Trends in variability of the distribution of particulate organic carbon in the north-western part of the Black Sea

Abstract The paper describes the results of a study of the variability in the distribution of particulate organic carbon (POC) concentrations in the north-western part of the Black Sea. The initial data for the calculations were satellite data on the concentration of particulate organic carbon particles. In the process of research, such tasks as the formation of relevant POC databases, built maps of the spatial distribution of POC in the north-western part of the Black Sea in different seasons, the analysis of the intra-annual and inter-annual distribution of POC, and the identification of trends were solved. It was established that the concentration of POC in the north-western part of the Black Sea has a seasonal character with an annual periodicity, with the cyclonic movement of POC along the coast. The maximum concentration of POCs is generally concentrated in wetlands of international importance, indicating that they perform much broader ecosystem functions than filtering and purifying water. These wetlands store blue carbon, occupying a certain link in the marine carbon cycle. This confirms the important role of these coastal ecosystems within the transition of the blue economy of the studied area to sustainable development, namely increasing the contribution to solving climate and biodiversity problems, in accordance with the SDGs: Goal 13 – Climate action, Goal 14 – Life below water, Goal 15 – Life on land. Insufficient consideration of this role in the relevant decisions, in particular according to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, will lead not only to a decrease in biodiversity, but also to a deterioration of the climate within the territory of the Northern Black Sea.