The project entitled "MSFD Guiding Improvements in the Black Sea Integrated Monitoring System (MISIS)", supported by the European Union (EU), aims to contribute to the extension of marine environmental monitoring in Romania, Bulgaria and Turkey in the context of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) and to the establishment of a unified, regular and continuous monitoring program for the Black Sea. For this purpose, the first joint study within the scope of the Project is being carried out between 22-31 July 2013 with the participation of the Project partners on board the R/V Akademik of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences - Institute of Oceanography.

The study will examine water column and seafloor habitats, pollutants in sediments and biota, eutrophication and marine solid wastes, and inter-laboratory comparison studies will be carried out as specified in the WFD. Hakan Atabay, a researcher at MAM-ÇTÜE, is participating in these studies together with the expert team of Sinop University as Turkish partners.