(Euro-EcoGeoCentre - Romania) European Centre of Excellence for Environmental and Geo-ecological Studies on River – Delta – Sea Systems in Europe: case study River Danube – its Delta – Black Sea System (Euro-EcoGeoCentre - Romania) National Institute of Research and Development for Marine Geology and Geo-ecology GeoEcoMar

Euro-EcoGeoCentre - Romania Main objectives Continuous formation and training of young scientists for improving the scientific level of the Romanian R&D units; Enhanced East - West scientific co-operation by networking and improving mobility schemes ; Enhanced long-term co-operative research and monitoring of the River Danube-its Delta-Black Sea system using jointly the local and international human and logistic resources (a “ matrix ” and “ catalyst ” of the two previous objectives).

Euro-EcoGeoCentre - Romania Part I: Continuous training of young scientists

WP.2 - Summer schoolsWP.2 - Summer schools (10 days yearly) Year 1 – Month 9; Year 2 – Month 21; Year 3 – Month 33 Topics to be covered: Environmental complex studies, geo-ecology of the River Danube, its Delta and the coastal Black Sea; Genesis and evolution of the Danube, of the Delta and of the Black Sea; Structure and functioning of the characteristic ecosystems in the region; Environmental changes impact on aquatic and sedimentary systems; Major pollution issues impacting the environmental state of the region, the water resources and supply; Cost-effective solutions to protect and rehabilitate the river, delta and coastal sea environments; Sustainable management of living and mineral resources within the Danube-Black Sea system.

Euro-EcoGeoCentre - Romania Part I: Continuous training of young scientists WP.3 - Junior scientists visitorsWP.3 - Junior scientists visitors (two young scientists/one month each yearly) Task 3.1: Two young scientists from Euro-EcoGeoCentre will have one month training at IFREMER and Hamburg University for specialised analyses of samples collected during the first River Danube cruise and using new methodologies and analytical equipment (Year 1 – Month 9). Task 3.2: Two young scientists will take part in the study of Black Sea and Danube Delta samples at the Institute of Environment and Sustainability of JRC in Ispra (Year 2 – Month 21). Task 3.3: Two young scientists will participate for a one month period in processing and interpretation of the results of the three year research programme of the Euro-EcoGeoCentre at IFREMER (Year 3 – Month 33).

Euro-EcoGeoCentre - Romania Part I: Continuous training of young scientists WP.4 – Two Ph.D. thesis with double supervisionWP.4 – Two Ph.D. thesis with double supervision In the first two years the PhD students will spend two months/year at the partner university. In the last third year the PhD students will have two times two months stays – one for finishing the thesis research and the second for preparing the public presentation of the thesis In the last third year the PhD students will have two times two months stays – one for finishing the thesis research and the second for preparing the public presentation of the thesis

Euro-EcoGeoCentre - Romania Part I: Continuous training of young scientists WP.5 – WorkshopsWP.5 – Workshops ( Duration 3 days/workshop - 18 participants, of which 8 from abroad) ( Duration 3 days/workshop - 18 participants, of which 8 from abroad) Task 5. 1.: Workshop 1 – "New ideas for an integrated observing and forecasting system in the Lower Danube River, Danube Delta and NW Black Sea“ (Year 1 – Month 7) Task 5. 2.: Workshop 2 – " Present-day environmental problems of the Lower Danube River, including Danube Delta" (Year 1 – M 12) Task 5. 3.: Workshop 3 – "Environmental disequilibria in the NW Black Sea coastal system: causes, consequences, correctives" (Year 2 – M 21) Task 5. 4.: Workshop 4 – "Changes in the structure and functioning of the open sea ecosystems" (Year 3 – M 33)

Euro-EcoGeoCentre - Romania Part I: Continuous training of young scientists WP.6 - Symposia, conferencesWP.6 - Symposia, conferences (35 participants, of which 15 from abroad) Task Symposium 1: "Abnormal influxes into the European Seas, particularly BAB Seas (Baltic, Adriatic and Black Seas) – causes, consequences, correctives" (Year 1, month days) Task Symposium 2: "Reciprocal connections between subsystems along the contour interfaces in semi-enclosed European Seas – a review of the diversity and variability of terrestrial - aquatic, atmosphere - sea and water mass-seabed interactions” (Year 2, month 22 – 3 days) Task Symposium 3: "Sequential/differential approach for the holistic knowledge of the coastal zone – fundamentals of sustainable management" (Year 3, month 34 – 3 days)

Euro-EcoGeoCentre - Romania Part I: Continuous training of young scientists WP. 7 – Establishing of dedicated web site for a virtual school and dissemination of the Centre's resultsWP. 7 – Establishing of dedicated web site for a virtual school and dissemination of the Centre's results Electronic publishing of general and specific information about the project and about the Centre and its facilities; Electronic publishing of information about the current progress and agenda of the project; Electronic publishing of all written materials of courses and seminars; Gathering and structuring in a database of all the scientific data acquired during the project; publishing this information on the project web site; Publishing on the project web site of the suitable deliverables and the corresponding scientific papers.

Euro-EcoGeoCentre - Romania Part II: Enhanced scientific cooperation by networking WP.8 – Co-ordination - Steering Committee meetingsWP.8 – Co-ordination - Steering Committee meetings Management of scientific, teaching and networking activities of European-EcoGeoCentre; Management and control of the administration and financial state of the Centre; Upgrading the development strategy of the Centre. Time schedule: Year 1: Meeting 1 - month 1, 3 days; Meeting 2 - month 12, 3 days; Year 2: Meeting 3 - month 21, 3 days; Year 3: Meeting 4 - month 30, 3 days; Meeting 5 - month 36, 3 days.

Euro-EcoGeoCentre - Romania Part II: Enhanced scientific cooperation by networking WP.9 – Participation in cruises on the Danube, in the Danube delta and on the Black SeaWP.9 – Participation in cruises on the Danube, in the Danube delta and on the Black Sea Task 9.1 – The participation of high-level scientists from the co- operating West-European institutes in cruises on the River Danube, within the Danube Delta and on the Black Sea as co-chiefs of the cruises Objectives: To enhance the co-operation among Romanian and West-European partners; To develop closer networking through direct participation of high-level professionals from the West-European co-operating institutes in field research organised by the European EcoGeoCentre; To facilitate the transfer of know-how from the western scientists to young Romanian researchers.

Euro-EcoGeoCentre - Romania Part II: Enhanced scientific cooperation by networking WP.10 – Participation in laboratory workWP.10 – Participation in laboratory work Task The participation of high level scientists from the co- operating West-European institutes in laboratory work on samples and records obtained within the cruises on the River Danube, in the Danube Delta and on the Black Sea. Objectives: To enhance the co-operation among Romanian and West-European partners; To develop closer networking through the direct participation of high-level professionals from the West-European co-operating institutes in laboratory work on collected samples and recorded profiles during the field works carried out through the Centre; To facilitate the transfer of know-how from western scientists to young Romanian researchers.

Euro-EcoGeoCentre - Romania Part II: Enhanced scientific cooperation by networking WP.11 - Participation in processing and interpretation of data; publication of results.WP.11 - Participation in processing and interpretation of data; publication of results. Task 11.1 – The participation of high-level scientists from the co- operating West-European institutes in data processing and interpretation, structuring and validating a complex data-base and a project GIS, as well as predicting the evolution of the Danube-its delta-Black Sea system. Objectives: To enhance the co-operation between Romanian and West-European partners; To develop closer networking through the direct participation of high-level professionals from the West-European co-operating institutes in data processing and interpretation at Euro-EcoGeoCentre as well as at the other participating institutes; To facilitate the transfer of know-how from western scientists to young Romanian researchers.

Euro-EcoGeoCentre - Romania Part III: Long term co-operative research and monitoring of the River Danube – Danube Delta – Black Sea system WP.III/1 - Process studies (hydrology, sedimentology, biogeochemistry etc.), water and sediments quality, structure and functioning of ecosystems within the Danube - its delta - Black Sea systemWP.III/1 - Process studies (hydrology, sedimentology, biogeochemistry etc.), water and sediments quality, structure and functioning of ecosystems within the Danube - its delta - Black Sea system Not financed through the Centre of Excellence Objectives: Scientific cruises on the River Danube, in the Danube Delta and on the Black Sea for sampling water, sediments and biota, in-situ measurements of different physical-chemical parameters, bathymetric, hydrologic and geo- environmental studies (side-scan, acoustic and seismo-acoustic profiling, geomagnetics, etc.) ; Laboratory analyses of samples collected during the cruises Processing and interpretation of the data obtained

Euro-EcoGeoCentre - Romania Part III: Long term co-operative research and monitoring of the River Danube – Danube Delta – Black Sea system WP.III/2 - Global and sea level changes and their influence on the ecological state and socio-economic development of the region; anthropogenic changes and their role in the ecosystems functioningWP.III/2 - Global and sea level changes and their influence on the ecological state and socio-economic development of the region; anthropogenic changes and their role in the ecosystems functioning Not financed through the Centre of Excellence Objectives: Task A: Geophysical, geological and biological studies of continental, shallow and deep-water depocenters for evidencing global changes in sedimentary records. Task B: Identification and quantification of the main categories of physical-chemical and biological disturbances of the regional aquatic ecosystems, as a consequence of anthropogenic socio- economic activities.

Euro-EcoGeoCentre - Romania Part III: Long term co-operative research and monitoring of the River Danube – Danube Delta – Black Sea system WP.III/3 – Data-base, GIS and predicting the trends of environmental evolution of the region; studies on the sustainable management of the mineral and living resourcesWP.III/3 – Data-base, GIS and predicting the trends of environmental evolution of the region; studies on the sustainable management of the mineral and living resources Not financed through the Centre of Excellence Objectives: Task A - To create a complex database for the River Danube - Danube Delta - Black Sea system. Task B - To establish a project GIS which will be able to generate thematic maps as needed and will be updated throughout the project.