10 THINGS YOU CAN FIND IN THE BLACK SEA

Galina Stoyanova Lyutskanova,Pavel Yordanov Mihaylov

Black SeaSix countries have an outlet to the Black Sea: Bulgaria, Georgia, Romania, Russia, Turkey, and Ukraine.

The Black Sea is an inland sea bounded by southeastern Europe and western Asia. It is one of the most isolated seas from the World Ocean.

TURKEY

The Black Sea is unique with its isolation from the World Ocean. Its low saltiness and the low water flow through the Bosporous are …

… the reasons why a biological co-society has developed in the sea and it’s quite different from that in the ocean. Its balance is very unsteady.

1.Flora

There are 600 kinds of algae and 2 kinds of seaweed in the Black Sea. Most widespread along the Bulgarian coast is the brown alga Cystoseira. Others are Cladophora, Callithamnion, Enteromorpha, Chaetomorpha, Ulva and so on. They give shelter to many sea inhabitants.

Cystoseira barbata

Ulva rigidaEnteromorpha intestinalis

Cladophora vagabunda

Chaetomorpha linumCallithamnion corrymbosum

Philophora nervosa & Peysonelia dubyi

2.Mollusca

Sea Anemonies Palaemon Elegans

Clibanarius Erythropus

CallianassaPestai

Jellyfish Rhizostoma pulmo

Rapana venosa

Callianassa truncata is a very rare species in the Black Sea.

Sea anemones look like sea flowers but they are animals.

The snail Rapana Venosa appeared in the Black Sea during the early 50ies of the last century. It became a disaster for the Blue mussel and recently for all other mussels living on the sandy bottom. Man has been the only enemy of the snail population.It was registered that the Black Sea hermit-crabs known as Clibanarius Erythropus inhabited shells of an invador snail Rapana Thomasiana. These hermit-crabs in their new shells grew up enormously, reaching lengths of 5 to 6 cm.

3.Fishes

Blue fish Grey fish

Sea horses

The Black Sea is rich in biological species. There live 180 kinds of fishes. The forming of the fauna reveals its geological past. First isolated from other seas and oceans, then again connected and isolated repeatedly, the saltiness of the Black Sea has changed within a wide range. The strong fluctuations caused changes in fish populations. Some of them have survived until today.Blue fish and black fish are the most eaten fishes in bulgaria.

4.MammalsThere are three kinds of dolphins in the Black Sea. Until the last quarter of the 20th century the Monarch Sea Lion, which is in danger of extinction, lived in the sea.

The bottom of the Black Sea is a huge ship graveyard. There are more than 140 antique vessels and about 100 warships and barges. Therefore the Bulgarian Association for Underwater Research is considering developing a new kind of tourism. The idea is that the thrill-seekers could have the chance to see the rusty wreckage of those‘‘exponents’’.

5.Vessels

6. Hydrogen sulphide An interesting characteristic of the Black Sea is the presence of hydrogen

sulphide deeper than 150m. This makes the existence of species below that depth impossible except for some anaerobe bacteria. The hydrogen sulphide rises higher towards the surface which will endanger the sea fauna.

A technology is developed to make the hydrogen sulphide an inexhaustible source of energy.

Scientists from the Institute if Oceanology have discovered a biogenic reef unique for whole Europe. It is located in the Maslen Nos region at depth between 7 and 23 meters. It is 7 meters high, 30 meters wide and some pieces are up to 10 meters wide. Unfortunately, there are no living organisms in the reef now. This reef has no analogues in other seas and oceans.

7. Oyster reef

8.Underwater forest In the strait between northern Sozopol and ‘’St. Ivan’’ island somewhere between 18

and 20 meters in depth the bottom is smooth and sandy. Suddenly in front of explorers there appear dark columns 4-5 meters in diameter. There are hundreds of them and they make you feel as if you were in an apocalyptic ancient forest. This is a real forest which sank 70 million years ago under the Black Sea water.

Research proved that the trees are Swamp Cedar. In that period the swamp was not far from the coast and eventually the sea water rose up 20 meters during a geological cataclysm. It is supposed that the water was without oxygen and this was the reason why all the trees did not decay but turned into that stone structure.

9.Rubbish in the Black SeaIt is estimated that 70% of the whole rubbish thrown into the Black Sea come from the six countries on the sea coast. The other 30% come from the Danube River. In addition the shortage of strong currents, the small water circulation and the massive quantities of foodstuff poured into the sea worsen its eco condition.

10.OilThe eastern part of the Black Sea and more importantly the waters of the Bulgarian shore are in a particularly unfavourable position. The oil-tanker line Constance – Bosporus, which passes through Bulgaria, casts out on average over 12 thousand tons of crude oil and oil products. Other polluting factors are some coastal buildings like the Druzhba Oil Harbour, the Oil Processing and Ship Repairing Factory in Burgas, the Shipbuilding Plant, the Dockyard and the Oil Harbour in Varna, the factories and the electric power stations on the shores of Varna and Beloslav lakes, the Oil-Catching Installation near Shabla.

Thank you for your attention

Galina Stoyanova Lyutskanova,Pavel Yordanov Mihaylov