Western part of the Black Sea, 42N 027E - 44N 029E

Zooplankton wet weight biomass; Zoobenthos non taxonomy-related wet weight biomass per unit area of the bed; Dissolved metal concentrations in the water column; Particulate metal concentrations in the water column; Phosphate concentration parameters in the water column; Dissolved total and organic nitrogen concentrations in the water column; Zooplankton taxonomy-related abundance per unit volume of the water column; Zoobenthos taxonomic abundance; Salinity of the water column; Temperature of the water column; Nitrate concentration parameters in the water column; Silicate concentration parameters in the water column; Chlorophyll pigment concentrations in water bodies; Dissolved oxygen parameters in the water column; Zoobenthos generic abundance; Electrical conductivity of the water column; Phytoplankton taxonomic abundance in water bodies; Nitrite concentration parameters in the water column; Phytoplankton taxonomic biomass in water bodies; Dissolved total or organic phosphorus concentration in the water column

Benthos samplers; spectrophotometers; CTD; beam trawls; gill nets

The Bulgarian Black Sea Monitoring Programme dataset provides relevant information to governmental institutions for making decisions concerning protection and recovery activities for the sustainable development of the coastal zone and Bulgarian part of the Black Sea. The monitoring dataset comprises of hydrographic, biogeochemical, biological data and hydrographic profiles, providing measurements of parameters such as temperature, salinity, fluorescence and dissolved oxygen. A comprehensive water sampling programme permitted the collection of biogeochemical data including concentrations of various organic compounds and dissolved gas concentrations. Water samples were also analysed for phytoplankton, zooplankton and macrofits. Larger biological samples were obtained from the water column using trawl nets. Sediment samples were collected at various locations and analysed for biogeochemical parameters and zoobenthos. The parameters of monitoring are defined according to the priorities of the Bulgarian Ministry of Environment and Waters on the basis of the existing and potential environmental impact taking into account the peculiarities of coastal region. Coastal monitoring is performed by the Regional Inspectorate of Environment and Waters – Varna and the Regional Inspectorate of Environment and Waters – Bourgas. Monitoring of open sea zones is performed by the IO-BAS. The system comprises 60 stations along the entire Bulgarian coast from Durankulak to Ahtopol. The data were collected since 2012 over a number of cruises. Measurements were taken using a variety of instrumentation, including conductivity-temperature-depth (CTD) profilers with attached auxiliary sensors, sediment samplers, trawl nets. The programme was designed to advance the understanding of how marine systems in Black Sea respond to environmental and anthropogenic change. The monitoring Programme was co-ordinated by the IO-BAS. All collected data are delivered to the Bulgarian Oceanographic Data Centre. After some QC procedures the data are archived as structured database.

Bulgarian National Oceanographic Data Centre , Institute of Oceanology
40 Parvi may str. PO BOX 152
Varna

9000
Bulgaria