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This paper aims to assess the level of perceptions of stakeholders on algal blooms in aquatic systems of Danube Delta in order to apprehend potential adaptation and mitigation strategies for the future, and to analyze for political targets and deficits. Hence, by means of questionnaires were engaged 24 stakeholders representing natural resource managers, local authorities, scientists, NGO’s. Even though the results indicated that not all stakeholders are aware with algal bloom terminology, stating a lack of institutional communication and availability of information to the public in the area, it was an overall consensus that the phenomenon represents more than a serious issue for deltaic aquatic ecosystems. The level to which national, regional and local resources can be focused on treating algal blooms issues depends in part of the strengths and interests in the area.

Zaghen polder is a wetland of faunistic, landscape and recreational area for Tulcea town and the surrounding turism attraction. The phytoplankton analysis consisted in sample prelevation and measurements in four points in polder area. Measurements on phytoplankton amount were made with submersible spectrofluorometer, wich uses light intensity to differentiate the main algal groups and quantifying their biomass. Qualitative analysis of phytoplankton from samples taken from the Zaghen polder was done using the Leitz Laborlux S microscope. The analyses have identified chlorophyll values ranging from 12.41 µg/L in sample point 1 (14.06.2017), and 457.97 µg/L in sample point 3 (27.07.2017). According to Order 161 / 16.02.2006 issued by Ministry of Environment and Water Management it shows that the average grade class was the third, having a mesotrophic degree, with values between 50-100 μg/L. The qualitative analysis reveal 39 genus belonging to 4 taxonomic groups as follow: 17 Chlorophceae, 3 Cyanophyceae, 16 Diatoms and 3 Euglenophyceae. The lowest number of individuals per liter was identified in 14.06.2017 respectively 154,958 ind/L in sample point 1, and the highest number of individuals per liter in 28.08.2017, in sample point 2, respectively 3,388,430 ind/L. The data presented above represent a preliminary analysis on phytoplankton in first year after the ecological rehabilitation of the area.

Any human settlement bears the imprint of society’s defining characteristics, which is why urban planning requires scientific knowledge of the territorial distribution of demographic phenomena, social-economic and urban spatial elements, that represent the framework for the urban social life. Given the fact that Sulina is the only town in the Danube Delta, it was chosen as a case study for identifying the specificity of its urban area and for measuring its degree of development by approaching an integrated system of indicators covering a wide range of areas: sociodemographic, socio-economic, urban space and the integrative index of urban development. This analysis can be further used to support public policies and can represent the base for the strategy for sustainable development of human settlements. The study aims to capture how Sulina has evolved over the last decades when deltaic space has undergone numerous changes in its structure, functionality and status, geo-demographics and economic phenomena with their territorial manifestations, presenting spatial discontinuities and their effects.

This study aims to provide insights in the starting point of the Horizon 2020 ECfunded project SCENT (Smart Toolbox for Εngaging Citizens into a People-Centric Observation Web) Citizen Observatory (CO) in terms of existing infrastructure, existing monitoring systems and some discussion on the existing legal and administrative framework that relate to flood monitoring and management in the area of Danube Delta. The methodology used in this approach is based on expert judgement and ontological analysis, using the information collected from the identified end-users of the SCENT toolbox. In this type of analysis the stages of flood monitoring and management that the experts are involved in are detailed. This is done through an Expert Judgement Assessment analysis. The latter is complemented by a set of Key Performance Indicators that the stakeholders have assessed and/or proposed for the evaluation of the SCENT demonstrations, for the impact of the project and finally for SCENT toolbox performance and usefulness. The second part of the study presents an analysis that attempts to map the interactions between different organizations and components of the existing monitoring systems in the Danube Delta case study. Expert Judgement (EJ) allows to gain information from specialists in a specific field through a consultation process with one or more experts that have experience in similar and complementary topics. Expert judgment, expert estimates, or expert opinion are all terms that refer to the contents of the problem; estimates, outcomes, predictions, uncertainties, and their corresponding assumptions and conditions are all examples of expert judgment. Expert Judgement is affected by the process used to gather it. On the other hand, the ontological analysis comes to complete this study, by organizing and presenting the connections behind the flood management and land use systems in the three phases of the flood event.

The paper present a study of cultural heritage of rural landscape in Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve focuses on cultural landscapes that reflect traditional lifestyle of the locals, activities of deltas’ resource sustainable exploitation, creating visual elements in the rural landscape, especially on traditional buildings, fishermens’ temporary shelters from fishing areas and other traditional activities. In order to highlight the necessity of cultural heritage harmonization and architectural conservation with the socio-economic requirements of rural habitat in Danube Delta were made some field activities through different methods of field investigation, like structured and semistructured interviews, questionnaires, focus groups. In Danube Delta villages, the changes imposed by the touristic function of most of existing or new construction have produced important changes in the architectural landscape of existing settlements impending danger of destroying traditional architectural values which demonstrates on the one hand the personality and inovation spirit of local people in their constructions, particularly in the use of local materials, and on the other hand gives a specific area feature that blends perfectly with the natural landscape. Danube Delta, the space of complex features in terms of cultural values, characterized as open gate of cultural interference, is the area that can provide options to balance cohabitation and cultural heritage.

On the coastal areas, the pressure of touristic development upon natural areas is increasing and interfering with main purposes of Natura 2000 sites designation. Therefore the habitats tendency, adequate for species development, is in regression as far as areas size and homogeneity are concerned. In this respect, a case study is presented for the Black Sea’s north-western littoral, in Sulina locality, Romania. The present paper was elaborated in conformity with Ministry Order 19/2010 for the Methodological Guide with regard to the adequate evaluation (A.E.) of the effect of potential plans or projects on protected natural areas of community importance. The case study is an investment project called lina eac arrangeen. Its objective was to develop a plot for the beach area’s tourist infrastructure in order to provide services to the public. The cumulative impact of the existing project may affect the coastal habitats (1210, 1310, 1410, 2110 and 2160) and Natura 2000 site integrity (ROSCI0065 Danube Delta). Regarding these habitats types, conservation value, criterion of representativeness and functions in concern with possibilities for restoration are analyzed. At present, the studied emplacement is mainly affected by the anthropic interventions, having the aspect of a degraded natural area. In addition, conservation measures are described, which were elaborated in accordance with both the national legislation and by consulting the management plans of certain protected natural areas from abroad, which contain habitats characteristic to the marine coast and sandpits within their perimeter.

The ecological balance of Danube River has suffered alteration processes because of continuously development of human society. In the alteration process of the Danube have been destroyed dominating natural systems and created instead industrial structures with economical purpose such as navigation, hydro-energy, agriculture, harbours that are damaging the Danube River by losing the floodplains and natural morphological structures. In this context the necessity of enhanced measures for ecological restoration is an inevitable consequence of ecosystem degradation at functional and structural level. This paper emphasizes examples and lessons of best practices for Danube River revitalization assessed within SEE project DANUBEPARKS. In gathering the information needed, questionnaires were completed by several restoration sites along Danube River in order to develop a conceptual framework and a matrix of criteria for restoration projects assessments. The results highlighted a lack of ecological restoration projects-information data base as well as restoration ecology is still in its infancy and the literature pertinent to river restoration is rather fragmented. Many revitalization projects were planned or realized without prior knowledge of their potential for success or failure, although, theseprojects greatly contributed, as examples, to our present understanding of river-floodplain systems. Successful Danube Riverand wetland restoration demands an interdisciplinary approach in order to understand how the Danube River and Danube floodplain system function.

Nowadays more and more scientific communities, decisional factors and the most of the inhabitants had realised that there is no future without revering the nature by its all component. The most important component of the Planet Earth is water, in all its conditions and locations. The fresh water is one of the main forms of the water thathas high value for the entire humanity. Most of the fresh waters are stoked into lakes which are permanently or temporary supplied by permanent and respective temporary rivers. In the past, people did not consider water as important as it is in present days and did not take care of its quality and quantity. Therefore, there were built a lot of industrial pollutant plants on immediate proximity, hydro-technical works that changed its shapes and courses, maleficent water consumption entities (e.g. for irrigations, for residential purpose, industrial etc.). All these works did serious changes in the natural (equilibrate) water bodies status in order to alter its natural functions. To win back these natural functions the affected water bodies should be restored. This paper presents an attempt to draw a set of rules to be followed in solving the problem of rivers revitalization, as a study case is about the Danube River. These rules involve scientific specialists, decisional factors and social communities. The beneficiary of the results by applying this set of rules is the entire socio-ecologic system.

The investigation aimed to find out local knowledge on biodiversity conservation through sustainable use and the willingness of the local community Sfântu Gheorghe, Danube Delta, to be involved in the decision making process regarding the sustainable use of the natural resources. In obtaining the necessary information, structuredinterviews and focus group were conducted with the local population and stakeholders in order to achieve a clearer picture of all aspects of sustainable use of natural resources within the area. The results highlighted the unwillingness of local people to exploit the alternative natural resources, other than fish, available in the area and the lack of a strategy to inform and support the local community to realize projects pursuing the recovery of these resources.

The paper presents data about the identification and analyse of the traditional architectural elements in Crisan locality knowing that the tourism activity is in a continuous development. The field research (during November 2007) enabled us to develop a qualitative and quantitative analysis in terms of identification of traditional architecture elements, their conservation status, and frequency of traditional building materials use, decorative elements and specificcolors used in construction architecture. Further, based on collected data, was realized the chart - Distribution for TraditionalArchitecture Index (TAI) on the distance from the center of Crisan locality, showing that in Crisan locality the houses were and are built without taking into account any rule, destroying thus traditional architecture.

The study of cultural patrimony regarding the rural landscape in Danube Delta's localities focus on cultural landscape that reflects traditional lifestyle of local people, activities that confer sustainable use of natural resources, all these aspects creating visual elements for rural landscape. For this research, traditionalarchitecture represents the main assumption in order to identify and preserve traditional architecture line, generally in Danube Delta localities and especially in Sfântu Gheorghe village. Field research enabled us to distinguish favourable and restrictive factors that leaded to the architectural transformation in Sfântu Gheorghe village, and also to know in what measures the traditional architecture is preserved.

The paper presents an evaluation of the main indices regarding the functionality of the land use systems and an exposure of Land Ecosystem Accounting methodology developed by the European Agency (EA), starting from the existing Corine land Cover information. The purpose of LEAC analyze is to reflect the changes survenite in the land cover categories in DDBR, having in consideration the forth level of the Work Flow Analyze – functional accounts.