Author: Ion Florin Tătui
Black Sea is a region of particular interest in terms of its past and present level of ecological degradation by anthropogenic influences among the European Seas and highly dynamic and complex eddy-driven circulation system. The Black Sea receives drainage from almost one-third of the continental Europe (five times its surface area) which includes 17 countries with about 160 million inhabitants. It is relatively isolated from the world ocean, has a limited exchange with Mediterranean Sea through the Bosphorus-Dardanelles straits system and hence is highly vulnerable to external environmental stresses. Its coastal areas are at the forefront of these pressures. Excessive exploitation of natural resources and overpopulation lead to habitat destruction, pollution and biodiversity loss. These issues make coastal regions extremely vulnerable to climate change and natural hazards, such as coastal erosion, sea level rise or other extreme weather events.