The Thematic Maps, as presented above, are selected maps from the Black Sea GIS, that was developed as part of the Black Sea Environmental Program of the Global Environmental Facility, taking some two years to develop with assistance of all Black Sea country specialists. The Geographic Information System (GIS) has become a valuable tool for management of environmental resources. Recent applications to the marine realm have shown how a variety of diverse types of information can be presented simply and clearly, bringing together political, social, economic, scientific and management data in a visual format.
The goal of the Black Sea GIS was to present data in a graphic fashion using a sophisticated Navigator to allow computer non-specialists to access a myriad of graphical data types. The IBM-compatible platform was chosen as the most frequent in the region and a "home-grown" GlS was developed to be distributed free to users, to preclude the need for users to acquire expensive GIS software The expense of GIS software is a specific impediment to its widespread use. Particularly in the cash-poor Black Sea region where shifts inhibit free access to sophisticated software.
The resulting GIS, consisting of some 2000 individual maps and layers, provides information on a variety of data of importance to the Black Sea region, for managers, policy-makers, students, and scientists alike. It is a model for applications to other regions where expensive software, poor access to sophisticated computer facilities, and slow transition to telecommunications inhibit free data availability.
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE BLACK SEA GIS
The development of the GIS involved two major activities:
- Development of special software package for digitizing, editing and storing of
cartographic information, for modeling of continuous geo-fields, for processing of digital models and creation of thematic maps, for transformation of varying geographic coordinates into Mercator projection, and finally for demonstrating data. This task was the responsibility of the Department of Cartography and Geoinformatics of the Moscow State University
- Collection of basic historical data on the Black Sea, processing and
integration of those data in the system as well as collection and processing new data produced by the different thematic Working Parties of the BSEP
Thematic Blocks:
The GIS consists of seven thematic blocks representing different aspects of the Black Sea ecosystem. In each thematic block there is a set of map layers describing different aspects of the functioning of the Black Sea ecosystem; for some maps a relational data base is available:
1. Geography
General cartographic information on the Black Sea is presented in this block. The map of the Black Sea drainage basin representing almost one third of the land area of continental Europe. It is an area that includes major parts of seventeen countries, thirteen capital cities and some 160 million persons. The second, third and fourth most important European rivers discharge into this sea. The information on water and sediment discharges of all Black Sea rivers is available in the system. The Political map of the Black Sea area shows the countries borders, major settlements, roads and railroads. The map of the land use represent the first attempt to put together information from all Black Sea countries at the same scale and methodology. For some countries the municipalities and country level administrative regions maps are accessible.
2. Geology
This block provides a general picture of the geological processes in the Black Sea including maps of the geological evolution of the Black Sea basin for the past 100 million years, map of historical hazards in the Black Sea region, map of geological structure of the Black Sea, geological cross-section across the Black Sea, tectonic sketch of the Black Sea region, map of bottom sediments of the Black Sea, and map of geomorphologic classification of the Black Sea coastline with major coastal sediment drift and coastal erosion. Evolution of the Danube Delta in Holocene and corresponding changes in coastline position are presented in another map An important part of this thematic block is the tide-gauge section showing tide-gauge records and relative sea-level rise data from 48 station around the Black Sea covering a hundred year observation period
3. Meteorology
Many important meteorological parameters describing typical weather conditions in the Black Sea region are presented the animation function of the GIS. These monthly average data were extracted from data archives of the Hydrometeorological Service of the former Soviet Union They present general information on air temperature, precipitation, evaporation, cloudiness, wind processes, sunny and rainy days, and ice distribution along the northwestern shelf.
4. Physical Oceanography
Physical processes occurring in the sea exert an important role in the formation of water masses of the sea as well as in the formation of specific hydrological features of the marine ecosystem. Black Sea oceanography was well studied during the last century. Many scientific cruises (map of oceanographic station network in the Black Sea) collected thousands of data records on many of the important parameters. Based on these data, a set of maps showing climatic oceanography of the Black Sea (temperature and salinity for each months and each season for 20 standard depths) as well as major water masses of the Black Sea were incorporated in the system.
Recent international programs in the Black Sea were also conducting scientific interdisciplinary studies with main objective to collect physical and chemical data using common methodology, instruments, intercalibration and strict quality control. The most reliable data were collected during the Cooperative Marine Science Program for the Black Sea (CoMSBlack) surveys in 1992 and 1993. These data were used in the preparation of a set of maps presenting the distribution of temperature, salinity, dynamic topography, density anomaly, and cold intermediate layer in the Black Sea for 11 standard depths. Based on CoMSBlack data, Secchi Disk depth climatology maps were prepared. The map of seasonal mean circulation describes the general tendency of the Black Sea horizorltal currents. The system is also supplied with satellite sea surface temperature data obtained by NOAA.
5. Chemical Oceanography and Pollution
Data set generated from cruises of CoMSBlack from 1992 and 1993, were used for the preparation of the maps showing the spatial distribution of the following parameters in the Black Sea for eleven standard depths: dissolved oxygen, hydrogen sulfide, inorganic nitrogen, inorganic phosphates and silicic acid.
In 1995 the Black Sea Environmental Program organized a survey of the land-based sources of pollution in all six Black Sea countries using standard World Health Organization (WHO) methodology. Data collected during this survey are included in the system. Results of the 1995 sediment pollution survey in the open sea (Polygons study) are reported on the map of the state of the Black Sea pollution.
The location of the upper boundary of the hydrogen sulfide zone for different years and areas of hypoxia are demonstrated on the relevant maps. Specific information on the oil products and heavy metal pollution along the north-western Black Sea shelf are also available in the system
6. Biology
The main objective of this thematic block is to demonstrate the richness of the Black Sea ecosystem in terms of biological diversity, present key species habitats, important protected areas as well as to illustrate the problems faced by the Black Sea ecosystem. The map of Black Sea wetlands shows the distribution of wetlands around the Black Sea and gives detailed information on each of them. The system includes maps of existing natural reserves, sensitive species habitats, distribution of some exotic species (Mnemiopsis and Aurelia) in the Black Sea. Maps of primary production, distribution of phytoplankton, zooplankton and macrozoobenthos demonstrate the biological productivity of the Black Sea waters. Vegetation index and Chlorophyll A distribution maps are generated from CZCS data. Decrease of sea grass meadows on the Black Sea shelf and accidental and intentional introduction of species in the Black Sea concludes the biology block.
Phylophora field has declined dramatically as the Secchi disk depth has plummeted. In the 1950s, Zernov's Phyllophora field as the largest aggregation of red agar-bearing algae of this genus in the world, covering some 11,000 km2. By the early 1990s, the field was a mere 500 km2, and its biomass was reduced by more than 50-fold from early days.
7. Fisheries
Based on archive data of Soviet Union fishery research activities in the Black Sea for 1980-1991, a set of digital maps was prepared showing the spatial distribution of two commercial species (anchovy and sprat) in the Black Sea. The following layers have been prepared: spawning stock distribution, eggs and larvae distribution.
Maps of distribution and migration of turbot, whiting, sturgeon, sprat, shad, red mullet, throwback ray, mullet, Mediterranean horse mackerel, mackerel, picked dogfish, bluefish, Atlantic bonito, anchovy in the Black Sea were prepared using FAO publications.
In order to understand and manage ecological and anthropogenic processes better, it is necessary to understand the physical processes which form the basis for the Black Sea ecosystem, composition of the landscape, and human distribution, as well as many other important processes which form the unique environment of the Black Sea.
The Navigator
The GIS was designed to flow effortlessly to the user non-schooled in computers. Intended for the general populous and non-scientific users the GIS had to be self-explanatory, contain a simple flow from program opening to data presentation, and provide self-help capabilities. All t is functionality is contained in the GIS, which has been distributed widely on CD-ROM. "Navigator" is a module with the help of which a user of the Black Sea GIS can perform the following operations:
- To select one of the maps of the system and open it for examination and
reading of information represented on it,
- To choose and enter one of the modules of the system:
- To accomplish a quantitative comparative analysis and superposition of maps
(overlay, correlation),
- To make visual analysis of changes of various dynamic indices (e.g.,
precipitation, water temperature, wind).
- To work with the information subsystem on the Black Sea basin rivers;
- To call "Nastavnik" ("Tutorial") -- a program tutoring the user in the Black Sea
GIS;
- To get brief reference information on the system.
BACKGROUND ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE BLACK SEA GIS
In a period of only three decades, the Black Sea has suffered the catastrophic degradation of a major part of its natural resources. Increased loads of nutrients from rivers caused an overproduction of tiny phytoplankton, which in turn blocked the light reaching the sea grasses and algae, essential components of the sensitive ecosystem of the northwestern shelf. Much of the coastal ecosystem began to collapse. This problem, coupled with pollution and irrational exploitation of fish stocks, started a sharp decline in fisheries resources. Poor planning has destroyed much of the aesthetic resources of the coastlines Uncontrolled sewage pollution has led to frequent beach closures and considerable financial losses in the tourist industry. In some places, solid waste is being dumped directly in the sea or on valuable wetlands. Tanker accidents and operational discharges have often caused oil pollution. These problems have reached crisis proportion at a time when five of the Black Sea countries are facing an economic and social transition and therefore have difficulty in taking the necessary urgent remedial actions.
In order to make an early start to environmental action and to develop a longer-term Action Plan, the Black Sea countries requested support from the Global Environment Facility (GEF), a fund established in 1991 under the management of the World Bank, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the UN Environment Program (UNEP). In June 1993, an initial Phase I three-year Black Sea Environmental Program was established, later phases have assured its existence up to present.
Black Sea Environmental Programme (BSEP)
The activities of the BSEP include: pollution monitoring, emergency response, protection of biodiversity, environmental economics, integrated coastal zone management, sustainable fishery, public awareness, information exchange and data management. The Black Sea GIS was one of many products of the BSEP. Earlier products included a thorough bibliography of the Black Sea for the period from 1974-1994, bringing to light the extensive research published on the Black Sea during this particularly active score or time. Black Sea Information System (BLACKSIS) consists of several meta-data bases covering institutions profiles, scientists list and environmental projects description as well as description of environmental data sets available in the region. The Black Sea Environmental Internet Node (BSEIN) BSEIN includes as data as a wide range of the metadata and information relevant to the environmental conditions and research in the region. Now the Node includes these main directories: About (general information about the Black Sea), Metadata, Data, Selected Satellite Images, The Black Sea Red Data Book, Related Sites. BSEIN is located at the WWW server of the Marine Hydrophysical Institute (Ukraine, Sevastopol). The mirror-site is available recently at the server of UNEP/GRID-Geneva: http://www.grid.unep.ch/bsein/
Methodology
The Working Party on Data Management and GIS (GISWP) was established in 1993 in order to ensure a region-wide compatibility in the generation and management of databases and to promote data exchange. The working party included at least one expert (Contact Person) from each of the Black Sea countries, together with additional external expertise where appropriate. The working party paid particular attention to the Geographical Information System (GIS) as a means to communicate data to environmental managers, decision-makers, students, scientists, and the general public.
It was agreed that all existing maps, which will be collected by the GISWP, should be collated and organized at the Moscow State University (MSU), Department of Cartography and Geoinformatics. The MSU was also responsible for the distribution of an in-house GIS software to the participants of the project as well as for the organization of the relevant training workshops.
The data were digitized in their institute of origin and transferred to MSU. In close association with the PCU and selected experts, the MSU staff was responsible for the accumulation and transformation of all data into a GIS and development of a user interface for the system. MSU staff were also responsible for development of the modeling system for the creation of the digital models of the GIS layers, development of the DBMS "Black Sea" thematic query, as well as for development of the Data Base Management System (DBMS) "Black Sea" geographic query.
Data quality assurance was an essential element in the success of the GIS strategy. Data gathered for incorporation in the GIS database were accompanied by full information to enable evaluation of its quality. This included information on sampling methodologies employed, equipment and algorithms used, data inter-comparison exercises (where relevant), and estimated errors and uncertainties.
The Black Sea Geographic Information System was developed for use by governments, students, scientists, the general public, NGOs and the media for the following purposes:
- Planning for marine environmental activities and impacts on a regional scale;
- Public awareness through training, education, workshops, lectures, and
media;
- Scientific analysis, modeling, ecological impact assessment, science planning
This recently developed GIS covers the large-scale region of the Black Sea. This GIS has been created using existing and recently obtained data from a wide range of national and international data sources. Eleven scientific institution and more than 50 experts contributed to the development of the Black Sea GIS. We recognize that the quality of the data and its resolution vary between countries and also for the various themes. Still, this GIS is, as far as we know, the first multi-disciplinary and comprehensive in the Black Sea region. It is our hope that this GIS will be useful for scientists and manages, for all friends of the Black Sea, those who want to protect and save the Black Sea.
This GIS has been widely disseminated and training conducted throughout the region. During 1997 the information officer of the Black Sea Environmental Programme (V. Mamaev) participated in several international forums demonstrating the results of BSEP, sharing experience and knowledge with interested parties. Several demonstrations and training workshop on the Black Sea Geographic Information System were conducted in 1997; in Turkey - UN Office in Ankara, meeting of UNDP Resident Representatives, several meetings at the PCU; in Romania, at the NATO Advanced Research Workshop "Environmental Degradation of the Black Sea Challenges and Remedies;" the international meeting "Continental Margins and Sea Level Changes-Sedimentary and Geochemical Processes"; and in the Russian Federation at the training courses on collection, processing and usage of marine geological and geophysical data for Black and Caspian sea countries.
