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The Black Sea suffers from eutrophication due to pollution, causing excessive algae growth that depletes oxygen and affects water quality. This project aims to use satellite monitoring and direct sampling of macroalgae to track pollution.
Monitoring the pollution source in the Black Sea:
--Development of smart macroalgae-based image analysis technologies to monitor macroalgal assemblages in the Black Sea and connect macroalgal growth with marine pollution types, sources and locations in the Black Sea Eutrophication in the Black Sea
-- Decreasing the eutrophication pressure on the coast of the Black Sea by removal of overgrown wild macroalgae populations and establishing of sustainable social-economic macroalgae farming system in the Black Sea
Creating a sustainable macroalgae-based blue-biotech economy in the Black Sea:
-- Production of commercially important biochemical (laminarin, fucoidans, seconder metabolites) or biotechnological (agar, alginate, cellulose) compounds from collected or cultivated macroalgae to recirculate organic-inorganic pollutants from sea to land by a blue-biotech approach.
See more information about this level and the TRL and SRL levels.
–Interoperable, smart monitoring technologies with a particular emphasis on identification/monitoring of marine pollution source(s)using remote sensing and other data processing technologies.
In this initiative, Satellite/drone-based image analysis programs will be used to develop a monitoring system to follow the seasonal growth of the Rhodophyts/Phaeophyts population in the southwestern part of the Black Sea. The growth of macroalgae will be matched with the organic-inorganic pollution level of the same coastal region. In this way, a smart remote sensing system will be developed to estimate marine pollution sources, types and locations in the Black Sea by following the macroalgae population.
–Advance smart tools, technologies and digital innovations –including social innovation– that would support the transition to a sustainable blue economy in the Black Sea ;
Macroalgaecollection from wild sources and establishment of farming system in the Black Sea is a promising approach both to increase and diversify the sea-based production of raw material and as an internal measure to mitigate the pervasive impact of eutrophication. Attaining this goal requires the identification of species-specific suitable areas for farming and the development of cognizant strategies to expand macroalgal farming in the region. Therefore, in this initiative, after developing a remote image analysis program to estimate marine pollution on the overgrowth of macroalgae species, these locations will be used to collect overgrowth algal biomass and establish the cultivation-harvesting system. Macroalgae farming system will be taught to people living in coastal areas and will offer new job opportunities to them. In this aspect, the initiative has a social innovation potential to support the transition toa sustainable blue economy in the Black Sea.
–Decision Support Tools for Holistic and Integrated Planning for cross-sectorcoordination.
In this initiative, satellite-based image analysis systems will be used to identify pollution resources, types, locations and intensities in Turkish Black Sea region by following the overgrowth of macroalgal populations. By this way, we will develop tools for integrated planning of macroalgal collection-cultivation and harvesting system in the Black Sea. Then this collected or cultivated algal biomass will be used to produce commercially important biochemical and biotechnological compounds. We will specifically concentrated on Rhodophyts (Cystoseira) and Phaeophyts (Gracilaria) species in this initiative due to their large biomass, pollutant removal capacity and adaptation to pollutant environment. Both species are known to be dominant macro algal species adapted to coastal region of Black Sea. They are also used to produce many important biologically active metabolites (antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, and anticancer agents) and biotechnological compounds (agar, alginate, cellulose, laminarin, fucoidans). All these compounds are extensively used in medical, food, microbiology, biotechnology and agricultural sectors. Therefore, remote monitoring systems developed in this initiative will be also used also for cross-sectorcoordination.
The initiative will be developed as a part of R&D project with the researchers employed in three Turkish Universities located in Black Sea region. The main executive of this initiative is Qbiyotech Chemicals Company, which will also manage the commercialization process of the project’s outputs. In this way, all stakeholders including researches and companies will bring and work together to build a macroalgae based blue economy ecosystem in the Black Sea. The stakeholders and their duties in the project were written below. 1. Gebze University, Faculty of Engineering, Department of Geomatics Engineering, İzmit, Türkiye; Macroalgae-based Map Production with Remote Sensing Data: Airborne Laser Scanning with satellite or Laser Unmanned Aerial Vehicles and digital Photogrammetry with interferometry and Radargrammetry for Virtual Reality Integration2. Zonguldak Karaelmas University, Faculty of Engineering, Department of Environmental Engineering, Zonguldak, Türkiye; Direct sampling of the sea water and measurement of pollution and water quality with ICP-MS analysis, microbial activity test and multi-purpose spectroradiometer. 3. Ondokuz Mayıs University, Faculty of Science, Department of Biology / Molecular Biology and Genetics, Samsun, Türkiye. Collection of Macroalage and determination of their species and biological properties. Production of macroalgae based biological and biotechnological active molecules or compounds such as agar, alginate, cellulose, laminarin, and seconder metabolites. 4. Qbiyotek R&D Chemical Company, Samsun Teknopark/ Samsun-Türkiye; production of macroalgae based compounds and their conversion to final commercial product. For instance, agar and alginate will be produced from macroalgae by R&D process and the company convert them into agarose, bacto agar, encapsulating alginate and alginate fiber.
–In Turkey, collecting samples from wild life and its commercialization depend on the legislation controlled by the Ministry of Environment and Urbanization. Therefore, obtaining the necessary permissions for the establishment of the macroalgae collection-cultivation-harvesting systems are the legal obligations of the project. We know that such permissions have previously been given in a controlled manner within the scope of similar projects.
–Existence and overgrowth of macroalgae populations in Black Sea highly depend on the rainfall regime and organic-inorganic pollution coming from rivers. Therefore, the detection of natural macroalgae habitats and identification of macroalgae overgrowth with remote image analysis programs may not be sufficient and the processes of collecting macroalgae from these regions pose risks in terms of inadequacy.
–Biological diversity in macroalgae species or genotypes could be a limitation factor. For instance, some overgrowth macroalgae populations may not have sufficient quality and quantity of biological metabolites or biotechnological compounds. It has been shown in previous studies that red and brown algae collected from the Black Sea can produce high quality metabolites. Therefore, wide biodiversity of macroalgae species ensures the production of many types biological metabolites or compounds.
The Black Sea suffers from eutrophication due to pollution, causing excessive algae growth that depletes oxygen and affects water quality. This project aims to use satellite monitoring and direct sampling of macroalgae to track pollution.
Monitoring the pollution source in the Black Sea:
--Development of smart macroalgae-based image analysis technologies to monitor macroalgal assemblages in the Black Sea and connect macroalgal growth with marine pollution types, sources and locations in the Black Sea Eutrophication in the Black Sea
-- Decreasing the eutrophication pressure on the coast of the Black Sea by removal of overgrown wild macroalgae populations and establishing of sustainable social-economic macroalgae farming system in the Black Sea
Creating a sustainable macroalgae-based blue-biotech economy in the Black Sea:
-- Production of commercially important biochemical (laminarin, fucoidans, seconder metabolites) or biotechnological (agar, alginate, cellulose) compounds from collected or cultivated macroalgae to recirculate organic-inorganic pollutants from sea to land by a blue-biotech approach.
The main components of the system have been tested separately, and an initial integration exercise has been conducted.
–Interoperable, smart monitoring technologies with a particular emphasis on identification/monitoring of marine pollution source(s)using remote sensing and other data processing technologies.
In this initiative, Satellite/drone-based image analysis programs will be used to develop a monitoring system to follow the seasonal growth of the Rhodophyts/Phaeophyts population in the southwestern part of the Black Sea. The growth of macroalgae will be matched with the organic-inorganic pollution level of the same coastal region. In this way, a smart remote sensing system will be developed to estimate marine pollution sources, types and locations in the Black Sea by following the macroalgae population.
–Advance smart tools, technologies and digital innovations –including social innovation– that would support the transition to a sustainable blue economy in the Black Sea ;
Macroalgaecollection from wild sources and establishment of farming system in the Black Sea is a promising approach both to increase and diversify the sea-based production of raw material and as an internal measure to mitigate the pervasive impact of eutrophication. Attaining this goal requires the identification of species-specific suitable areas for farming and the development of cognizant strategies to expand macroalgal farming in the region. Therefore, in this initiative, after developing a remote image analysis program to estimate marine pollution on the overgrowth of macroalgae species, these locations will be used to collect overgrowth algal biomass and establish the cultivation-harvesting system. Macroalgae farming system will be taught to people living in coastal areas and will offer new job opportunities to them. In this aspect, the initiative has a social innovation potential to support the transition toa sustainable blue economy in the Black Sea.
–Decision Support Tools for Holistic and Integrated Planning for cross-sectorcoordination.
In this initiative, satellite-based image analysis systems will be used to identify pollution resources, types, locations and intensities in Turkish Black Sea region by following the overgrowth of macroalgal populations. By this way, we will develop tools for integrated planning of macroalgal collection-cultivation and harvesting system in the Black Sea. Then this collected or cultivated algal biomass will be used to produce commercially important biochemical and biotechnological compounds. We will specifically concentrated on Rhodophyts (Cystoseira) and Phaeophyts (Gracilaria) species in this initiative due to their large biomass, pollutant removal capacity and adaptation to pollutant environment. Both species are known to be dominant macro algal species adapted to coastal region of Black Sea. They are also used to produce many important biologically active metabolites (antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, and anticancer agents) and biotechnological compounds (agar, alginate, cellulose, laminarin, fucoidans). All these compounds are extensively used in medical, food, microbiology, biotechnology and agricultural sectors. Therefore, remote monitoring systems developed in this initiative will be also used also for cross-sectorcoordination.
The initiative will be developed as a part of R&D project with the researchers employed in three Turkish Universities located in Black Sea region. The main executive of this initiative is Qbiyotech Chemicals Company, which will also manage the commercialization process of the project’s outputs. In this way, all stakeholders including researches and companies will bring and work together to build a macroalgae based blue economy ecosystem in the Black Sea. The stakeholders and their duties in the project were written below. 1. Gebze University, Faculty of Engineering, Department of Geomatics Engineering, İzmit, Türkiye; Macroalgae-based Map Production with Remote Sensing Data: Airborne Laser Scanning with satellite or Laser Unmanned Aerial Vehicles and digital Photogrammetry with interferometry and Radargrammetry for Virtual Reality Integration2. Zonguldak Karaelmas University, Faculty of Engineering, Department of Environmental Engineering, Zonguldak, Türkiye; Direct sampling of the sea water and measurement of pollution and water quality with ICP-MS analysis, microbial activity test and multi-purpose spectroradiometer. 3. Ondokuz Mayıs University, Faculty of Science, Department of Biology / Molecular Biology and Genetics, Samsun, Türkiye. Collection of Macroalage and determination of their species and biological properties. Production of macroalgae based biological and biotechnological active molecules or compounds such as agar, alginate, cellulose, laminarin, and seconder metabolites. 4. Qbiyotek R&D Chemical Company, Samsun Teknopark/ Samsun-Türkiye; production of macroalgae based compounds and their conversion to final commercial product. For instance, agar and alginate will be produced from macroalgae by R&D process and the company convert them into agarose, bacto agar, encapsulating alginate and alginate fiber.
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