Its living resources, fish stocks, coastlines and associated wetlands, transportation and tourism potential, energy resources, as well as its natural and historical value, make the Caspian Sea a shared asset for present and future generations. Protecting the sea and using its resources sustainably therefore requires accurate scientific knowledge and evidence-based decision-making.
Today, the Caspian Sea faces a range of interconnected challenges, including changes in water levels and sea temperature, shifts in hydrological and climate patterns, pollution from coastal and land-based activities, the entry of emerging pollutants and microplastics, changes in biological communities and aquatic resources, the degradation of coastal habitats, algal blooms, and geological and coastal hazards. These are only some of the issues that could affect the future of this important body of water.
The complexity of these challenges is partly due to the fact that many of them do not stop at political borders. Their impacts are felt across the entire Caspian basin.
Under these circumstances, scientific and regional cooperation among the littoral states, with the participation of universities, research institutions, government agencies, environmental and natural resource organizations, local communities, and other stakeholders, is essential.
Coordinated monitoring, data and information sharing, the development of joint research programs, and the establishment of common mechanisms for assessing environmental changes can help improve our understanding of developments in the Caspian Sea and support more effective decisions on its protection and sustainable use.
The National Institute of Oceanography and Atmospheric Science has also devoted part of its scientific and research capacity to studying and monitoring the Caspian Sea in recent years.
Researchers at the institute have studied the sea in a range of fields, including physical oceanography and water circulation and structure; changes in temperature, salinity, and water levels; hydrochemistry and water quality; sedimentology and geochemistry; pollutants; biodiversity and planktonic and benthic communities; aquatic resources; marine and geological hazards; and the use of satellite data and modern monitoring methods.
Part of this research has focused on understanding the structure and dynamics of the southern Caspian waters and the processes affecting the renewal and movement of water masses, changes in water levels, and the sea’s response to atmospheric conditions.
In the fields of chemistry and environmental science, studies of dissolved oxygen, nutrients, and water quality, as well as research into the entry and spread of pollutants and emerging contaminants and assessments of sediment conditions, have provided a clearer picture of the processes affecting the health of the marine environment.
In the biological field, the institute’s studies have helped researchers understand changes in phytoplankton and benthic communities, examine changes in biological structures, and assess the ecological condition of coastal areas. Alongside these studies, remote sensing has been used to monitor changes in sea surface temperature, chlorophyll, and other environmental indicators. Research into sediments, past environmental changes, and hazards such as submarine landslides and the waves they can generate has also been part of the institute’s scientific work in the Caspian Sea.
Taken together, these studies not only expand scientific knowledge of the Caspian Sea but can also support continuous monitoring, environmental assessment, the identification of changing trends, hazard forecasting, and science-based management decisions. However, continuing this work requires expanding monitoring networks, completing long-term datasets, using modern observation and remote-sensing technologies, and, most importantly, strengthening regional cooperation and data sharing.
The National Institute of Oceanography and Atmospheric Science is ready, within the framework of its scientific mission, to cooperate with scientific institutions in the littoral states in developing joint research and monitoring programs for the Caspian Sea. It can also use its scientific and technical expertise to provide consultancy, conduct applied research, monitor and assess environmental conditions, and respond to the research needs of government agencies and relevant organizations in Iran.
It is hoped that, by drawing on the knowledge and experience of researchers from the Caspian littoral states and through the effective participation of all stakeholders, we can develop a more accurate and comprehensive understanding of changes in the Caspian Sea and help create the conditions needed to protect its environment, use its resources responsibly, and pass this valuable natural heritage on to future generations.
Nournews