“ECO-Satellite – Development of a common intraregional monitoring system for the environmental protection and preservation of the Black Sea ”

The Overall objective of the ECO Satellite project is the creation of a common intraregional environmental monitoring system for the whole Black Sea Basin. The system will make use of the technological assets provided by the satellite data and by geomatics facilities. The project will contribute to the efforts of strengthening the joint knowledge and information base needed for the environmental protection and preservation of the Black Sea ecosystem, through the promotion of stronger integration and development of research between the involved partners and by exchanging scientific data and know-how in the fields of monitoring and protection of marine, coastal and wetland systems in the Black Sea Basin.

Specific objectives of the project are:

1.   Develop and test a system for monitoring the state of marine, coastal and wetland ecosystems. This objective will increase the intraregional knowledge for the coastal zones of Black Sea.

2.   Creation of a unified, easy to update geodatabase covering the entire Black Sea area in order to support the design of a common cross-border environmental policy for the Black Sea.

3.   Develop a Web-GIS system which will contribute to the environmental protection of the Black Sea ecosystems as it will raise awareness through the presentation of the study results and facilitate decision making, with the use of a decision support module that includes an effective help desk support.

4.   Diffuse the project knowledge and outputs through training, mass media actions, web-portal and e-lessons.

Increase the capacity of decision makers who are related to Black Sea environmental policy.

Project Partners

Applicant: Decentalized Administration of Macedonia Thrace, Greece, Central Macedonia

No 1: Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece, Central Macedonia

No 2: Balkan Environment Center, Greece, Central Macedonia

No 3: Danube Delta National Institute for Research & Development, Romania, South-East

No 4: Odessa Branch Institute of Biology of Southern Seas, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Ukraine, Odessa

No 5: District Administration Varna, Bulgaria, Varna

The project’s duration is 24 months (01/10/2011 – 30/09/2013) and total budget 650.000,00€. The project is co-financed 90% by the European Neighbourhood & Partnership Instrument – ENPI

Project Website: http://eco-satellite.eu/