Sevastopol geographers examine the state of the coast and the coastal zone of the Crimea. The project has received the Russian Geographical Society grant in 2014.
After the examination, the scientists will be able to make a forecast for the development of the coastal zone and to give recommendations for the protection of the environment and environmental management.
“We will use images of high-resolution made from the space, data of direct measurements and archival materials. We need to sum up knowledge of the current state of the dynamics of the coast of the peninsula, taking into account climate change and the impact of human activities. It is also important to identify the pattern of extreme climatic anomalies on the coast of the Crimea under the influence of global processes in the “ocean – atmosphere system”, – says deputy head of the department of Shelf Hydrophysics of Marine Hydrophysical Institute, Doctor of Geographical Sciences Yuri Goryachkin.
The length of the Black Sea coastline in the Crimea is about 750 km. More than 1 million people (about half of the population of the Crimea) live on the coast. About 5 million tourists arrive there every year, and in summer there are about three people per square meter on the beach.
“In the last 20 years unprecedented in scale and chaotic construction was deployed in the coastal zone of the Crimea, which adversely affected the state of the environment, – continues Yuri Goryachkin. – One of the visible effects is sharp decline, and sometimes disappearance of beaches – one of the assets of the Crimea. In parallel, the process of destruction of bank protection structures built during the Soviet era. In the last two decades organizations concerned with conservation of the coast, have been either fully closed or drastically reduced. Solutions for the pressing problems of wildlife management in the coastal zone were often incompetent and had a detrimental effect on the environment. “
In addition, during the expeditions, which have already begun, geographers are planning to evaluate the rate of reduction of the beach area. A digital archive of contemporary and historical photographs characterizing the changes in the landscape shores will be created.
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According to Yuri Goryachkina, within the city limits, for example in Evpatoria, 13 hectares of beaches have been lost in the last 20 years.
“The beach is the best shore defense, it dampens the wave energy. However, the beaches are reduced primarily by humans: in the 1940-1950s sand recovery was actively conducted in underwater pits and beaches. After such works were banned unauthorized extraction continued. In the 1970s due to the control of rivers flow, construction of hydraulic structures, movement of bottom sediment changed and their arrival in the sea almost completely stopped. As a result the natural balance was affected, the number of shellfish whose shells are source of sand decreased, – says Yuri Goryachkin. – In addition, natural factors caused adverse affect: storms come more often; in 60 years the Black Sea level has gone up by 15 centimeters, and the sandy beach has reduced by 30 centimeters with the rise of water level by 1 centimeter. ”
By May 2015, the publishing house “ECOS-Hydrophysics” will publish a monograph-atlas with materials that reflect the current state of the Crimean coast.
Director of Marine Hydrophysical Institute, Academician Vitaly Ivanov will manage the project. A working group of 10 scientists will be headed by Yuri Goryachkin.
Branch of the Russian Geographical Society in Sevastopol was established in May 2014. Among its members are specialists in the field of geography and other related sciences – university professors and students, members of research institutes, travelers, environmentalists and public figures.
One of the main tasks of the society activity is to promote geographic, historical and cultural heritage of Russia as a matter of national pride. In addition, the important task is promotion of scientific creativity, development of geographic and related sciences of nature and society, large-scale dissemination and application of the best achievements of science in Russia. Sevastopol city branch of the Russian Geographical Society is headed by Doctor of Geographical Sciences, Professor Helen Voskresenskaya.