Black Sea inter-disciplinary multivariable historical database was created in framework of the NATO TU-Black Sea project in 1994-1997 and is maintained in framework of the NATO SfP ODBMS Black Sea Projects. It includes all main physical, chemical and biological variables for the entire Black Sea basin and serves as a base line for contemporary and future research activities and management purposes in the region.

The initial database released after NATO TU Black Sea project, is extended with 60 recent datasets and 5 historical datasets and includes the quality controlled data obtained at 29,242 oceanographic stations up to 2001 (view data statistics). Database covers the most crucial period in the history of the Black Sea ecosystem starting from the “background” situation in 1960 till the drastic changes occurred in recent years. It includes data from all main regional and international sources. All data included into the database were quality checked by qualified groups of regional experts, well acquainted with the Black Sea data. Each value of physical, chemical and bio-optical data is accompanied with the quality flag (the same as in the MEDAR/MEDATLAS projects, that provides the regional compatibility).

Main Data contributors:

• Institute of Biology of the Southern Seas, Ukraine
• Institute of Marine Sciences, Turkey
• Marine Hydrophysical Institute, Ukraine
• Odessa Branch of the Institute of Biology of Southern Seas, Ukraine
• Romanian Marine Research Institute, Romania
• Shirshov Institute of Oceanology, Russia
• Southern Branch of Shirshov Institute of Oceanology, Russia
• Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, USA
• World Data Center A, Oceanography

Specialized Database Management System OceanBase is integrated very closely with the Database. The software and the Database are distributed on CD ROM.

Upon finishing the period of restricted using, the basic version of the Database was open for scientific community. Starting from May, 2001 it was distributed to interested parties on CD ROM by request. Starting from January, 2003  live Internet access to the Database was implemented on the Project Web Server.  

The latest version of the Database was released on CD ROM in July, 2003. Using of this CD ROM is restricted to ODBMS Project participants only.