In the period from September 21 to September 24, 2015, a specialized sub-satellite experiment was carried out in the waters of the Goluboy (Limenskiy) Gulf on the southern coast of Crimea near the village of Katsiveli. Field measurements were taken from the board R/V Biryuza and the Stationary Oceanographic Platform of SBSI Black Sea Hydrophysical Polygon. On the shore of the gulf there is an aquapark regularly discharging chlorinated water into the sea. The ship survey and observations from the oceanological platform should reveal the consequences of the water discharge from the aquapark in the form of anomalies of the physical, hydrological or biochemical characteristics of the marine environment.
R/V Biryuza expedition aims
- To work out methods of measuring the characteristics of the marine environment for the operational support of the monitoring system with contact data (the methods proposed in the first and second phases of the project).
- To make a survey of the study area to map the background characteristics of the marine environment.
- To detect fronts on the sewage water boundary, measure their physical, chemical and microbiological characteristics and study their dynamics.
The expedition tasks
The Hydrology team
- to obtain experimental data on the vertical distribution of seawater temperature and salinity by a CTD probe over an approved grid;
- to obtain experimental data on the spatial-temporal structure of the velocity of currents in the study area;
- to obtain experimental data on temperature, salinity and current velocity in the area of wastewater propagation.
The Hydrochemistry team
- to obtain data for studying the structure of fields of oxygen, phosphates, silicic acid, nitrites, nitrates, ammonium, total inorganic carbon, alkalinity, pH and total suspension in the stationary oceanographic platform (SOP) in the summer of 2015.;
- to obtain data for studying the features of the structure of heavy metals content fields in bottom sediments in the SOP area in the summer period of 2015.;
- to obtain experimental data on anomalies of chemical characteristics in the field of wastewater propagation;
- to provide water samples the coastal microbiology team to fulfill the aims of the expedition.
The Turbulence team
- to carry out experimental studies of small-scale hydrophysical characteristics of the upper layer of the sea in the transitional zone marine-coastal part of the Southern coast of Crimea in the region of the SOP, to obtain data for calculating the vertical turbulent diffusion coefficient, buoyancy frequency, for analyzing the spatial distribution of exchange coefficients in the transition zone and identifying features due to geomorphological and hydrological characteristics of the region;
- to obtain experimental data on anomalies of the characteristics of turbulence in the wastewater propagation.
The Sea Optics team
- to work out optical measurement techniques proposed in the second phase of the project;
- to make a survey to obtain background fields of optical characteristics in the study area;
- to detect by optical measurements the sewage flooded jets or fronts;
- to get a general idea of the structure of the fields of optical characteristics in the field of pollution and their optical contrasts with respect to the background fields.
Aims of the expedition on the Oceanographic platform
- To work out methods of measuring the characteristics of the marine environment for the operational support of the monitoring system with contact data.
- To make a survey of the background characteristics of the marine environment in the area of the platform.
- To identify wastewater in case it reach the point of location of the platform, measure the physical, chemical and microbiological characteristics of the front at the wastewater boundary.
Tasks of the expedition
The Remote Sensing Method team
- to work out a method of collecting data on meteorological conditions, surface waves and roughness of the sea surface;
- to provide expedition with wave and meteorological data;
- to study surface manifestations of the pollution source in the roughness of the sea surface.
The Turbulence team
- to determine the intensity of turbulent exchange in the surface layer of the sea, depending on hydrometeorological conditions;
- to evaluate the characteristics of turbulence in the wastewater front.
The Sea Optics team
- to obtain data on the optobiological characteristics of sea water, the dynamics of the sea surface and the driving layer of the atmosphere;
- to register data on the mean and pulsation characteristics of sea water and the atmosphere in the area of the oceanographic platform with reference to the obtained data with time, geographical coordinates and depth;
- to calibrate the measuring equipment, determine the errors of the estimates of the measured parameters, develop the requirements for the procedures of registration of the measured data and quality control;
- to take samples of sea water, carry out their preliminary processing in field conditions and transfer for further research in the conditions of stationary laboratories.
The Hydrology team
- to carry out continuous complex optical-hydrologic-hydrochemical measurements in the upper layer of the sea using a hydrophysical complex of associated measurements;
- to carry out works on testing the complex in the field conditions.
