noticeable in the northwestern Black Sea shelf area, where the mouths of the Danube, Dnieper, Dniester, and Southern Bug are located. One of the most important indicators of eutrophication are increased chlorophyll-a concentrations and algae blooms. In Odessa, Ukraine, people are advised at times not to swim in the sea due to the high amounts of pollution. The warnings are largely ignored by swimmers (Abdurasulov, A, 2019).
As seen in Figure 3‑6, higher concentrations of chlorophyll-a are typically found around the northwest shelf of the Black Sea, as well as the shallow Sea of Azov (NASAWorldView, 2020). These concentrations vary throughout the year, occasionally resulting in significant algae blooms.
The promotion of tourism, an important economic activity around the BSR, which itself relies on good environmental status [1]. The Black Sea coast is lined with numerous sea-side resorts, most of which are connected to sewage systems. However, it is uncertain whether all of them are being adequately treated. Tourism, in general, contributes to pollution, ranging from sun-screen products to general waste, and this accumulates due to insufficient wastewater treatment and limited waste management. Such pollution includes pharmaceutical products, solid waste, and plastics.
While both point-source and diffuse pollution impact coastal areas, local governance is better equipped to address these concerns. Popular tourist destinations typically receive more stringent waste and sewage management oversight. For example, in Batumi, Georgia, there is a dumpsite situated just a few hundred meters from the coast, adjacent to the estuary and floodplain (see Figure 3‑7). Just north is the Adlia WWTP and to the east is the Batumi International Airport. This proximity presents environmental risks due to its direct connection to waterways, emphasizing the need for improved containment measures.
- 1 The Marine Strategy Framework Directive obliges member states to achieve Good Environmental Status (GEnS) on a regional Seas basis by 2020 (EC, 2008a), Daskalov et al. (2007) and Goudling et. al, (2014)