PUBLISHED NOVEMBER 2025
Eu opean Ma ine Boa d IVZW
Belgian En e p ise Numbe : 0650.608.890
Jacobsens aa 1
8400 Os end Belgium
Tel: +32 (0)59 56 98 00
www.ma ineboa d.eu
This p ojec has ecei ed unding om he Eu opean Commission’s Ho izon 2020
Resea ch and Inno a ion p og amme unde g an ag eemen N° 101000240.
P ojec coo dina o : Middle Eas Technical Uni e si y (METU), Tu key. The in o ma ion
and iews in his documen lie en i ely wi h he au ho s. The Eu opean Commission
is no esponsible o any use ha may be made o he in o ma ion i con ains.
This Policy B ie was w i en by he
EMB Sec e a ia and o he pa ne s
in he BRIDGE-BS p ojec .
BRIDGE-BS – POLICY BRIEF
2
1 Lacks oxygen in i s bo om wa e s (i.e. is anoxic) and is ich in hyd ogen sul ide, a oxic gas p oduced by mic obes unde anoxic condi ions.
2 The bene i s p o ided by he p ocesses, unc ions and s uc u e o he ma ine en i onmen ha di ec ly o indi ec ly con ibu e o socie al wel a e, heal h and
economic ac i i ies (h ps://www.ma ineboa d.eu/ aluing-ma ine-ecosys ems)..
3 Well-es ablished indus ies in he Black Sea include shipping, anspo , po ope a ions and logis ics, shipbuilding and epai , ishe ies and aquacul u e, and
ou ism. Eme ging indus ies include ene gy and o sho e esou ces, blue bio echnology, de ense and ma i ime secu i y.
4 Fo mo e in o ma ion on wa - ela ed pollu ion in he Black Sea see: h ps://black-sea-ma i ime-agenda.ec.eu opa.eu/sa egua ding-black-sea- egion- esul s-
egional- ound able-wa - ela ed-pollu ion
5 The capaci y o na u al and socioeconomic sys ems o pe sis , adap o ans o m when aced wi h dis u bances, whils main aining hei essen ial unc ions
(h ps://www.ma ineboa d.eu/publica ions/building-coas al- esilience-eu ope p14).
6 h ps://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.go /27643946/
7 The c i ical poin a which a ansi ion o a new s a e is igge ed, and a e u n o he p e ious s a e is di icul o impossible (h ps://www.ma ineboa d.eu/
publica ions/building-coas al- esilience-eu ope).
BRIDGE Black Sea (BRIDGE-BS)
BRIDGE-BS was a Ho izon 2020 p ojec ha ad anced he Black Sea’s ma ine esea ch and inno a ion capaci y in o de o
co-de elop blue economy pa hways unde mul iple s esso s o he sus ainable use o ecosys em se ices. I de eloped
an ecosys em-based managemen amewo k o enable policy up ake and os e ci izen engagemen . The p ojec an
om June 2021 o No embe 2025.
BRIDGE-BS pa ne o ganisa ions
The conso ium consis ed o 31 pa ne s om 14 coun ies:
In oduc ion
The Black Sea is a semi-enclosed basin wi h 10 la ge,
in lowing i e s. I has a maximum dep h o 2,210m, and is
he la ges anoxic-sul idic1 wa e body on Ea h. Wi h unique
habi a s, abundan esou ces, and ich cul u al he i age, he
Black Sea is i al o i s coas al communi ies, and he mo e
han 160 million people inhabi ing i s wa e sheds. Black Sea
ecosys em se ices2 suppo a ib an blue economy3, wi h
new echnological inno a ions o e ing signi ican po en ial
o u he enhance i s sus ainabili y.
Se e al s esso s nega i ely impac he Black Sea, including
hose ela ing o clima e change (i.e. wa ming, acidi ica ion,
deoxygena ion), as well as eu ophica ion, ma ine li e ,
chemical pollu ion, o e ishing, he in oduc ion o in asi e
alien species, and wa - ela ed impac s4. These lead o
biodi e si y loss and a e a h ea o socio-ecological esilience
5
.
Be ween he 1970s and he ea ly 1990s, unsus ainable
le els o ishing, nu ien pollu ion and in asi e species led
o he weakening o Black Sea ecosys em esilience causing
he collapse o i s ishe ies, widesp ead eu ophica ion and
inc eased deoxygena ion. Howe e , he ecosys em has
s abilised and pa ially eco e ed since he 2000s6, likely due
o be e managemen , al hough i is s ill a om i s p e ious
heal hie s a e.
Building on pas and cu en p ojec s and ini ia i es, BRIDGE
Black Sea (BRIDGE-BS) de eloped new ools and capabili ies
o p edic he long- e m impac and eme ging isks om
mul iple s esso s. This enables he iden i ica ion o a sa e
ope a ing space, espec ing ecosys em bounda ies, wi hin
which a sus ainable blue economy can lou ish. I includes
inno a ions in en i onmen al moni o ing, da a in eg a ion,
clima e scena io modelling, analysis o he esilience o
Black Sea ecosys ems, hei ecosys em se ices and ipping
poin s7, and isk assessmen s o suppo ecosys em-
based managemen . Th ough co-de elopmen wi h local
communi ies and policy make s, key managemen measu es
o a esilien and p oduc i e Black Sea we e iden i ied o
ensu e he long- e m sus ainabili y ( o 2050 and 2100) o he
Black Sea’s blue economy.
3
NORTHWESTERN BLACK SEA
(ODESSA BAY)
İSTANBUL SITE
WESTERN SHELF
(VARNA & BURGAS)
WESTERN BLACK SEA
(DANUBE DELTA REGION)
BASIN WIDE
EASTERN BLACK SEA
(BATUMI SITE)
SOUTHWESTERN BLACK SEA
(SİNOP SITE)
PS4
PS3
PS5
PS6
PS7
PS2
PS1
KEY MULTIPLE
STRESSORS
PILOT SITES: KEY ECOSYSTEM SERVICES
AND REGIONAL MULTI-STRESSORS
KEY ECOSYSTEM
SERVICES
KEY MULTIPLE
STRESSORS
KEY ECOSYSTEM
SERVICES
KEY MULTIPLE
STRESSORS
KEY ECOSYSTEM
SERVICES
KEY MULTIPLE
STRESSORS
KEY ECOSYSTEM
SERVICES
KEY MULTIPLE
STRESSORS
KEY ECOSYSTEM
SERVICES
KEY MULTIPLE
STRESSORS
KEY ECOSYSTEM
SERVICES
KEY MULTIPLE
STRESSORS
KEY ECOSYSTEM
SERVICES
REGULATING &
MAINTENANCE
PROVISIONING: FISHERIES
& AQUACULTURE
PORTS &
SHIPPING
CULTURAL SERVICES:
RECREATION & TOURISM
OVERFISHING NUTRIENT LOADS &
EUTROPHICATION
COASTAL
EROSION
ILLEGAL
FISHING
INVASIVE SPECIES
& HABITAT LOSE
ACUTE
POLLUTION
WATER QUALITY
DETERIORATION
MILITARY-BASED
PRESSURES
CLIMATE
CHANGE
STORMS &
FLOODS
ADVANCING BLACK SEA RESEARCH AND INNOVATION FOR A SUSTAINABLE BLUE ECONOMY
8 Deli e able 5.2: h ps://doi.o g/10.5281/zenodo.17229148
9 Fo an explana ion o he link be ween wa ming and deoxygena ion see p12: h ps://ma ineboa d.eu/publica ions/ocean-oxygen
New knowledge and p edic i e ools o e alua e isks
om mul iple s esso s
BRIDGE-BS expedi ions, su eys and model esul s ha e
p o ided upda ed unde s anding o he cu en s a us o
he Black Sea and he impac o mul iple s esso s. Pilo
si es (Figu e 1) we e used as ocal poin s o esea ch, and
a ious o sho e a eas we e also su eyed. In addi ion,
ha monised ma ine moni o ing me hods we e de eloped o
implemen a ion ac oss he egion.
En i onmen al assessmen s8 show ha :
• The Black Sea has wa med a leas 2.6 °C since 1980,
which is as e han he global a e age o 0.6 °C;
•
P elimina y da a om he Wes e n Black Sea indica e ha
ni a e le els ha e declined om 8 o 5 μm be ween 1988
and 2022, howe e local eu ophica ion e en s s ill occu ;
• The Black Sea emains oxygen poo , and u u e wa ming9
could u he sh ink he uppe oxygen- ich laye ; and
• Toxic hyd ogen sulphide is p esen as shallow as 80 m
in cen al pa s o he Black Sea, posing isk o blue
economy sec o s. Howe e , in low o oxygen- ich wa e
om he Medi e anean limi s i s build up, and should be
included in u u e oxygen budge s o be e p edic isks.
Figu e 1: The pilo si es used as ocal poin s o esea ch, s akeholde engagemen , and he de elopmen o sus ainable blue economy
scena ios. Each si e has unique ecosys em se ices and s esso s. Basin-wide assessmen s we e also ca ied ou .
BRIDGE-BS – POLICY BRIEF
4
The bio echnology po en ial10 o Black Sea ma ine esou ces
has been demons a ed h ough he iden i ica ion o
housands o indus ial enzyme candida es om sedimen
mic obes wi h po en ial use in bio e ine y, bio emedia ion,
pha maceu icals, and ood p ocessing and p ocesses (e.g.
sulphide oxida ion, deni i ica ion).
A basin-scale esilience assessmen 11 showed ha he
Black Sea ecosys em c ossed a ipping poin a ound 2005.
F om he la e 1980s, he ecosys em was cha ac e ised
by eu ophica ion, la ge numbe s o jelly ish, and low
numbe s o zooplank on and ish. A e 2005, ish s ocks
s a ed o eco e and phy oplank on and jelly ish numbe s
dec eased, indica ing a shi owa ds pa ial eco e y,
imp o ed heal h and a mo e esilien ecosys em enabled
by be e managemen and posi i e changes in ecosys em
s uc u e. Howe e , c ossing u u e ipping poin s is
s ill a possibili y i empe a u es con inue o ise. Ini ial
assessmen s using ishe ies landing da a show di e ences
in ipping poin dynamics be ween he no h-wes e n
and sou he n Black Sea; hus esilience assessmen s a e
needed a bo h basin- and local- scales. This will equi e
u he esea ch on ecosys em unc ioning and se ices
a local- and egional- scales, imp o ed local moni o ing
and da a sha ing, and be e use o emo e sensing and
modelled da a.
To mo e owa ds a cos -e ec i e, in eg a ed land-sea ea ly
wa ning sys em o mul iple s esso s, BRIDGE-BS es ed
and e i ied he use o a combina ion o sma senso
echnologies12 (Figu e 2). These showed high easibili y o
adop ion and echnological eadiness up o ull ope a ional
scale. A ailo ed app oach is ecommended o he in eg a ion
o hese me hods in o obse a ion sys ems and na ional
moni o ing p og ammes. Senso s echnologies es ed
include:
• Biogeochemical senso s o pH, ca bon dioxide, and
hyd ogen sulphide ailo ed o he en i onmen al
condi ions o he Black Sea. These can be used by local
municipali ies, na ional moni o ing p og ammes, and
o sho e sec o s o help cope wi h clima e change isks;
• eDNA13 as a non-in asi e, apid and cos -e ec i e
me hod o assessing biodi e si y14. This can complemen
adi ional awling echniques as pa o moni o ing
p og ammes ha suppo conse a ion, sus ainable
ishe ies managemen , and he iden i ica ion o a eas o
p o ec i e measu es;
• DNA me aba coding15 as a ool o apidly moni o ing
phy oplank on biodi e si y and Ha m ul Algal Bloom
(HAB) species, wi h g ea e sensi i i y in axonomic
esolu ion han adi ional app oaches using mic oscopy.
This can enhance biodi e si y assessmen s ca ied ou
by en i onmen al agencies and moni o ing au ho i ies;
• A combina ion o unde wa e acous ic and ae ial d one-
based me hodologies o apid and non-in asi e jelly ish
de ec ion, which can be applied o moni o ing ac i i ies;
• Me agenomic16 explo a ion o no el enzymes wi h
bio echnological po en ial ha can be scaled up o
indus ial applica ions; and
• Au onomous pla o ms such as glide s and scan ish (a
owed ehicle), and ixed (ben hic) pla o ms connec ed
o mobile pla o ms wi h In e ne o Things
(IoT) echnologies17.
10 Deli e able 5.4: h ps://doi.o g/10.5281/zenodo.17229461
11 Deli e able 3.2 will be a ailable a h ps://zenodo.o g/communi ies/b idge-bs/ eco ds?q=&l=lis &p=1&s=10
12 Deli e able 5.5 will be a ailable a h ps://zenodo.o g/communi ies/b idge-bs/ eco ds?q=&l=lis &p=1&s=10
13 Gene ic ma e ial ob ained om en i onmen al samples such as sedimen o wa e , wi hou any ob ious signs o biological sou ce ma e ial. I is used as an
indica o o he p esence o species.
14 Deli e able 5.3 will be a ailable a h ps://zenodo.o g/communi ies/b idge-bs/ eco ds?q=&l=lis &p=1&s=10
15 Sequencing gene ic ‘ba codes’ o iden i y species om an en i onmen al sample (e.g. wa e o sedimen samples con aining eDNA) o iden i y mul iple species
simul aneously (i.e. communi ies) and hei abundances.
16 The s udy o he s uc u e and unc ion o DNA om all he o ganisms in an en i onmen al sample.
17 A ne wo k o sma , in e connec ed unde wa e objec s ha enable moni o ing o as , unexplo ed a eas o he Ocean.
5
E-DNA METABARCODING
FOR GENERAL
BIODIVERSITY
ENZYMES
METAGENOMICS
BENTHIC
OBSERVING SYSTEMS
DRONES FOR
JELLYFISH MONITORING
ACOUSTIC
JELLYFISH DETECTOR
DNA METABARCODING
FOR PHYTOPLANKTON
AND HAB MONITORING
SMART SENSORS
AND PLATFORMS
COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH CRUISES
Inco po a e new echnologies,
me hods, and p o ocols
Add ess da a gaps iden i ied by BRIDGE-BS
Upda e and ha monise ma ine moni o ing
p og ammes ac oss Black Sea coun ies
SCANFISH
GLIDER
pH
CARBON DIOXIDE
BIOGEOCHEMICAL
SENSORS
HYDROGEN SULPHIDE
ADVANCING BLACK SEA RESEARCH AND INNOVATION FOR A SUSTAINABLE BLUE ECONOMY
Biological indica o s ha e been es ed as po en ial new
indica o s o ecosys em esilience o help assess how close
he sys em is o a ipping poin 18. These include indica o s o
ood web s uc u e ( ophic le els19 o ca ches/popula ions)
and he unc ion o sea loo biological communi ies
(bio u ba ion20 and bioi iga ion21). These can in o m he
de elopmen o es o a ion plans, including o coas al
blue ca bon habi a s, and can be adap ed o moni o ing
en i onmen al s a us. Fu he es ing o hese indica o s is
equi ed o hei alida ion and u u e up ake.
The BRIDGE-BS Digi al Twin Ocean (DTO) demons a o 22
(Figu e 3) is one o he key ou pu s o BRIDGE-BS,
combining many o he ools de eloped. I aims o be
a i ual ep esen a ion o he Black Sea o suppo
policy make s in in o med decision making using wha -i
scena ios, ade-o analyses, and sec o al and s akeholde
inpu . I in eg a es da a om he BRIDGE-BS po al and
da abase, high- esolu ion biophysical models o he Black
Sea and i s wa e shed, socio-economic scena ios, he
esilience assessmen s, he A i icial In elligence-based
decision suppo ool, and he isk-based cumula i e e ec
assessmen ool (see below o indi idual desc ip ions o
hese). I de ines cu en and u u e ecosys em s a us and
isks, and de elops isk managemen con ex s and policy
objec i es o speci ic a eas, ocusing on ecosys em se ices
and u u e p essu e scena ios. The DTO demons a o can
be used o de ine ecosys em bounda ies o a sa e ope a ing
space o he Black Sea blue economy and o in o m adap i e
managemen .
18 Deli e able 3.1 will be a ailable a h ps://zenodo.o g/communi ies/b idge-bs/ eco ds?q=&l=lis &p=1&s=10
19 Desc ibes an o ganism’s posi ion in a ood chain o ood web based on how i ob ains ene gy and nu ien s.
20 The mixing and dis u bance o sedimen s and soils by li ing o ganisms, such as h ough bu owing, eeding, and plan oo ac i i y.
21 The p ocess by which o ganisms li ing in sedimen ac i ely exchange wa e and dissol ed subs ances be ween he o e lying wa e column and he sedimen by
bu owing, pumping, and eeding.
22 h ps://b idgeblacksea.o g/index.php/black-sea-d o/; h ps://dekosim.ims.me u.edu. /digi al win/
Figu e 2: O e iew o sma senso s and pla o ms es ed du ing BRIDGE-BS collabo a i e esea ch c uises.
BRIDGE-BS – POLICY BRIEF
6
BRIDGE-BS DTO Scena ios
Desi ed Scena ios
Clima e Change
Fish
Plas ic
Pollu ion
SAFE OPERATING
SPACE IN THE BLACK SEA
Inco po a es di e se
componen s and
se ices essen ial o a
Sa e Ope a ing Space
Links ecosys em se ices
and Ma ine Spa ial
Planning, assesses
ecosys em ulne abili y
(MSFD indica o s) and
esilience o holis ic
assessmen .
Coupled
Ensembled
Models
Co-Design
p ocess wi h
S akeholde s
•Da abase
•Sma
Obse a ion
& Techs
BRIDGE BLACK SEA DTO DEMONSTRATOR
Risk-based
Cumula ı e
E ec
Analysıs
Ecosys em
Resilience
Assessmen
AI EMULATOR
Desi ed Scena ios
Co-designed wi h
s akeholde s
The BRIDGE-BS po al and da abase23 is an in e disciplina y
pla o m ha p o ides public access o me hodology as well
as physical, chemical and biological da ase s om Black Sea
obse a ions and modelling gene a ed om BRIDGE-BS,
p e ious p ojec s and o he egional, Eu opean and global
da abases (including SeaDa aNe 24, EMODne 25, Sen inel26,
and he Black Sea Wa e Quali y Da abase27).
The Ma ine Ecosys em and Clima e Resea ch Cen e
(DEKOSİM28) o he Middle Eas Technical Uni e si y will
main ain he BRIDGE-BS po al, da abase, and he DTO
demons a o . I is also leading in he in eg a ion o he DTO
demons a o in o he EDITO in as uc u e29, as pa o he
Eu opean DTO ini ia i e.
An A i icial In elligence based decision suppo ool30
uses p o o ype machine lea ning models o analyse how he
Black Sea ecosys em esponds o mul iple p essu es and o
in o m adap i e managemen . The ool p o ides egional
and pilo si e-le el analysis o cause-e ec ela ionships
be ween en i onmen al p essu es and o ecas ed biological
esponses. I also in eg a es basin-scale obse a ional and
model da a o in es iga e mo e complex in e ac ions ac oss
space and ime. To imp o e he accu acy o his ool, physical
and biogeochemical da a gaps need o be illed, including ull
spa ial ime se ies om obse a ions and/o model ou pu s.
In he u u e, his ool may be used o suppo scena io
es ing and in he de elopmen o ea ly wa ning sys ems o
HABs o ishe ies collapses.
A isk-based cumula i e e ec s assessmen decision
suppo ool31 was de eloped o s akeholde s o unde s and
and p edic spa ial ho spo s o en i onmen al impac s o
cumula i e p essu es om blue economy sec o s. Impac
sco es om speci ic sec o s a e gene a ed o es and assess
u u e adap i e managemen s a egies, which can suppo
ma ine spa ial planning. Fu he de elopmen o he ool
depends on he in eg a ion o socio-economic da a o link
cumula i e p essu es o impac s on ecosys em se ices.
An ensemble o Black Sea-speci ic high- esolu ion coupled
models32 co e ing he ull ma ine sys em can be used o
assess he cu en and u u e impac o mul iple s esso s o
help decision make s o unde s and cu en en i onmen al
s a us, assess ade-o s, de elop managemen s a egies,
and e ise egional and na ional ma i ime policies.
23 h ps://b idgeblacksea.o g/index.php/b idge-bs-da abase-logged/
24 h ps://www.seada ane .o g/
25 h ps://emodne .ec.eu opa.eu/en
26 h ps://sen inels.cope nicus.eu/
27 h ps://blackseadb.o g/
28 h ps://dekosim.me u.edu. /
29 h ps://edi o-in a.eu/
30 Deli e able 4.3 will be a ailable a h ps://zenodo.o g/communi ies/b idge-bs/ eco ds?q=&l=lis &p=1&s=10
31 Deli e able 4.4 will be a ailable a h ps://zenodo.o g/communi ies/b idge-bs/ eco ds?q=&l=lis &p=1&s=10
32 Deli e able 2.3 will be a ailable a h ps://zenodo.o g/communi ies/b idge-bs/ eco ds?q=&l=lis &p=1&s=10
Figu e 3: O e iew o he BRIDGE-BS Digi al Twin Ocean (DTO) demons a o .
7
ADVANCING BLACK SEA RESEARCH AND INNOVATION FOR A SUSTAINABLE BLUE ECONOMY
33 h ps://blackseabeo.eu
34 h ps://b idgeblacksea.o g/index.php/black-sea-accele a o /; Deli e able 7.3 will be a ailable a h ps://zenodo.o g/communi ies/b idge-bs/ eco ds?q=&l=lis &p=1&s=10
35 h ps://www.doo sblacksea.eu/
36 h ps://b idgeblacksea.o g/index.php/ i ual-blue-ca ee -cen e /
37 h ps://b idgeblacksea.o g/index.php/2024/10/04/b idge-bs-phd-s uden s-a e-ad ancing-black-sea- esea ch/
38 h ps://b idgeblacksea.o g/index.php/young-ambassado s/
39 Deli e able 9.5 will be a ailable a h ps://zenodo.o g/communi ies/b idge-bs/ eco ds?q=&l=lis &p=1&s=10
40 h ps://b idgeblacksea.o g/index.php/b idge-black-sea-mooc/; h ps://ocw.me u.edu. /cou se/ iew.php?id=365
41 A space whe e local communi ies, expe s, and decision make s ge oge he o de elop, es and imp o e ideas.
42 h ps://b idgeblacksea.o g/index.php/ocean-li e acy-ne wo k/
43 Deli e able 9.6 will be a ailable a h ps://zenodo.o g/communi ies/b idge-bs/ eco ds?q=&l=lis &p=1&s=10
44 Deli e able 2.4 will be a ailable a h ps://zenodo.o g/communi ies/b idge-bs/ eco ds?q=&l=lis &p=1&s=10
45 Deli e able 4.5 will be a ailable a h ps://zenodo.o g/communi ies/b idge-bs/ eco ds?q=&l=lis &p=1&s=10
Visions o he u u e o he Black Sea
Key p ojec ions o he u u e s a e o he Black Sea unde
di e en clima e change scena ios ha e been de eloped
using coupled physical-biogeochemical models ha ha e
been downscaled o p o ide local-scale in o ma ion. These
indica e ha sea su ace empe a u e will inc ease be ween
0.9 o 3.8 °C by 2100 depending on u u e ca bon dioxide
emissions. This will impac oxygen concen a ion, which is
expec ed o dec ease by a leas 9%. Biodi e si y is p edic ed
o decline, and ecosys em dynamics and ishe ies p oduc i i y
o be al e ed. In addi ion, BRIDGE-BS models ha e p o ided
u u e p ojec ions o plas ic pollu ion based on socio-
economic scena ios wi h di e en le els o economic g ow h,
popula ion, and po en ial en i onmen al policies a ec ing
plas ic inpu om i e s and coas al ci ies44. These p ojec ed
inc eases in s esso s will impac he esilience o he Black
Sea, inc easing he need o cau ion o ensu e he sus ainable
de elopmen o blue economy ac i i ies.
Th ee ypes o scena ios (see pa ag aphs below) ha e been
c ea ed o in o m he de elopmen o adap i e managemen
ecommenda ions and u u e ac ions o blue economy
sec o s o align wi h desi ed sus ainabili y objec i es45. These
scena ios a e included in he Black Sea DTO demons a o
and should be used o upda e Black Sea sus ainable blue
economy s a egies and policies. They can also be used by
blue economy ope a o s o make decisions on whe e o
channel inno a ion and in es men s, and on app op ia e
managemen measu es o ensu e sus ainabili y.
The blue economy obse a o y o he Black Sea33 is an
online pla o m ha p o ides a dashboa d o moni o ing he
sus ainable de elopmen o he Black Sea blue economy. I
p o ides an o e iew o he cu en s a us o blue economy
sec o s in each Black Sea coun y, and a ious u u e scena ios
de eloped by BRIDGE-BS. Policy make s, esea che s, and
businesses can gain insigh o in o m e idence-based
decision making o suppo egional and na ional le el blue
economy policies. I also highligh s he cu en egional
sus ainabili y de iciencies, da a gaps, and da a access issues.
Da a om he obse a o y eeds in o he BRIDGE-BS DTO
demons a o and u u e plans a e being de eloped o he
long- e m main enance o he obse a o y.
The BRIDGE-BS Black Sea accele a o 34 ope a ed in
coope a ion wi h he DOORS Black Sea p ojec 35 and suppo ed
15 s a ups, small o medium-sized en e p ises, and
esea che s o scale up inno a i e solu ions and sus ainable
blue economy businesses in a a ie y o sec o s anging om
ishe ies and aquacul u e o ma i ime anspo .
Two BRIDGE-BS High Tech Summi s o he Black Sea
showcased inno a ions o a egional audience and p omo ed
dialogue among di e se blue economy ac o s. Ideas we e
explo ed o new se ices and p oduc s ha b ing alue and
jobs, including o plas ic managemen , ene gy, sus ainable
local aquacul u e, and algal bio echnology.
T aining and capaci y building ac i i ies (Figu e 4)
s eng hened he Black Sea esea ch communi y. These
include he Vi ual Blue Ca ee Cen e36, he PhD p og amme
on blue economy37, Young Ambassado s P og amme38,
Summe and Win e Schools39, and a science-policy-
echnology Massi e Open Online Cou se40 (MOOC). Local
s akeholde s we e engaged h ough li ing labs41, local and
egional policy make s h ough a se ies o pa icipa o y
e en s, and he gene al public made awa e o he impo ance
o a heal hy Black Sea and sus ainable blue economy h ough
Ocean Li e acy ac i i ies, he Black Sea Ocean Li e acy
Ne wo k42 and ci izen science campaigns43.
BRIDGE-BS – POLICY BRIEF
8
T aining and capaci y-building ac i i ies enhanced he skills and
expe ise o Black Sea ECOPs.
VIRTUAL BLUE
CAREER CENTER
SUMMER & WINTER
SCHOOLS PhD STUDENTS
BLACK SEA
YOUNG AMBASSADORS
MOOC
Local s akeholde s we e engaged wi h egional policymake s h ough
pa icipa o y e en s and Li ing Labs.
ENGAGING STAKEHOLDERS
SCIENCE-POLICY
EVENTS
THREE ROUNDS OF
LIVING LABS
The Black Sea blue economy esea ch and inno a ion communi y was
ac i ely engaged, i s g ow h accele a ed, and ne wo ks s eng hened.
ADVANCING BLUE ECONOMY NETWORK
BLACK SEA
ACCELERATOR
TWO ROUNDS OF HIGH-TECH
SUMMIT FOR THE BLACK SEA
RESPONSIBLE
CONSUMPTION COOKBOOK
BOOK FOR BLACK SEA
LIGHTHOUSES
BRIDGING THE SCIENCE AND SOCIETY
CITIZEN SCIENCE
CAMPAIGNS
INFORMATIVE
VIDEO SERIES
DOLPHIN-WATCHING
AND DIVING EVENTS
The public was eached h ough in o ma i e and
engaging mediums, and science ou each.
AWARENESS-RAISING
ACTIVITIES
BRIDGE-BS Capaci y Building o Policy B ie _ 3 2 1 7/11/2025 10:50
EMPOWERING
EARLY CAREER OCEAN PROFESSIONALS (ECOPS)
2050 sus ainable blue economy imagina ies46 o e plausible
u u e ajec o ies o he Black Sea’s blue economy o 2050,
assuming ha sus ainabili y is achie ed. They we e de eloped
a basin- and pilo si e- scales, using a o esigh exe cise
ha ook in o accoun a ying inno a ion ( echnological o
social) and go e nance (sea basin o local) condi ions, and
local s akeholde pe spec i es. These imagina ies p o ide
a way o decision make s and wide s akeholde s o os e
collec i e hinking and s a egic dialogue o na iga e u u e
challenges and oppo uni ies, and o make decisions unde
unce ain y. They can be used by na ional adminis a ions o
suppo he de elopmen o blue economy s a egies.
Desi ed scena ios47 combine he physical-biogeochemical
model esul s, sus ainable blue economy imagina ies,
and pe spec i es om local ac o s ga he ed h ough he
li ing labs. They highligh p e e ed and ealis ic scena ios
o ma ine and e es ial ac i i ies ha in luence ma ine
ecosys ems and esou ces, and help suppo he de elopmen
o a sus ainable blue economy aking in o accoun clima e
change. The cumula i e e ec assessmen ool was used o
p edic u u e en i onmen al impac s o hese scena ios and
showed ha a basin-scale ishing, ma i ime anspo and
nu ien inpu s om e es ial sou ces would cause he mos
en i onmen al impac , while aquacul u e o o sho e wind
ene gy would cause mo e local impac s. These scena ios
should in o m e idence-based policy-making, o example o
ma ine spa ial planning by na ional adminis a ions.
T ans o ma i e pa hways48 o he Black Sea blue economy
we e co-designed by coas al communi y s akeholde s du ing
six pa icipa o y li ing labs ac oss he pilo si es, engaging a
o al o 162 o ganisa ions. These pa hways can lead o shi s o
a mo e sus ainable, esilien and equi able s a e. S akeholde s
iden i ied challenges o a sus ainable blue economy, ag eed
on a ision o 2050, and iden i ied ac ions o ans o m blue
economy sec o s o each his ision. Sec o s analysed include
aquacul u e, ou ism, ma ine enewable ene gy, ma ine
en i onmen al obse a ion and managemen , ishe ies,
and he po and shipping sec o s. Key ac ions iden i ied
include ad ancing echnologies, digi alisa ion, aining,
and communi y engagemen . Al hough s akeholde s did
no iden i y he need o holis ic sys ems hinking, hese
ac ions do suppo he social-ecological esilience o coas al
communi ies ia lea ning and pa icipa ion (i.e. moni o ing,
capaci y building, s akeholde engagemen ).
46 h ps://b idgeblacksea.o g/index.php/2025/03/14/b idge-bs- akes-you- o- he- u u e-o - he-black-sea-wi h-2050-sus ainable-blue-economy-imagina ies- o - he-
black-sea- epo /
47 Deli e able 4.4 will be a ailable a h ps://zenodo.o g/communi ies/b idge-bs/ eco ds?q=&l=lis &p=1&s=10
48 Deli e able 6.3 will be a ailable a h ps://zenodo.o g/communi ies/b idge-bs/ eco ds?q=&l=lis &p=1&s=10
Figu e 4: O e iew o aining and capaci y building ac i i ies suppo ed by BRIDGE-BS.
9
ADVANCING BLACK SEA RESEARCH AND INNOVATION FOR A SUSTAINABLE BLUE ECONOMY
Fu u e esea ch and policy needs
To limi he impac o human ac i i ies on he heal h and
esilience o he Black Sea, p ese e co e ecosys em se ices
and p o ide a sa e ope a ing space o he de elopmen o
a sus ainable blue economy, he ollowing ac ions should be
achie ed wi hin he nex i e yea s.
49 Deli e able 7.2 will be a ailable a h ps://zenodo.o g/communi ies/b idge-bs/ eco ds?q=&l=lis &p=1&s=10
Recommenda ions o policy make s
• De elop and upda e blue economy s a egies, egula ions, and en o cemen a na ional and egional le el o align
wi h he adap i e managemen ecommenda ions de eloped by BRIDGE-BS, including o: p io i ise small-scale ishe ies;
ein o ce sus ainable ishe ies policies and ecosys em-based ishe ies managemen ; adop g een anspo solu ions
o essels and po in as uc u e; de elop o sho e wind ene gy and sus ainable aquacul u e; educe pollu ion om
wa e sheds and coas al a eas; and p omo e inno a i e and sus ainable ou ism;
• Fu he s eng hen he science-policy in e ace and dialogue in he Black Sea egion by imp o ing coo dina ion
be ween and suppo ing exis ing mechanisms e.g. he Black Sea Commission (BSC), Black Sea Economic Coope a ion
(BSEC), and he Gene al Fishe ies Commission o he Medi e anean and Black Sea (GFCM);
• Implemen sys ems and esilience hinking in he managemen o he Black Sea blue economy, and in eg a e
pa icipa o y s akeholde app oaches in o adap i e managemen s a egies using BRIDGE-BS scena io de elopmen and
s akeholde engagemen me hods;
• De elopadedica ed inancial amewo k o blueeconomyg an s, inancialincen i es,and egionalcoo dina ion
among na ional le el inancing ac o s, and na ional and egional accele a ion/incuba ion mechanisms49. A long- e m
amewo k o suppo u u e edi ions o he Black Sea Accele a o and he High Tech Summi o consolida e i s ole as a
e e ence o um o egional inno a ion in he Black Sea should be es ablished;
• Implemen a consis en ecosys em-based app oach o ma ine spa ial planning in each Black Sea coun y and a basin-
scale using he BRIDGE-BS ools. This will s eng hen and ensu e e ec i e managemen o he cu en ne wo k o ma ine
p o ec ed a eas, including he egula ion o human ac i i ies (e.g. ishe ies, anspo , ou ism) in and a ound MPAs;
• Upda e and ha monise ma ine moni o ing p og ammes ac oss Black Sea coun ies based on newly es ed echnologies,
me hods, p o ocols and da a gaps iden i ied wi hin BRIDGE-BS. In addi ion, a egional moni o ing amewo k should be
es ablished o ha monise socio-economic da a collec ion and open access ac oss Black Sea coun ies o eed in o he blue
economy obse a o y and link o he BRIDGE-BS DTO demons a o ; and
• Suppo he con inua ion and expansion o capaci y building ac i i ies de eloped unde BRIDGE-BS including he
Massi e Open Online Cou se, Black Sea Young Ambassado p og amme, Vi ual Blue Ca ee s Cen e, and he Black Sea
Ocean Li e acy Ne wo k.
