First stop: Romania’s Critical Navigation Points
The SUNDANSE Project Coordinator, Universitatea „Dunărea de Jos” din Galați together with partners from Marine Research and Regia Autonomă Administrația Fluvială a Dunării de Jos Galați (AFDJ) had concluded the First Research Field Campaign in Romania, on board of REXDAN vessel.
All three partners aforementioned joined the mission motivated by a common goal based on restoring the Danube’s sediment targeting a safer navigation through a series of innovative technology applied for in-situ activities mainly based on bathymetric and hydrological measurements, bed loads sediment measurements, granulometry of the suspended solids and biondicators in water and sediments.
The mission was dedicated to identify specific scenarios of the Romanian Use Case, supporting sustainable and effective solutions for sediment management within Danube Basin.
The campaign kicked off with the Romanian Use Case, targeting the Danube River stretches from Corabia (km 626) to TurnuMagurele (km 597). This area includes three crucial points for navigation: two at Calnovat (km 617-614 and km 613-610) and one at Semovit (km 609-607). Maintaining these points is essential for safe and efficient navigation on the Danube, and our focus is to gather precise data that will shape sustainable sediment management approaches.
The impact we are making
The uniqueness of this campaign is given both by its purpose – finding and demonstrating environmentally friendly solutions for the efficient and sustainable management of sediments in the Danube River Basin – and by its international character as a result of excellent cooperation between the 10 countries, EU and non-EU, of which the project participants are part. Three Romanian partners have given their contribution to the realization of this pioneering action, carrying out bathymetric measurements, in declared critical points, from shore to shore, over a length of more than 10 rkm. The activity was carried out within the framework of the Work Package 4 (WP4), (Task 4.3) in order to achieve the objectives of Work Package 2 (WP2), (Task 2.1) and Work Package 4 (WP4), (Task4.5).
These measurements covered the longest distance measured in this way, in a single campaign, carried out on the territory of Romania so far.
During the campaign, a variety of measurements were conducted, including:
- Bathymetry measurements;
- ADCP (Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler) measurements;
- Determination of the granulometry of suspended sediment particles and bottom sediment;
- In-situ measurements of physicochemical parameters of water using a portable multiparameter device (measuring pH, dissolved oxygen, temperature, conductivity, and total dissolved solids);
- Sampling of macroinvertebrates for taxonomic identification;
- Collection of microplastics from the Danube water using net-type equipment;
- Water sampling with telescopic rod equipment;
- Sediment sampling with a Van Veen grab for particle size composition and pollutant
analysis; - Preparation and preservation of water, suspended sediment and bottom sediment samples for the analysis of pollutants (heavy metals, pesticides, nutrients, organic micropollutants
of interest) with the equipment available at the REXDAN Research Center.
Finally, water and sediment samples were also prepared and preserved for shipment to consortium partners, who aim to analyze specific pollutants.
Wrapping up our first adventure
Researchers on board the REXDAN vessel returned to Galati after nearly three weeks spent on the river, and we couldn’t be prouder of the whole team and incredible results! The map on the right showcases the areas fully covered during this campaign. Every scan, every data point, and every analysis represents the combined efforts of an extraordinary SUNDANSE team.
As we were preparing to close this exciting chapter, the Marine Research team tackled the last task with skill and precision: taking survey boats off the water. With care and expertise, the boats were loaded onto the boat trailer, marking the end of the first SUNDANSE surveillance mission.
Next step: Data analysis
The upcoming period will be dedicated to processing the data collected during this campaign, and the results obtained will serve as the basis for identifying the most effective sediment management solutions for the analyzed river sector. The data and measurements collected will be used by the another SUNDANSE partner, Flanders Hydraulics – Waterbouwkundig Laboratorium, to simulate and build a dynamic scale model of the bottom sediments, providing within project partners and decision makers a solid scientific and technical basis to ensure sustainable sediment management decisions and improving aquatic biodiversity along the Danube.
The data collected during this campaign will be vital in restoring sediment balance and ensuring sustainable navigation along the Danube.
Among many other important features and challenges regarding sediment management and effective execution in implementation, SUNDANSE embraces the power of teamwork and productivity by identifying suitable milestones, moving forward with the joint-force required to successfully complete our objective in developing a sustainable sediment management solutions.
