Laboratory of Marine Ecology, Sozopol

The Laboratory of Marine Ecology is based in the town of Sozopol just on the coast of the Black Sea. Recently, it possess a permanent staff of three persons. It is provided with upgraded equipment and renewed laboratory facilities necessary for carrying out investigations on the biodiversity and functioning of the coastal marine ecosystems.

• functional monitoring of marine coastal ecosystems and wetlands;
• anthropogenic impact assessment;
• development of scientifically based management approaches of marine coastal zone and of wetlands ecosystems.

  

Current Research Projects:

• 2023-2027 H-2020 ACTNOW - Advancing understanding of cumulative impacts on European marine biodiversity, ecosystem functions and services for human wellbeing  https://www.actnow-project.eu/

• 2021-2025 H-2020 BRIDGE-BS -  Advancing knowledge, delivering research, empowering citizens for sustainable and climate-neutral Black Sea https://bridgeblacksea.org/

• 2021-2025: H-2020 ECOSCOPE- Ecocentric management for sustainable fisheries and healthy marine ecosystems  https://ecoscopium.eu/

• 2015-2023: Н-2020- eLTER- Н-2020- eLTER- European Long- Term Ecosystem and socio-ecological Research Infrastructure.

• 2017-2020 BalkanMed RECONNECT: Regional cooperation for the transnational ecosystem sustainable development https://reconnect.hcmr.gr/
• 2016-2017: ЕЕA - Norway grant BG03- Methodology for assessment and mapping of MARINE ecosystems condition and their services in Bulgaria.

• 2016-2017: ЕЕA- Norway grant BG03.PDP2- Methodological assistance for ecosystems assessment and biophysical valuation.
• 2012-2016: FP7-COCONET- Towards COast to COast NETworks of marine protected areas (from the shore to the high and deep sea), coupled with sea-based wind energy potential.
• 2012-2016: FP7-PERSEUS- Policy-orientated marine Environmental Research for the Southern European Seas.
• 2009–2012: UP-GRADE BS-SCENE - Upgrading the Black Sea Scientific Network. Funded by FP7 EC (FP7-NFRA-2008-1.1.1, GA 22659). Coordinator from IBER: Dr G. Hiebaum

• 2009–2012: UP-GRADE BS-SCENE - Сreation of databases and metadata bases for Black Sea. Financing:(FP7 EC NFRA-2008-1.1.1, GA 22659). Coordinator : Dr. G. Hiebaum

• 2009-2012: WETLANET - Enhancing research potential by strengthening a local network of laboratories for studying wetland ecosystems functioning, restoration and management; funded by FP7 EC (FP7 CSA – SUPPORT ACTION, GA 229802). Coordinator: Prof. DSc B. Georgiev.

Scientific publications:

2022

Bastardie, F., Feary, D. A., Brunel, T., Kell, L. T., Döring, R., Metz, S., Daskalov,D. ... & Van Vlasselaer, J. (2022). Ten lessons on the resilience of the EU common fisheries policy towards climate change and fuel efficiency-A call for adaptive, flexible and well-informed fisheries management. Frontiers in Marine Science, 9, 947150.

Berov, D., Klayn, S., Deyanova, D., Karamfilov, V. Current distribution of Zostera seagrass meadows along the Bulgarian Black Sea coast (SW Black Sea, Bulgaria) (2010-2020). Biodiversity Data Journal, 10, 2022, DOI:10.3897/BDJ.10.e78942, e78942

2021

Klayn, S., Berov, D., Karamfilov, V. Porewater nutrient and oxygen profiles and sediment-water interface fluxes under extreme organic loading in different sedimentary habitats in Sozopol Bay (SW Black Sea): a laboratory experiment. Studies in Systems, Decision and Control, Springer International Publishing, 2021, DOI:10.1007/978-3-030-70190-1_25, 371-382.

Nikolopoulou, S., Berov, D., Klayn, S., Dimitrov, L. I., Velkovsky, K., Chatzinikolaou, E., Chatzogeorgiou, G., Karamfilov, V., Pavloudi, C.. Benthic habitat mapping of Plazh Gradina – Zlatna ribka (Black Sea) and Karpathos and Saria Islands (Mediterranean Sea). Biodiversity Data Journal, 9, Pensoft, 2021, DOI:10.3897/BDJ.9.e71972

Salomidi, M., Issaris, Y., Gerakaris, V., Berov, D. Coastal Marine Habitats in Nessebar, Bulgaria. Mo.Na: Monuments in Nature: A Creative Co-existence, Mo.Na Project, 2021, ISBN:ISBN 978-960-9677-05-9, 103-110

Simmonds, J., Bitetto, I., Cikes Kec, V., Daskalov, G., Isajlovic, I., Kupshus, S., ... & Mannini, A. (2021). Stock assessments in the Mediterranean Sea 2021–Adriatic and Ionian Seas (STECF-21-15).

2020

Daskalov, G. M., Demirel, N., Ulman, A., Georgieva, Y., & Zengin, M. (2020). Stock dynamics and predator–prey effects of Atlantic bonito and bluefish as top predators in the Black Sea. ICES Journal of Marine Science, 77(7-8), 2995-3005.

Berov, D., Klayn, S., Karamfilov, V. Rapana venosa rapa whelk responsible for rapid destruction of Black Sea coastal Mytilus galloprovincialis littoral reef communities – results from a preliminary study in SW Black Sea (Sozopol Bay, Bulgaria). Proceeding of 1st International Conference on Environmental Protection and disaster RISKs - Part Two, Az-buki National Publishing House, 2020, ISBN:978-619-7065-38-1, 586-598

Berov, D., Klayn, S. Microplastics and floating litter pollution in Bulgarian Black Sea coastal waters. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 156, 2020, DOI:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2020.111225, 111225.

2019

Berov, D., Minicheva, G., Afanasyev, D., Dencheva, K., Karaçuha, A., Marin, O.. 1.3.5State of Macrophytobenthos. Black Sea State of the Environment Report 2009-2014/15, Black Sea Commission, 2019, ISBN:978-605-84837-0-5, 360-416

Karamfilov, V., Berov, D., Panayotidis, P.. Using Zostera noltei biometrics for evaluation of the ecological and environmental quality status of Black Sea coastal waters. Regional Studies in Marine Science, 27, Elsevier, 2019, DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rsma.2019.100524

Dimitrov, L., Prodanov, B., Doncheva, V., Berov, D., Trifonova, E.. Seabed mapping of the Bulgarian coastal zone between Sozopol and Tsarevo (Southern Bulgarian Black Sea). Comptes rendus de l’Académie bulgare des Sciences, 72, 5. 2019.

2018

Daskalov, G. M., Boicenco, L., Grishin, A. N., Lazar, L., Mihneva, V., Shlyakhov, V. A., & Zengin, M. (2017). Architecture of collapse: regime shift and recovery in an hierarchically structured marine ecosystem. Global change biology, 23(4), 1486-1498.

Berov, D., Todorova, V., Dimitrov, L., Rinde, E., Karamfilov, V. Distribution and abundance of phytobenthic communities: Implications for connectivity and ecosystem functioning in a Black Sea marine protected area. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, 200, 5, Elsevier, 2018, DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecss.2017.11.020, 234-247

Berov, D., Berov, N.. Data integration of Scuba benthic communities’ photography surveys with physico-chemical multiparameter sensor platform as a means for more efficient coastal ecosystems studies. Bollettino di Geofisica Teorica ed Applicata, 59, 1, EBSCO Publishing Inc., 201.

2017

Keskin, Ç., Ulman, A., Zylich, K., Raykov, V., Daskalov, G. M., Pauly, D., & Zeller, D. (2017). The Marine Fisheries in Bulgaria's Exclusive Economic Zone, 1950–2013. Frontiers in Marine Science, 4, 53.

Boero, F., Foglini, F., Fraschetti, S., Goriup, P., Macpherson, E., Planes, S., Soukissian, T., Berov, D., Daskalov, G., Georgieva, I., Karamfilov, V., Klayn, S., Vassilev, V., COCONET Consortium. CoCoNet: towards coast to coast networks of marine protected areas (from the shore to the high and deep sea), coupled with sea-based wind energy potential. SCIRES-IT, 6.

Berov, D., Klayn, S., Vasilev, V., Georgieva, I., Karamfilov, V. Environmental impacts of artificial reefs: a case study from the Black Sea. Research and Restoration of the Essential Filters of the Sea - REEFS Project Research Digest, Bulgarian Biodiversity Foundation, 2016, DOI:10.13140/RG.2.1.1886.6800, 14-33