Laboratory of Environmental Problems of Nature Management

In the coastal zone of the Azov and Black Seas, observations of the state of the natural environment are carried out, but these works do not have a systematic nature: territorial, according to the typology and networks of observations, parametric, correlating indicators, chronological, metrological, informational and in other aspects. The absence of a unified system of observations does not allow us to correctly assess the ecological condition of territories for making important management decisions in economic activity. This necessitates the maximum use of monitoring observations, their integration into a single system for the development of assessments, forecasts, recommendations. The creation of a unified ecomonitoring system, which provides for regional subsystems, will provide information and analytical support at the regional and local levels. In this regard, the development of a system of environmental assessment of the coastal zone of the Sevastopol region and the Crimea, based on the principles of an integrated approach to the management of resource and environmental safety of the Azov-Black Sea region, is currently one of the relevant areas of hydrobiological research.
For scientific and methodological support of the protection and restoration of the natural environment of the coastal zone of the sea, it is necessary to conduct research aimed at linking economic and environmental factors of the functioning of ecosystems of coastal zones, diagnosis of the ecological state of the environment and the search for integral indicators of this state.
Environmental studies are especially relevant for the sea coastal zone of the Azov-Black Sea region, which is characterized by a complex geological structure, an extraordinary variety of natural processes, powerful anthropogenic loads and has important recreational and economic significance. However, to date there is no single methodological approach to determining the criteria for assessing the ecological state of this coastal zone.
The relevance of the proposed topic is determined by the need to create a unified system of ecological assessment of ecosystems of the coastal zone of the Azov-Black Sea region, based on the principles of an integrated approach to ensuring environmental safety of the region and the development of an action strategy for the gradual reduction of environmental pollution, conservation and restoration of natural resources of the sea, improving their quality, scientific-based actions for the conservation and restoration of biodiversity and the introduction of integrated coastal zone management to ensure balanced socio-economic development.

We have proposed a comprehensive approach to the environmental assessment of the coastal zone of the Crimea and the Caucasus in the system of integrated management of resource and environmental safety of the coastal zone, which will allow us to develop practical recommendations and environmental measures for the management of the quality of the aquatic environment and the operation of coastal waters, as well as for the development of recreation and tourism in the Black Sea region.

The ecological system, or ecosystem, is the main functional unit in ecology, since it includes organisms and inanimate environment — components that mutually affect each other’s properties, and the necessary conditions for maintaining life in its form that exists on Earth. An ecosystem is understood as a set of living organisms (communities) and their habitats that form a stable system of life due to the circulation of substances. Coastal ecosystems occupy a special place in ecology. Currently, the coastal zone is an important object of ecological, economic and hydrobiological research due to its special geopolitical significance in the context of environmentally sustainable development and national security.
In the coastal zone there is an intensive development of natural resources by man, the further development of shipping, hydropower. Under these conditions, it turns out that the contribution of aquatic biological resources to the economy of the coastal regions in comparison with oil, gas or recreational resources is very insignificant. Moreover, different users of resources enter into various conflicts with each other by creating spatial interference and competition, polluting the environment and leading to degradation of aquatic ecosystems as a whole. In this regard, knowledge of the biology of hydrobionts alone is no longer sufficient for their protection and rational use. A comprehensive approach is needed to solve the problems of coastal zones in the Crimea and Krasnodar Krai. In general, the coastal strip of the Crimea and the Caucasus is a unique natural and economic complex formed due to the diversity of natural environments (such as beaches, agricultural lands, urbanized territories, industrial complexes, etc.), natural conditions and resources. Active development of the coastal zone in the field of environmental protection and environmental management implies farming, taking into account, on the one hand, environmental priorities, on the other hand, minimizing material costs. Both, in turn, require information support of management decisions for the organization of observation, monitoring, assessment and forecast systems of the state of the economy and the environment in the coastal zone of the Black Sea.

The increased anthropogenic impact on the ecosystem of the Black, Azov and Mediterranean Seas is expressed in the degradation of biological, recreational and other resources. The measures taken to protect the environment have led to the stabilization of pollution of the waters of the seas and there are trends of improvement. However, the level of pollution of bottom sediments, which are a source of secondary pollution of the water column, remains high. In this regard, there is a need to find ways to improve the use of natural resources and resume the reproduction of ecosystems of the Black, Azov and Mediterranean Seas.

The aggravation of fuel and energy problems associated with the gradual depletion of hydrocarbon raw materials and the simultaneous deterioration of its quality, as well as the threatening pollution of the environment, are forced to combine into a complex of problems of eco-energy. In particular, the insufficient level of production and processing of heavy oil, unsatisfactory development of associated petroleum gases, accumulation and discharge into the environment of gas condensates, etc. represent priority tasks in the development of the petrochemical cluster.
An even more acute and unresolved problem is the neutralization of highly toxic substances and waste (supertoxicants). The overwhelming share of supertoxicants is represented by chemical compounds of chlorine, fluorine, phosphorus and sulfur on a hydrocarbon basis.

The creation of the laboratory of coastal ecosystems is determined by the need to develop a unified system of environmental assessment of the coastal zone of Crimea and a set of environmental measures based on the principles of an integrated approach to the management of resource and environmental safety of the Azov-Black Sea region.

The aim is to study coastal ecosystems with the subsequent development of a set of mutually agreed territorial environmental measures aimed at improving the coexistence of natural coastal ecological systems and society.

The tasks include the study of coastal ecosystems and the subsequent development of measures to stabilize and improve the state of the natural environment of the Caucasus, Crimea and Sevastopol for its individual components (air basin, water, etc.). The tasks will be implemented through appropriate regional environmental programs, which include environmental protection measures for individual components and regions, including environmental safety and water supply of Sevastopol; specially protected natural territories; greening of the city, development of the concept of urban parks development; recreational nature management, assessment of the ecological state of regions (monitoring); development of recommendations for creating a model for managing the quality of the aquatic environment and the operation of coastal waters, solving a complex of oil and gas and environmental problems through the use of high-speed high-temperature gorenje conversion rocket technology. Regional environmental programs, in turn, consist of local environmental programs that take into account environmental measures within the Krasnodar Territory, the Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol.