Synoptic description of site:

The proposed area is situated in the North of the Bulgarian Black Sea coast, characteristic by its rich biodiversity and endemic for Black Sea cumaceans (crustaceans).

Extensive description of site:

Cape Kaliakra Nature Reserve is the only Bulgarian reserve protecting a marine area - a stretch of sea 500 m wide and 8 km long. It also includes 687,5 ha of steppe areas and cliffs up to 70 m high. The limestone is punched with caves – former refuges of the monk seal, now extinct from the Bulgarian coast.

Description of fauna and flora:

Both terrestrial and marine flora and fauna of the reserve have been studied and documented within the Bulgarian-Swiss Biodiversity Conservation Programme, 1997 (BSBCP). The results of the investigations have been published in a monograph (in Bulgarian) and a technical report with limited distribution (in English).

Pristiness: Moderate

Justification:

No industrial activity in this region, but exist the influence of the Danube River inflow.

Human impact:

Local human impact on the area is negligible due to small population (18,640), lack of industry and absence of large harbours in the adjacent territory. A moderate background level of eutrophication is due to the influence of the Danube.

Facilities:

Facilities for marine biodiversity research including seagoing research vessel, scuba diving equipment, laboratories and library are available at the Institute of Oceanology (affiliated to Bulgarian Academy of Sciences) based in Varna.

Available database and website:

A database is in preparation.

Links:

• http://www.marbef.org/data/Questionnaires/Second_questionnaire_Todorova.htm (Questionaire on the Site)
  

Commitment and ongoing research:

The Institute of Oceanology undertakes annual (seasonal) monitoring of macrozoobenthos, zooplankton and phytoplankton along West-East in front of cape Kaliakra beginning 1 nautical mile from the coast.

• Bulgarian Academy of Sciences; Institute of Oceanology (Carrying out research on the Biomare site)
• Bulgarian Academy of Sciences; Institute of Oceanology; Marine Biology and Ecology
  • Todorova,Valentina (Proposed the Biomare Site)
  • Uzunova,Sonya (Proposed the Biomare Site)