Floating marine macro litter in the Black Sea: Toward baselines for large scale assessment

The Black Sea is a semi-enclosed basin subject to major anthropogenic pressures, including marine litter and plastic pollution. Due to numerous large rivers draining into the basin and a population settled along the coast, the region could accumulate significant amounts of floating litter over time. Until now, only limited field data were available, and litter quantities and distribution remained unknown. In this study, floating marine macro litter (FMML) was assessed at the regional Black Sea scale for the first time, showing relatively high litter densities across the basin that reached a weighted mean of 81.5 items/km(2). Monitoring data revealed an accumulation of floating items offshore in the eastern part of the basin, resembling on a small scale a "garbage patch', where litter items were trapped, showing elevated densities in comparison to their surrounding areas. Most of these items were made of plastic materials (ca. 96%) and included large numbers of plastic and poly-styrene fragments of small size ranges (2.5-10 cm). Harmonised field data collection through consistent and regular monitoring programmes across the region is essential to establish baselines and thresholds for large scale assessment at international level

The Changes Caused by the Sediment of the Chorokhi River and the Modern Approaches to the Coastline of Adjara

საქართველო საზღვაო ქვეყანაა და მნიშვნელოვანია კარგად გავანაალიზოთ დინამიური პროცესები, აღმოსავლეთ სანაპირო ზოლში. კერძოდ აჭარის სანაპიროს აკუმულაციური ზოლი თითქმის მთლიანდ მდ. ჭოროხის ალუვიერი ნატანით არის წარმოქმნილი. ის გარემოება რომ მდ. ჭოროხის ნატანის სრულად გადაკეტვა აუცილებლად გამოიწვევს უარყოფით შედეგებს, აუციებელია მომავალში ავიცილოთ და შევძლოთ სანაპირო ზოლის ინეგრირებულ მართვა და ზოგადად მდგრადი განვითარ ების კონცეფციის შექმნა.Georgia is a maritime country and it is important to thoroughly analyze the dynamic processes in the eastern coastline. In particular, the accumulation strip of the coast of Adjara is almost completely covered by the river. It is formed by the alluvial sediment of Chorokhi. The circumstance that the river The complete blocking of Chorokhi sediment will definitely lead to negative consequences, it is necessary to avoid it in the future and to be able to manage the integrated coastline and create the concept of sustainable development in general