Final Scientific Conference of the CARE SEA Project

International Scientific Conference „Transbounday Science for a Cleaner and Sustainable Black Sea“ 

22–24 September 2026  |  Batumi, Georgia

Conference Programme and Call for Papers

Organised within the framework of the CARE SEA Project — “Cooperation and Awareness for a Pollution-Free and Environmentally Sustainable Black Sea” — implemented under the Interreg VI-B NEXT Black Sea Basin Programme and co-funded by the European Union.

1. Institutional and Project Framework

Host Institution and Lead Organiser

Batumi Shota Rustaveli State University (BSU), Georgia
Lead Partner (LP1) of the CARE SEA Project

CARE SEA Project Partnership

• Batumi Shota Rustaveli State University (BSU), Georgia Lead Partner (LP1);
• University of European Political and Economic Studies “Constantin Stere” (USPEE), Republic of Moldova  Project Partner 2 (PP2);
• Karadeniz Technical University (KTU), Türkiye  Project Partner 3 (PP3);
• Aristotle University of Thessaloniki – Research Committee (AUTH), Greece  Project Partner 4 (PP4);
• Danube Delta National Institute for Research and Development (DDNI), Romania Project Partner 5 (PP5).

Conference Chairs

Dr. Izolda Matchutadze Professor, Batumi Shota Rustaveli State University; CARE SEA Project Coordinator and Lead Partner Representative

Dr. Tite Aroshidze  Rector, Batumi Shota Rustaveli State University

Scientific Secretary

Dr. Izolda Matchutadze, Assoc. Prof. Guguli Dumbadze  Batumi Shota Rustaveli State University

Scientific and Organising Committees

• Dr. Victoria Trofimov - University of European Political and Economic Studies “Constantin Stere” (USPEE), Republic of Moldova  Project Partner 2 (PP2);
• Prof. Kadir Seyhan Karadeniz - Technical University (KTU), Türkiye  Project Partner 3 (PP3);
• Prof. Antigoni Zafarekuy -  Aristotle University of Thessaloniki – Research Committee (AUTH), Greece Project Partner 4 (PP4);
• Dr.Ing.  Cristina Despina - Danube Delta National Institute for Research and Development (DDNI), Romania  Project Partner 5 (PP5).
• Prof. Tamar Siradze - Deputy rector of BSU
• Assist. Prof. Giorgi Katamadze -  Deputy rector of BSU
• Assist. Prof. Mariam Metreveli – Director, Institute of Phytopathology and Biodiversity BSU
• Assoc. Prof. Nargiz Palavandishvili - Dean of Faculty of Tourism BSU
• Assist. Prof. Shota Rodinadze -  Head of Horizon Europe office BSU
• Nana Tavdgridze - Head of Scientific department
• Tinatin Zoidze - Head of Directorate Tourism and Resorts of Ajara Ministry of Finance and Economy of Ajara
• PhD Marina Shainidze - Batumi Shota Rustaveli State University
• Dr. Natela Tetemadze - Batumi Shota Rustaveli State University
• Dr. Mamuka Gvilava- Black Sea Commission ICZM  National focal point for Georgia
• Tamar Meskhidze -  Head of Accountant Department, Batumi Shota Rustaveli State University
• Assist. Prof.  Nino  Dolidze - Head of Public relationship department, Batumi Shota Rustaveli State University
• Merab Diasamidze -  Head of Administration, Batumi Shota Rustaveli State University
• Assoc.  Prof.   Irine Baramidze - Batumi State Maritime Academy

2. Conference Concept

The CARE SEA International Scientific Conference, “Transboundary Science and Integrated Solutions for a Cleaner and More Resilient Black Sea Basin”, is the final international scientific and public event of the CARE SEA Project (BSB00559). It is designed as a high-level interdisciplinary forum for the presentation, critical discussion, and wider dissemination of the Project’s scientific findings, methodological advances, policy-relevant recommendations, and practical environmental-management outputs.

The Conference brings together researchers, higher-education and research institutions, public authorities, environmental practitioners, policy-makers, civil society organisations, students, local communities, and other stakeholders engaged in pollution prevention, biodiversity conservation, ecological rehabilitation, citizen science, and sustainable environmental governance across the Black Sea Basin.

The CARE SEA Project responds to the shared territorial challenge of pollution in the Black Sea Basin, with particular emphasis on plastic and microplastic contamination and its interactions with other environmental pressures affecting riverine, wetland, coastal, and marine ecosystems. Through a transnational partnership involving Georgia, the Republic of Moldova, Türkiye, Greece, and Romania, the Project combines harmonised environmental observation, cross-border assessment, numerical modelling, ecological rehabilitation planning, public participation, and the dissemination of accessible scientific knowledge.

Accordingly, the Conference is structured around the six interrelated CARE SEA activities: the development of common instruments and a methodology for smart environmental observation; assessment of the state of plastic pollution in the Project study areas; exchange of experience and cross-border monitoring; development of recommendations for ecological rehabilitation; advancement of public engagement with science and environmental knowledge production; and valorisation and dissemination of the collected data.

Particular attention will be devoted to the Project’s comparative and place-based results from the Chorokhi River and its Georgian–Turkish transboundary area, the Lower Prut and Danube Delta region, the eastern Black Sea coastal environment of Türkiye, the Thermaikos Gulf, and the other CARE SEA study areas. These results will be interpreted within the wider scientific and policy context of environmental protection, pollution reduction, biodiversity conservation, and ecosystem resilience in the Black Sea Basin.

Beyond reporting project achievements, the Conference will promote dialogue among science, policy, and society; support the translation of research findings into implementable management measures; consolidate cooperation among the CARE SEA partner institutions; and encourage the continuation of joint monitoring, research, citizen-science, and pollution-mitigation actions beyond the Project implementation period.

3. Strategic Relevance to the Interreg NEXT Black Sea Basin Programme

The Conference directly contributes to the objectives of the Interreg VI-B NEXT Black Sea Basin Programme, Priority 2, and to RSO2.7: enhancing the protection and preservation of nature, biodiversity, and green infrastructure, including in urban areas, while reducing all forms of pollution.

Its transnational design reflects the recognition that pollution in the Black Sea Basin is not confined by administrative or national boundaries. Comparable scientific evidence, harmonised observation methods, shared data, and jointly developed responses are therefore essential for effective risk reduction and sustainable management. The Conference provides the framework through which CARE SEA partners and stakeholders can jointly assess project findings, exchange transferable practices, and strengthen the institutional relationships required for the long-term application of project outputs.

4. Conference Objectives

The Conference aims to:

• present, critically discuss, and disseminate the scientific findings, methodologies, monitoring protocols, datasets, maps, models, and practical outputs developed within the CARE SEA Project;
• advance scientific understanding of plastic, microplastic, chemical, and other forms of pollution affecting rivers, wetlands, coastal zones, and marine environments in the Black Sea Basin;
• promote harmonised approaches to environmental observation, monitoring, data interpretation, and transboundary pollution assessment;
• present the findings of the Georgian–Turkish and Romanian–Moldovan comparative assessments and identify their implications for cross-border environmental management;
• examine the application of numerical modelling to the transport, advection, dispersion, and weathering of small plastic particles in water bodies and coastal environments;
• present ecological rehabilitation recommendations, management and action plans, nature-based solutions, and pollution-risk mitigation measures developed for the CARE SEA target regions;
• demonstrate the contribution of citizen science, environmental education, open science, and public participation to environmental knowledge production and informed action;
• strengthen dialogue and knowledge exchange among researchers, public authorities, universities, practitioners, civil society organisations, local communities, and other target groups;
• support the active participation of students and early-career researchers in interdisciplinary environmental research and transnational scientific cooperation;
• establish a basis for the continuation and transfer of CARE SEA methodologies, solutions, and partnership arrangements beyond the Project lifetime.

5. Expected Conference Outcomes

• enhanced visibility and scientific uptake of CARE SEA results across the Black Sea Basin;
• improved understanding of common and site-specific pollution pressures in the Project study areas;
• stronger exchange between scientific evidence, environmental policy, and management practice;
• increased awareness of practical pollution-reduction and ecological-rehabilitation measures;
• expanded participation of students, communities, and civil society in environmental knowledge production;
• reinforced transnational networks and identification of priorities for future joint research, monitoring, and project development.

6. Conference Themes and Scientific Sessions

Theme 1. Pollution Monitoring and Integrated Environmental Assessment

• plastic and microplastic pollution in aquatic, wetland, coastal, and marine ecosystems;
• chemical contaminants, emerging pollutants, heavy metals, and particulate matter;
• water-quality assessment, hydrochemistry, and environmental status indicators;
• pollution sources, transport pathways, accumulation zones, and environmental impacts;
• harmonised sampling, laboratory analysis, monitoring protocols, and quality assurance;
• integrated and comparative assessment of multiple environmental pressures.

Theme 2. Environmental Modelling, Smart Observation, and Data Integration

• numerical modelling of pollutant transport, advection, dispersion, and weathering;
• hydrodynamic processes and the fate of small plastic particles in water bodies and coastal areas;
• testing, adaptation, and application of environmental models in different study areas;
• GIS, Remote Sensing, Earth Observation, and spatial analysis;
• environmental databases, open data, mapping, and digital visualisation;
• scientific information systems and decision-support tools for pollution prevention and mitigation.

Theme 3. Transboundary Rivers, Wetlands, and Coastal Ecosystems

• the Chorokhi River and the Georgian–Turkish transboundary region;
• the Lower Prut, Lower Danube, and Danube Delta region;
• river-basin processes and river–sea transition zones;
• wetland, riparian, coastal, and marine ecosystem dynamics;
• Ramsar Sites, protected areas, and biodiversity-sensitive landscapes;
• cross-border monitoring, comparative assessment, data exchange, and shared environmental challenges.

Theme 4.Climate Cange, Ecosystem Health, Biodiversity Conservation, and Ecological Rehabilitation

• ecological effects of pollution on habitats, species, and ecosystem processes;
• biodiversity conservation and habitat-vulnerability assessment;
• wetland ecosystem health, ecosystem services, and landscape resilience;
• ecological restoration and rehabilitation of degraded ecosystems;
• nature-based solutions and mitigation of anthropogenic and climate-related pressures;
• invasive alien species, threatened species, and ecological connectivity;
• management and action planning for vulnerable riverine, wetland, and coastal ecosystems.

Theme 5. Citizen Science, Environmental Education, and Public Engagement

• citizen science and community-based environmental monitoring;
• participatory observation, data collection, reporting, and environmental knowledge production;
• environmental education and accessible science communication;
• open science and the dissemination of research findings to non-specialist audiences;
• participation of students, young researchers, volunteers, and local communities;
• public awareness, behavioural change, and collaborative environmental action.

Theme 6. Environmental Governance, Knowledge Transfer, and Future Cooperation

• evidence-based environmental policy and decision-making;
• integrated river-basin and coastal-zone management;
• cooperation among science, public authorities, civil society, and local communities;
• implementation and transferability of CARE SEA recommendations and practical solutions;
• joint management and action planning in transboundary areas;
• institutional sustainability and post-project cooperation among CARE SEA partners;
• future research priorities, innovation pathways, and transnational project-development opportunities.

Theme 7. Climate change adaptation

7. Participation and Presentation Formats

The Conference welcomes researchers, academics, environmental professionals, representatives of public authorities and civil society organisations, students, practitioners, and other stakeholders working in environmental science, pollution monitoring, ecosystem management, ecological rehabilitation, citizen science, and sustainable development within the Black Sea Basin and comparable regions.

Contributions may be presented in one of the following formats:

• oral presentation;
• poster presentation.

All submissions should demonstrate clear scientific, methodological, policy, or practical relevance to the Conference concept and thematic scope.

8. Abstract Submission

• Length: 250 -300 words;
• Keywords: 4 - 6;
• File format: Microsoft Word (DOCX);
• Preferred language: English;
• Georgian-language abstracts may be accepted for local participants, where appropriate.

Abstracts should clearly present the background and rationale, objective, methodological approach, principal findings or expected contribution, and relevance to one or more Conference themes. Each submission will be evaluated for scientific quality, originality, thematic relevance, clarity, and compliance with the technical requirements.

9. Full-Paper Submission and Scientific Review

Authors of accepted abstracts may be invited to submit full manuscripts for scientific review and possible publication in the dedicated CARE SEA Conference Special Issue of the peer reviewed, open-access journal Georgian Scientists, subject to the final agreement with the journal and compliance with all applicable Project, editorial, and financial requirements.

Manuscripts should:

• contain approximately 4,000 - 6,000 words;
• not exceed 20 A4 pages, including tables, figures, and references;
• be prepared in accordance with the official Author Guidelines of Georgian Scientists;
• be original, scientifically rigorous, and directly relevant to the Conference scope;
• be presented during the Conference by at least one registered author.

All submitted manuscripts will be subject to editorial screening and independent scientific peer review. Acceptance of an abstract or delivery of a Conference presentation does not constitute a guarantee of publication. The final publication decision rests exclusively with the Editorial Board of Georgian Scientists.

10. General Manuscript Requirements

• Language: English or Georgian, in accordance with the journal’s applicable policy;
• Extended abstracts: approximately 350 words in both English and Georgian, accompanied by keywords in both languages;
• Format: Microsoft Word; Sylfaen, 12-point font; 1.15 line spacing;
• Recommended article-title length: approximately 10–12 words;
• Maximum number of authors: ten;
• Author information: full name, institutional affiliation, e-mail address, contact telephone number, and ORCID iD or another recognised researcher identifier, where available.

Figures, Graphical Material, and Data Presentation

• one graphical abstract or representative figure;
• high-resolution images in JPG format, preferably 250–300 dpi;
• editable graphs and diagrams in Microsoft Excel, where applicable;
• clear captions, units, legends, and source acknowledgements for all figures and tables.

Research Integrity and Similarity Screening

All manuscripts will undergo similarity screening before peer review. In accordance with the stated editorial policy, manuscripts with a similarity index exceeding 25% will not be considered for publication. Authors remain responsible for the originality, accuracy, ethical compliance, and appropriate citation of all submitted material.

Publication and DOI Support

Subject to successful peer review, final editorial acceptance, confirmation of the dedicated Special Issue, and compliance with Project eligibility requirements, publication and DOI-registration costs for accepted CARE SEA Conference papers may be supported by the CARE SEA Project. No publication support should be considered confirmed until formally communicated by the Conference Secretariat.

Journal Information

Journal website: https://journals.4science.ge/index.php/GS

Author guidelines: https://journals.4science.ge/index.php/GS/gui

Authors are advised to verify the journal’s current indexing status, publication policies, fees, and technical requirements directly through the official journal website before submitting a full manuscript, as such information may be updated periodically.

11. Important Dates

12. Venue, Registration, and Participant Services

Conference Venue

Batumi Shota Rustaveli State University
35 Ninoshvili Street
6010 Batumi, Georgia

Registration

Participation is free of charge for all registered participants and presenters; no registration fee will be charged. Travel, accommodation, insurance, visa-related costs, and other personal expenses are the responsibility of participants unless otherwise formally communicated by the Conference organisers or the CARE SEA Project.

Participant Services

Subject to the final Conference programme and logistical arrangements, registered participants may receive:

• Conference materials;
• a certificate of participation;
• coffee breaks and hosted lunches;
• scientific-networking opportunities;
• visibility and communication materials.

13. Acknowledgement, Visibility, and Disclaimer

This Conference is organised within the framework of the CARE SEA Project (BSB00559), implemented under the Interreg VI-B NEXT Black Sea Basin Programme and co-funded by the European Union.

The Conference contributes to the dissemination and valorisation of CARE SEA results, the strengthening of scientific and institutional cooperation, and the promotion of evidence-based action for a cleaner, healthier, and more resilient Black Sea Basin.

This document and all related Conference communication materials have been prepared in accordance with the communication and visibility requirements of the Interreg VI-B NEXT Black Sea Basin Programme.

The content of this document is the sole responsibility of the Conference organisers and the CARE SEA Project Consortium and does not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union or the Programme Managing Authority.

Reproduction of this document, in whole or in part, is permitted provided that the source is appropriately acknowledged and any modifications are clearly indicated.

We look forward to welcoming you to Batumi.

Advancing transboundary science and cooperation for a cleaner Black Sea Basin