Applying an Integrated System for Ground to Space Monitoring of Anthropogenic Impacts on Coastal Waters of the Black Sea

The authors describe features and the operation of an integrated ground to space monitoring system for studying anthropogenic effects on coastal waters of the Black Sea in the period between May 2014 and July 2020. Use is made of data from optical and radar instruments mounted on different spacecraft of a multi-satellite remote sensing constellation, and from hydrophysical, hydrooptical, hydrochemical, and hydrobiological sensors positioned on research vessels, an oceanographic platform, and moored stations. The results from registering water environment parameters help reveal and analyze such different sources of pollution as oil slicks, petroleum products, and deep wastewater discharges. Analysis of multispectral satellite imagery using color indices allows registration of 133 cases of wastewater surfacing and reveals failures of wastewater collectors in waters near the cities of Sevastopol and Gelendzhik. Improvements in the environmental state of coastal waters in the area of Sevastopol (starting from August 2019) are observed as a result of recommendations for improving their ecological conditions being implemented.