Scientists from the Institute of Oceanology at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (BAS) have set out on the research ship Akademik in the Bulgarian part of the Black Sea. They will take samples from the seabed and study the organisms that live there, the BAS press office said.
It is the institute's latest mission on the ship. This time the scientists are analysing seabed sediments and the variety of bottom-dwelling animals, which BAS says is one of the main indicators of the health of the marine environment.
A second expedition is planned for November 2026. The scientists will then check the physical and chemical state of the sea water and study phytoplankton and zooplankton.
The Ministry of Environment and Water is paying for the mission under an agreement with the institute. The money helps Bulgaria meet its duties under EU law on surface waters and the marine environment.
BAS says regular sea monitoring and checks in specific cases, which give up-to-date environmental data, are part of the ecological security of the Black Sea. The scientists say this is especially needed because of the geopolitical situation and incidents involving ships in Bulgaria's exclusive economic zone.