Lead Beneficiary – the Institute of Zoology, Republic of Moldova
The Institute of Zoology (IZ) conducts fundamental and applied research, as well as training of high qualified research staff in biodiversity and environmental monitoring. It is focused on the research of structural and functional organization, dynamics and evolution of animal populations and communities, elaboration of methods of conservation and sustainable use of animal world.
In 2015 IZ was accredited by the National Council for Accreditation and Attestation of the Republic of Moldova, with the qualification “internationally recognized organisation”, to perform researches on systematics, evolution and sustainable use of diversity of animal world, monitoring of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. Related to aquatic ecosystems, IZ undertakes complex seasonal investigations on rivers, reservoirs and natural lakes. The main research environment compartments encompass water quality, diversity of the main groups of hydrobionts, including fish, and their functional characteristics (density, biomass, production), primary production of phyto- and bacterioplankton in freshwater ecosystems, processes of destruction of organic matter. The research methods are based on classical hydrochemical, hydrobiological and ichthyological approaches, and novel laboratory and field techniques.
Institute web site: http://www.zoology.asm.md/
Project Beneficiary 2 – International Environmental Association of River Keepers Eco-Tiras, Republic of Moldova
Eco-Tiras is a transboundary association of Moldovan and Ukrainian environmental NGOs, located and working in the Dniester River basin. Established under Moldovan law in 1999, at present it associates above 50 NGOs from both countries, including those functioning in Transdniestria.
The main task of the association is to implement the Integrated River Basin Management (IRBM), following its scientific and nature conservation priorities and combining the accumulated experience with wide international knowledge and good practices. The Eco-Tiras main spheres of activity are: i) Promotion of sustainable development in the Dniester basin region, shared by Moldova and Ukraine; ii) Development of public participation to promote the interests of population of the Dniester River basin in riparian states; iii) Coordination of activity and support of transboundary cooperation of NGOs inside the sector, with the state, scientific community and population in general.
Eco-Tiras web site: https://www.eco-tiras.org/
Project Beneficiary 3 – “Dunarea de Jos” University of Galati, Romania
The university is a public higher education institution founded in 1974, which prepares specialists in various domains (technical, economical, natural, health, humanitarian, artistic), contributing to enriching the local and national heritage by scientific research. The university functioning is characterised by autonomy and academic democracy. In 2008, 2013 and 2019 the “Dunarea de Jos” University of Galati, following external institutional evaluation carried out by the Romanian Agency for Quality Assurance in Higher Education, attained a “high degree of confidence” rating.
Research is an important component of the activity of the teaching staff, the quality of the didactic work being in a close relationship with it. It is the largest higher education institution in South – East Romania (about 12.000 students and 14 faculties). Its thematic competences are very broad – General Environment Protection, Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing, Biotechnology, Food security, Water Supply and Sanitation, etc. Within the university a range of research centers activate, and among them are INPOLDE, which represents an international interdisciplinary network of laboratories created in the frame of European project MIS ETC 1676. Three of MONITOX partners – the “Dunarea de Jos” University of Galati, Institute of Zoology and the Ukrainian Scientific Center of Ecology of the Sea, are part of this network.
University web site: www.ugal.ro
Project Beneficiary 4 – The Ukrainian Scientific Center of Ecology of the Sea
The Ukrainian Scientific Center of Ecology of the Sea (UkrSCES) was founded in 1992 on the basis of the Odessa Branch State Oceanographic Institute. It is a unique institution, performing a whole complex of tasks on ecological monitoring within the Black and Azov Seas. In accordance with the Strategic Action Plan for Rehabilitation and Protection of the Black Sea, UkrSCES was accredited as a Regional Activity Centre for Pollution Monitoring and Assessment in1993.
The basic directions of UkrSCES work are:
- conducting monitoring of the state of the environment of water areas in Ukraine, the Global Sea and coastal territories;
- elaborating programs for environmental monitoring and protection, sustainable use of nature resources, provision of environmental safety in marine and coastal areas;
- development and maintenance of online databases, interactive mapping systems, websites;
- carrying out works linked with preparation and distribution of ecological certificates, including at international level;
- working out, improving and applying novel methods for analysis and evaluation of the state of environment, anthropogenic loads, metrological provision of analytical measurements;
- conducting arbitrage (expert) works, participating in checking the adherence to nature conservation legislation required by the Ministry divisions, as well as other state bodies, etc.
Center web site: http://www.sea.gov.ua/
Project Beneficiary 5 – Hydrometeorological Center for Black and Azov Seas, Ukraine
Hydrometeorological Center for Black and Azov Seas (HMCBAS) was founded in 1865 on the base of Novorosiisk University of Odessa. Its main directions of activity are the provision of population and organizations of all types of ownership with hydrometeorological information, environmental monitoring data, warning and notification on dangerous natural phenomena, and the development of hydrometeorological forecasts. Currently, HMCBAS prepares operational forecasts on the state of the sea water area of the Ukrainian part of the Azov and Black Seas basins.
The nowadays network of sea meteorological observations is part of the terrestrial subsystem of obtaining of hydrometeorological data in coastal zone, including stations and posts located in the estuaries of rivers of Ukraine. At some of them observations on the atmosphere and sea water parameters have been carried for more than 200 years. The unique sets of data, considering the timeline, which were obtained within coastal hydrometeorological observations, are of great scientific value for the study and prediction of global and regional climate change.