The objective of this work is to develop a case study in order to improve the ballast water management in the Black Sea’s ports. From this perspective, the present paper provides an extensive explanation about the main issues related to the control of marine non-indigenous species introduction through ballast water discharged by ships during their operations in the ports. Thereafter, it quantifies the amount of the ballast water discharged in the major ports of the Black Sea and the amount of the invading species that could reach these ports. Although, globally speaking, the problem of ballast water management is a reality, only three of the six neighboring countries in the Black Sea basin have signed, in 2004, the ratification of the International Convention on Management of Ships’ Ballast Water and Sediments. This is also known as the Water Ballast Management Convention, and it provides regulations concerning ballast water management generated by the shipping activities through a common set of rules.

The paper outlines the most important shipbuilding strategies in Romania that would allow this industry to increase its performance to be competitive. The research is mainly based on the collection of information from experts in the field from ANCONAV (Romanian Shipbuilders Association), specialists in design and production, and shipyard managers in Romania. The SWOT analysis was based on this information and was the starting point in formulating the strategies. The quantitative determination of the importance of each factor and sub-factor from the SWOT matrix in view of ranking the strategies, but also the verification of the points of view of the experts in the field were performed using the Analytical Hierarchy Process Method (AHP), using Excel applications. The obtained results consisted in identifying the internal and external environmental factors and formulating the main strategies with positive effects on the Romanian naval sector (the development of a Romanian cluster, the consolidation of the position on the global ship market through aggressive marketing, investments regarding the construction of ecological ships, the development of centers of excellence for exploiting the research-development-innovation capacity, the limitation of highly-skilled labor migration, expanding the digitalization, and developing a marketing policy to promote the national shipbuilding companies globally).

Applying a management model to coastal areas is always a challenge because of the multiple scenarios from which they can be addressed. The coastal zone represents a dynamic area, which can be analyzed using physical processes. However, it can also be analyzed from the perspective of land–sea interaction or the socio-economic activities that take place in the area. Last but not least, the coastal area holds great significance for biodiversity, as well as for the communities that live there, their traditions and customs, and their cultural heritage, especially in the context of climate change and sea-level rise. In this context, the present paper aims to analyze the social and economic aspects of environmental protection issues and how these factors, identified by a series of indicators, can coexist together. The target area is Kinvara Bay, which is located south of the Atlantic’s Galway Bay, in the western part of Ireland.