AQUARIUS Funding Call – Marine and Freshwater Infrastructure Access: Open 02 September 2025 – 28 October 2025
ASTRA
ASsessment of Toxins and associated micRoAlgal species in the Black and Marmara Seas
Funded by AQUARIUS Transnational Access Call 1
The ASTRA project (ASsessment of Toxins and associated micRoAlgal species in the Black and Marmara Seas) aims to advance knowledge on harmful algal blooms (HABs), their toxins, and environmental drivers in the Black Sea and Marmara Sea.
Research Infrastructure Used: Tubitak Marmara
“The ASTRA project represents a unique opportunity to advance our understanding of harmful algal bloom species and their toxins in the Black and Marmara Seas, contributing essential knowledge for ecosystem health and management.”
Laura Boicenco, National Institute for Marine Research and Development “Grigore Antipa” (NIMRD)
PARTNERS
MAIN OBJECTIVES
The ASTRA project (ASsessment of Toxins and associated micRoAlgal species in the Black and Marmara Seas) aims to advance knowledge on harmful algal blooms (HABs), their toxins, and environmental drivers in the Black Sea and Marmara Sea. Building on previous efforts and expertise in the region, ASTRA combines multidisciplinary approaches, including hydrographic measurements, plankton sampling, DNA metabarcoding, toxin analysis (LC-MS/MS), and sediment cyst studies. The project will address critical knowledge gaps on HAB species diversity, toxin profiles, cyst distribution, and environmental triggers influencing bloom dynamics.
Main objectives include:
• Identifying and characterizing HAB species through morphological and molecular analyses.
• Mapping spatial distribution of toxigenic species and associated phycotoxins across the Black and Marmara Seas.
• Investigating resting cyst diversity, viability, and distribution to assess bloom initiation potential.
• Establishing monoclonal cultures to study strain-specific ecophysiological and toxin profiles.
• Performing interregional comparisons to reveal patterns in HAB dynamics and environmental drivers.
Expected outputs:
• New datasets on HAB species, toxins, DNA metabarcoding, cyst dynamics, and environmental parameters.
• Contribution to scientific knowledge through publications, data repositories (PANGAEA, EMODnet), and international conferences.
• Enhanced collaboration with regional monitoring bodies and aquaculture sectors through knowledge transfer and risk assessment recommendations.
• Integration of findings into regional marine management and EU policy frameworks (WFD, MSFD).
MORE INFORMATION
AQUARIUS TA Project Name:
ASsessment of Toxins and associated micRoAlgal species in the Black and Marmara Seas
Project acronym:
ASTRA
TA Project Unique ID:
19
Partners involved:
• National Institute for Marine Research and Development “Grigore Antipa” (NIMRD)
• Alfred Wegener Institut-Helmholtz Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung
• Institute of Oceanology – Bulgarian Academy of Sciences
• Institute of Marine Sciences and Management, Istanbul University
• IFREMER
• Université de Bretagne Occidentale (UBO)
• Tübitak Marmara Research Center
Start date
5th September 2025
End date
20th September 2025
Mission Lighthouse Region
Danube & Black Sea
Work/research geographical
area
Black Sea and Marmara Sea
Names of RI facilities used
RV Tubitak Marmara
Scientific discipline(s)
Earth Sciences & Environment: Marine science/Oceanography
Principal Investigator
(PI) Affiliation
National Institute for Marine Research and Development “Grigore Antipa” (NIMRD)
Relevant links
National Institute for Marine Research and Development “Grigore Antipa” (NIMRD)
https://www.nimrd.ro/
Alfred Wegener Institut-Helmholtz Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung (AWI)
https://www.awi.de/
Institute of Oceanology – Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (IO-BAS)
http://www.io-bas.bg/
Institute of Marine Sciences and Management, Istanbul University
https://www.istanbul.edu.tr/en/_
IFREMER (French Research Institute for Exploitation of the Sea)
https://wwz.ifremer.fr/
Université de Bretagne Occidentale (UBO)
https://www.univ-brest.fr/
TÜBİTAK Marmara Research Center
https://mam.tubitak.gov.tr/en