Last week, the Marine Sciences Faculty at Karadeniz Technical University (KTU) served as the central hub for international marine research as it successfully hosted the latest workshop and partner meeting for the IASON+ Project. The event brought together leading scientists and environmental experts from across the Black Sea Basin to address one of the region’s most pressing ecological threats: Invasive Alien Species (IAS).

A Unified Front for Marine Biodiversity

The IASON+ Project, a continuation of the impactful IASON initiative, is focused on monitoring Invasive Alien Species and evaluating their impact on ecosystem services within protected deltaic areas. The Trabzon meeting marked a critical milestone in the project’s timeline, focusing specifically on IAS species distribution modelling (SDM).

The project aims to predict the spread of non-native species and assess how climate change might accelerate these invasions by utilizing advanced data-driven models. These models are essential for local authorities to develop early-warning systems and protection strategies for the fragile delta ecosystems of the Black Sea.

Collaboration Beyond Borders

The success of the IASON+ project relies on its transboundary nature. The workshop saw active participation from a diverse consortium of partners, each bringing unique regional expertise:

• Democritus University of Thrace (Greece)

• Danube Delta National Institute for Research and Development - DDNI (Romania)

• Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve Authority (Romania)

• Institute of Marine Biology of the NAS of Ukraine (Ukraine)

• International Business and Economic Development Center - IBEDEC (Georgia)

Key Outcomes and Next Steps

Over the course of the week, partners engaged in intensive technical sessions to refine monitoring protocols and data sharing frameworks. The workshop also emphasized the importance of Ecosystem Services (ES), the benefits that humans derive from nature, such as clean water and fisheries, which are currently at risk due to the "mediterraneanization" of the Black Sea caused by rising water temperatures.

The results of this meeting will feed directly into the development of the IASON+ Inventory and the project’s digital observatory, providing a transparent, science-based tool for policymakers and environmental managers across all participating nations.

About IASON+ Project

The IASON+ Project is supported by the Interreg NEXT Black Sea Basin Programme. It aims to establish a permanent network of experts and stakeholders dedicated to the assessment of climate change impacts and the preservation of biodiversity in deltaic protected areas, including the Danube, Nestos, Kızılırmak, Chorokhi, and Kolkheti deltas.

 

Önceki Sonraki