The sea under observation: how environmental monitoring works and why it matters

Single, one-off measurements are no longer enough to understand what is happening in the sea. Modern marine protection increasingly depends on systematic environmental monitoring: regular, comparable, science-based observations that show not only whether pollution is present, but how the ecosystem is responding over time.

The Black Sea case is a useful example for Europe more broadly. Coastal waters across Europe – from the Black Sea and the Mediterranean to the Baltic and the North Sea – face growing pressure from shipping, coastal development, tourism, industrial discharge, oil pollution, warming waters and eutrophication. Without long-term monitoring, it is almost impossible to separate natural seasonal variability from human-driven change.

Why the sea needs a new approach to observation

When we talk about environmental monitoring, especially of marine ecosystems, what does it look like in practice? What tasks does it solve, and what does it mean for the long-term goal of protecting the sea?

Environmental monitoring is the systematic implementation of complex expedition-based research.

In practice, marine studies include going out to sea by vessel, collecting water and biota samples from different layers – from the surface and from near-bottom waters – and carrying out a full set of physical, chemical and biological measurements.

Hydrological measurements include temperature, salinity, density and water transparency. Hydrochemical analysis covers nutrients, oxygen, pH, heavy metals, petroleum products, phenols, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and other compounds. Hydrobiological studies assess the condition of phytoplankton and zooplankton, as well as chlorophyll concentration.

Without monitoring, negative changes cannot be detected in time. These may include eutrophication, toxic accumulation, or the long-term consequences of accidents such as oil spills. Monitoring makes it possible to assess the scale of the impact and make management decisions based on scientific evidence rather than assumptions.

It also helps distinguish natural changes in the marine environment from anthropogenic impacts. Coastal zones are especially sensitive to pressure, and without systematic observations, their dynamics can easily be misread.

How marine environmental monitoring emerged

How did environmental monitoring of marine areas become a separate area of work? Why did it become clear that this kind of systematic approach was necessary?

The Living Black Sea project did not appear from nowhere. Backed by JTI and the Zapovednoye Embassy Foundation, and working with specialised conservation partners, the team already had experience with complex conservation initiatives before its launch. When an emergency occurred in the Black Sea area, partners approached the foundation with a request to develop a systematic programme that would go beyond one-off response measures.

Together, they developed the project concept, defined its goals, key areas of work and beneficiaries. This is how the Living Black Sea project emerged. Today, it supports specialised organisations involved in marine and coastal conservation, including nature reserves, dolphin rescue centres and protected-area administrations.

The oil spill in the Kerch Strait in December 2024 showed that one-off measurements are not enough to assess the scale and long-term consequences of pollution. Heavy fuel oil settled on the seabed and can be brought back into the water column during storms. This made it essential to obtain reliable data on the current state of the marine environment. New pollution incidents reinforced the understanding that without systematic monitoring, it is impossible to track pollution dynamics properly.

Research work began in cooperation with the southern branch of the Shirshov Institute of Oceanology in Gelendzhik. The first expedition took place on 3 December 2025.

The team prepared the equipment, selected six monitoring stations, collected samples from 12 water horizons and analysed approximately 25 parameters. From the very beginning, the monitoring was designed as a regular process, with repeated surveys and a comparable methodology.

Previously, water quality was often assessed mainly against maximum permissible concentration thresholds. Such thresholds are useful, but they mainly reflect potential effects on humans and do not fully show how the ecosystem itself is responding. That is why modern monitoring also studies water, sediments and living organisms, using integrated indicators and comparing data over time.

How modern environmental monitoring works

How is regular monitoring organised in practice? How often are observations carried out, how does this differ from traditional approaches, and how are monitoring points selected?

So far, one full survey has been carried out, in December 2025. For a complete monitoring cycle, the plan is to conduct three surveys per year, reflecting seasonal conditions: one in spring, one in mid-summer, and one in late summer or early autumn. Research is planned for 2026 and 2027.

The monitoring stations remain fixed: six stations in total. Two are located near Vityazevo, two near Dzhemete and two near Bolshoy Utrish, at depths of around 20–30 metres. This fixed coordinate-based network ensures that results from different surveys can be compared.

At each station, samples are collected from different horizons: the surface layer and the near-bottom layer. This is important because pollution is not distributed evenly. Some substances may accumulate near the seabed and remain invisible from the surface.

The entire water column is also profiled. Researchers measure temperature, salinity, density, turbidity and other parameters. They collect zooplankton, measure water transparency with a Secchi disk, record the vertical distribution of chlorophyll and oxygen, and assess water-column stratification.

These data cannot be obtained from the shore. Without offshore measurements, the picture would be distorted and limited to the surface layer.

For this reason, the project partner acquired a vessel and transferred it to the Utrish reserve. This allows regular marine research to be carried out without the need to rent a vessel each time.

The boat is multifunctional. It can be used not only for scientific work, but also for operational response, including during natural fires. It can approach almost any part of the coast, which makes it possible to deliver equipment, remove waste and work in difficult-to-access coastal areas. It can operate in waves of up to 2 metres, so it can be used during the off-season and even in winter.

Technologies changing marine monitoring

What technologies and approaches are changing environmental monitoring today? Is the main shift simply toward regular observations, or are new tools also appearing?

The transition to regular monitoring is already a major step for this territory.

In terms of technology, researchers use CTD probes – instruments that measure conductivity, temperature and depth, allowing continuous data collection across the water column. Microscopes are used to analyse phytoplankton and zooplankton. Fluorimeters and spectrophotometers are used for chemical analysis. Separate methods are applied to detect heavy metals and complex pollutants such as petroleum products and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.

However, the most important change is not only the equipment, but the logic of the research itself. The approach is shifting from isolated measurements to regular seasonal monitoring and from checking single pollutants against fixed thresholds to calculating integrated indicators, such as a water pollution index.

Monitoring just one pollutant does not provide a complete picture. Petroleum products in the marine environment are not a single substance, but a complex mixture of compounds. As they degrade, they break down into different fractions. Some form a film on the surface, while others sink to the bottom. Heavy fractions can mix with sand and form dense deposits that are visually difficult to detect.

Decomposition can also produce phenols and other compounds. This is why the whole complex of substances must be monitored, rather than isolated indicators.

Overall, the approach is changing from simply recording whether individual limits have been exceeded to understanding how the ecosystem functions and how its physical, chemical and biological processes are connected.

What prevents monitoring from developing further

What difficulties do specialists face when conducting marine environmental monitoring?

There are both natural and organisational challenges.

The first problem is the limited number of suitable weather windows for going out to sea, especially in autumn and winter. At the same time, the marine environment is highly spatially heterogeneous. Pollution may concentrate near the shoreline, or it may accumulate in the near-bottom layer, where it is harder to detect.

This makes data interpretation more complex and requires a more advanced observation methodology.

Organisational challenges include the high cost of expedition work and laboratory analysis. This is one reason why such studies were previously carried out only episodically and could not provide a full picture. Systematic monitoring became possible only through partnership and dedicated financing.

Logistics are also critical. It is not enough to collect samples; they must be preserved correctly and delivered quickly to the laboratory for analysis.

Another challenge is the creation of interdisciplinary teams. Marine monitoring requires oceanologists, hydrologists, hydrochemists and hydrobiologists. In this case, the presence of a specialised oceanographic institute in the region made it possible to build such a team.

Can this model be scaled to other seas?

How do you assess the potential for scaling this environmental monitoring model to other territories?

The potential for scaling is strong. The model is based on standard oceanographic methods, regulatory documents and scientific guidance. At the same time, it is comprehensive: it includes hydrology, hydrochemistry, hydrobiology and integrated pollution indicators.

The core logic is universal: the ecosystem must be assessed as a set of interconnected elements. This is directly relevant for European marine policy, where ecosystem-based management and comparable long-term datasets are becoming increasingly important.

A key feature of the model is its comparative approach. It makes it possible to compare a relatively undisturbed background area with zones affected by human activity. In the Black Sea case, the Utrish area can be compared with more heavily impacted areas near Anapa. This helps assess the real influence of pollution.

Such a model is representative for studying the interaction between physical, chemical and biological factors under anthropogenic pressure. It provides not only a description of the current state of the sea, but also a basis for forecasting risks and making management decisions.

For scaling, several conditions are necessary: regular observations should be formalised, seasonal surveys should become standard practice, permanent monitoring stations should be created in other marine areas, methods of analysis should be unified, and comparable databases should be developed.

The same approach could be valuable across Europe's coastal waters, especially in areas exposed to shipping, tourism pressure, industrial runoff, agricultural nutrient flows, offshore infrastructure and climate-related stress.

The bigger picture

The sea is not a silent mass of water. It is a living, complex ecosystem, and its health depends directly on how well it is understood.

The Living Black Sea project shows how a working monitoring model can be built: fixed stations, repeated seasonal surveys, multi-layer sampling, around 25 physical, chemical and biological parameters, and a methodology that makes data comparable over time.

This kind of monitoring creates an objective picture of ecosystem health, helps forecast risks and supports evidence-based decisions. For Europe, the lesson is broader: marine protection cannot rely on emergency response alone. Seas need permanent observation, comparable data and the ability to detect change before damage becomes irreversible.

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