(Signing of a Memorandum of Cooperation. PHOTO: USPA)
The State Enterprise "Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority" and the National Antarctic Scientific Center have signed a Memorandum of Cooperation on environmental monitoring of the Black Sea. Through this collaboration, they plan to conduct regular environmental surveys along the coastline from the Dnipro-Bug Estuary to the mouth of the Danube.
This was reportedby the Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority.
The main goal of the collaboration is to combine the experience of port workers with the knowledge of scientists to better monitor the condition of the Black Sea and detect environmental threats in a timely manner.
"Due to the Russian Federation’s invasion, access to the sea—and thus the ability to collect samples—is significantly limited. Through this collaboration, it is planned that the USPA will organize water sampling in port waters, while the NASC will analyze the samples based on a range of physical, chemical, and biological indicators. Together, we will be able to obtain a more complete picture of the environmental condition of the Ukrainian part of the Black Sea,” said NASC Director Yevhen Dykyi.
The memorandum provides for cooperation in organizing research, exchanging information and the results of scientific observations, assessing the state of the marine environment, as well as conducting research in the event of accidental pollution or the threat of such pollution.
The organizations will jointly develop specific research plans and procedures for collecting water samples.
Mykola Kravchuk, head of the USPA, emphasized that threats to the Black Sea have increased significantly during the war, making constant and objective monitoring critically important.
Юлія Калабайда