Maritime awareness is a keystone of counter-piracy activities, as they are nowadays unfortunately called for in the Gulf of Aden and the Western Indian Ocean. There are a number of space-based systems that can be used to obtain knowledge of shipping and ship traffic patterns beyond coastal range, e.g. Satellite AIS, LRIT and satellite SAR. Based on data gathered during a trial in 2010, this paper analyses the capabilities of these systems when used to obtain a fused maritime picture. It is concluded that all data sources contribute to the maritime picture, but that in particular for Satellite AIS the update rates need to increase to enable accurate fusion of the non-cooperative data.

In mid-March 2022, a Siberian High brought intense cold air masses, leading to severe weather conditions across southern Europe, including the Black Sea region. This study investigates the spatial and temporal evolution of cold intermediate water (CIW) masses in the Black Sea, with a particular focus on the successive anomalously cold episodes that occurred in March 2022. The research underscores the significance of the northwestern continental slope and cyclonic gyres, especially as the only cold-water mass observations during the warm winters of 2020 and 2021 were concentrated in these areas. Following two warm winters, the cold episodes of March 2022 revealed notable convection and simultaneous cooling, particularly in the cyclonic interior and the Rim Current periphery, excluding the northeastern periphery. Subsequently, cold waters spreading isopycnally throughout the summer months were transported laterally and reached these regions. Argo float measurements provided clear evidence of widespread replenishment of the CIW, indicating that it is not confined to specific areas. The study also highlights regional variability in the characteristics of CIW formation, which is influenced by local dynamics and preconditioning temperatures. The temperatures of CIW increased from west to east, in line with the sea surface temperature gradient. Notably, thicker and colder CIW was found in the western cyclonic gyre compared to the eastern cyclonic area. Furthermore, the study confirms that the warming trend in CIW, identified in previous research, not only continues but has intensified during the recent period analyzed. These findings, observed under the extreme conditions analyzed in this research, offer valuable insights into the widespread occurrence of CIW formation in the Black Sea. Additionally, the study confirms that the warming trend in CIW, identified in previous studies, continued in the region throughout the warm winter period and after the cold spell in 2022. These insights contribute to a deeper understanding of CIW dynamics and their response to extreme weather events in the Black Sea.

This study presents a comprehensive assessment of the spatio-temporal variability of Sea Surface Temperature (SST) in the Black Sea at monthly to interannual scales, with a focus on understanding its connection to major large-scale atmospheric forcing during the period 2000-2022. Monthly variations of SST in the Black Sea reveal distinct seasonal patterns. The study evaluates the potential impacts of large-scale atmospheric patterns on interannual SST variations using climate indices such as the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), East Atlantic/West Russia (EA-WR) and El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) during the winter months. The results indicated that these large-scale atmospheric oscillations played a substantial role in influencing SST anomalies, with the NAO and EA-WR indices particularly affecting the Black Sea's SST anomalies. The NAO index exhibited negative values during warm winters and positive values during cold winters, with extreme cold and warm winters corresponding to specific years, as observed in 2003, 2006, 2012, 2017 (cold) and 2018, 2020, 2021 (warm). Notably, the relationship between NAO and SST anomalies was not as dominant during 2000-2022. This difference might be explained by the combined influence of NAO and ENSO, which is beyond the scope of this study. The EA-WR pattern was identified as another significant large-scale atmospheric dynamic affecting the Black Sea's SST. Although it explains the cold SST anomalies in certain years, it cannot account for extreme warm SST years. While the influence of ENSO remains somewhat inconclusive for the extreme warm period, the SST pattern between 2016-2022 aligns closely with El Niño events, particularly in 2018 and 2021 when positive SOI index values coincide with warm SST years in the Black Sea.

In December 2021 and March 2022, synoptic-scale weather systems triggered blockages in the Istanbul Strait, resulting in a notable alteration of the water dynamics of the upper layer of the northeastern Marmara Sea. The blockages resulted in the disruption of water mass exchanges between İzmit Bay and the eastern Marmara basin, driven by intensified hydrodynamic forces and severe wind conditions. The blockage of the two-layer flow in the strait led to an intensification of upper layer dynamics, resulting in an elevation of nutrient levels through mixing with nutrient-rich lower waters and/or the redistribution of nutrient fluxes via an enhanced jet current. This study demonstrates the occurrence of rapid changes in the biochemical structure of İzmit Bay, as evidenced by ADCP measurements and near-weekly temperature and salinity profiles. The analyses demonstrate significant shifts in flow dynamics, with salinity serving as an indicator of enhanced mixing. This mixing enabled the transport of nutrient-rich deep waters to the upper productive layer, thereby stimulating increased biological activity. The findings highlight that the altered dynamics resulted in a notable surge in nutrient concentrations and biochemical activity, potentially fostering the expansion of mucilage-forming species in İzmit Bay.

The Mediterranean outflow from the Bosphorus advances through channels and delta features, reaching the shelf edge, spreading across the mid-shelf slope, and cascading down the steep continental slope. During the July 2024 cruise, intensive sampling along transects using CTD and Scanfish provided high-resolution data to better understand the pathways of the Mediterranean plume along the continental slope. This study explores the steering of Mediterranean streams through a complex channel network on the shelf, the evolution of distinct water properties—including dissolved oxygen content—and the eventual transition of the Mediterranean flow into neutrally buoyant layers.To complement the observational data, the dynamics of the gravity current along the shelf-slope region of the Black Sea, characterized by anomalous temperature and oxygen levels were modeled. Model parameters were optimized and validated against the collected cruise data. These new hydrographic observations and modeling efforts shed light on the Mediterranean gradient flow's penetration into the Black Sea interior, advancing our understanding of its pathways and influence on regional water properties.