Black Sea marine protected areas and some approaches in creation of Ecocorridor

1. Black Sea marine protected areas and some approaches in creation of Ecocorridor B. Aleksandrov Odessa Branch, Institute of Biology of the Southern Seas National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine

2. Progressive methodological approach of forming of protected areas was realized in practical nature protection conception: Pan European Ecological Network with special task on forming of marine ecological network of Europe (European Coastal Marina Ecological Network) in 1999. • There are 142 terrestrial, 53 freshwater, and 43 marine ecoregions in the World. The Black Sea is part of the Mediterranean ecoregion.

3. Example of marine corridor of the Pan European ecological network in south-east Europe

4. The total protected area of the Black Sea amounts to 68 263 км2, but it differs in area in each country. The largest number of MPAs of different status is concentrated in Ukraine which has a maximum length of coastline – 1 628 km or 37% and 55 750 km2 or 57% of the total Black Sea shelf area.

5. Review of ecological networks and corridors is one of the technical guidance manual for protected area systems Bennett G. & Mulongoy K.J. Review of experience with ecological networks, corridors and buffer zones.- Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity.- Montreal, 2006.- Technical Series No. 23.- 100pp. Guiding principles for the Establishment of Marine Protected Areas in the Black Sea (approve CBD AG in 2008)

6. The aim of this study is to work out the methodology of a quantitative approach determining the biological value of marine aquatic areas (lagoons, bays etc.) for forming ecological corridors and determination of order of creation of new or expansions of existent МPАs (on example of marine waterbodies of Ukraine).

7. Peculiarities of aquatic ecosystems: 1. Concentration of life in coastal and shelf area to the depth of solar penetration. 2. Definite advantage in selection of the protected areas according to benthic biocenoses, as those bound with the landscape (in contrast to pelagic one).

8. There were singled out 34 different aquatic objects in Ukrainian part of the Black Sea coast: Title 13 – Bays, 13 – limans (estuaries), 2 – lagoons, 2 – lakes, 1 – Delta (Danube), 1 – Island (Zmeiny), 1 – open shelf area, 1 – strait (Kerch). Key characteristics of aquatic objects: KRDB – total number of Red Data Book species, KEAM – ecological activity of macrophytes, KBB – total number of benthic biocoenoses, KMZB– total number of macrozoobentic species, KP/B – ratio between plankton and benthos biomass, KPP – primary production of phytoplankton, KAI – integrated estimation of anthropogenic impact. Кƒ= (Ki mina)0,5· ( K1a1· K2a2· … · Knan)1/2n Кƒ- integrated index of biological significance of aquatic object; К1, К2, Кn – measure of key characteristics in each aquatic object; а1, а2, аn – weight coefficient of each key characteristics; n – number of key characteristics.

9. Physical and chemical features (distribution of nutrient): • Biological features (phytoplankton and zooplankton • communities; macro-algae and invertebrate bottom • fauna; status of species). • Other features (chemicals, sediments contamination, • hotspots, health issues etc.). • Habitat types (structure and substrata composition of the seabed): 5 ecotones - separate analyses. The Marine Strategy Framework Directive (Annex III, Table 1) KBB – total number of benthic biocoenoses, KAI – integrated estimation of anthropogenic impact KRDB – total number of Red Data Book species, KMZB– total number of macrozoobentic species, KP/B – ratio between plankton and benthos biomass, KPP – primary production of phytoplankton, KEAM – ecological activity of macrophytes.

10. KAI – integrated estimation of anthropogenic impact Zaitsev Yu. Littoral concentration of life in the Black Sea area and coastal management requirements // Journal of the Black Sea/Mediterranean Environment.- 2006.- Vol. 12.- P. 113-128. Generalized matrix of expert assessments of ecological processes in the Black Sea Coastal Zone 27 – stress factors, 15 types of effect

11. There are 10 kinds of anthropogenic impacts with different influence on biological characteristics of aquatic ecosystems (positive or negative) Negative Positive 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

12. Average significance of the index of aquatic ecosystem changes under the influence of different types of anthropogenic impacts *Types of impact: I. Industry. II. Agriculture. III. Pisciculture. IV. Sea transport. V. Municipal economy. VI. Coast protection. VII. Hydro-power Engineering. VIII. Tourism, Resorts. IX. Nature Conservation. X. Environmental Education and Environmental Ethics.

13. Distribution of anthropogenic impact factors in Ukrainian coastal waters of the Black and Azov Seas

14. Identification of quantities characteristics of aquatic water bodies Values of КРР(primary productions) was determined by oxygen and radiocarbon methods, or chlorophyll «а» content were estimated in the same units (mg О2·l-1·d-1) according to the formula: КРР= 1 - lg[8,5 / (8,5 - Kaverage)] where Kaverage- the value of the characteristic of a given water body. Index of ecological activity of macrophytes (КEAМ) was determining as average of specific surface of the first three dominant species (Minicheva, 1998, Minicheva et al., 2003) on a formula: КEAМ= 10 · S/Waverage where - S/Waverage - arithmetical mean to the specific surface (S is area of surface and W is biomass of aquatic plants) of three dominant species of macrophytobenthos in each water body. Numeral value КP/B was determined for water column by above square meter of bottom surface, taking into account the middle depth of water body on a formula: КP/B = 1 - lg (1000 · Kaverage) / 5 where Kaverage- the value of the characteristic of a given water body. All characteristics of biological diversity of the investigated water bodies (KMZB, KBBandKRDB were determined on formula: Кi = Kaverage / Kmax where Kaverage- the value of the characteristic of a given water body, Kmax - the maximum possible value in a given ecotone.

15. Matrix of cross-correlation connection of the chosen initial biological parameters (characteristics) of aquatic ecosystems for determination of their weight coefficients (ai) Significant coefficients of cross-correlation connection at 5% confidence level (k= 32) mark in bold. Denotation: RDB - number of Red Data Book species; EAМ - index of ecological activity of macrophytes; BB - number of benthic biocenoses; MZB - total number of macrozoobenthos species; P/B - ratio of total plankton and benthos biomass; РР - gross primary products of phytoplankton; AI– integrated antropogenic impact.

16. According EU Habitat Directive, “NATURA-2000” (1992) and special activity of Secretariat of the BS Commission in the Black Sea have been singled out Title Coastal margin ecotones Sedimentary shores Rocky shores Coastal brackish/saline lagoons Estuaries and deltas Wetlands and salt marshes Pelagic habitats (water column) Neritic Open sea Benthic habitats (37biocenosis) Supralittoral rock (2) Supralittoral sand (1) Mediolittoralrock (2) Mediolittoral sand and muddy sands (2) Sublittoral rock/other hard substrata (9) Sublittoralsediments (21)

17. Coastal margin ecotones Rocky shores Wetlands and saltmarshes Estuaries and deltas Coastal brackish/saline lagoons Sedimentary shores

18. Comparative characteristics of benthic biotopes in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov

19. All analyzable characteristics are interact and the value of Кƒis combine (integrate) all of them for every concrete aquatic object. Selection of methods of determination of characteristics (Ki) and their weight (аi) came true taking into account a necessary condition: 0 < Ki ≤ 1 and 0 < ai ≤ 1. Scale of biological value of aquatic objects

21. Determination of integral index of biological value (Кƒ) and status of protection aquatic areas of coastal ecotones of the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov in national waters of Ukraine * Status of protection area: 1 - international; 2 - national; 3 - local

22. Thank you for attention