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Training courses

Three training courses will be held during PERSEUS. These will be held in Cyprus, Russia and Malta. Each course will last at least one week, while they will all be open to both PERSEUS and non-PERSEUS partners.

1. A first training course will be devoted to the training for the application, for the first time in the eastern Mediterranean, of the Continuous Plankton Recorder (MedCPR) as well as on the application of the results of this monitoring activity to the overall eastern Mediterranean assessment. The training course on CPR will be organised in two stages. More specifically, as efforts towards identifying and efficiently adapting to the forth coming environmental changes, is hampered by a lack of suitable and cost effective monitoring systems PERSEUS  roject aspires to contribute to this challenge by enabling capacity building of long term plankton monitoring in the SES through the Continuous Plankton Recorder Survey. To this end, a call is open for application for the Training Course on the Implementation of the Continuous Plankton Recorder (CPR) within the Mediterranean and the Black Sea. The course will take place at The Cyprus Institute, Nicosia, Cyprus, September from 28th-30th, 2015. More information and relevant documents, including the final report (Milestone 42) can be found here

2. A second training course covering coastal issues was organised in June-July 2014, in Gelendzhik, Russia. The course was targeted at participants with knowledge of coastal issues, thus allowing them to share experiences and technological expertise. The final report (Milestone 26) is available here

3. A third course, dedicated specifically to stakeholders, will be held in Malta in 2015, linked to WP5 (Promotion of MSFD Principles) and WP6 (Adaptive Policies). This course aims to train environmental agencies’ personnel, in order to help them improve the conduct of their operations using existing and new data, as well as tools which will be specifically developed in PERSEUS, in compliance with the MSFD targets. The final report of the course (Milestone 47) can be found here

Finally, a training course on MSFD principles was organised from 4-8 June 2012, in Chios, Greece, even though it was not initially planned in the Description of Work. 

Past Training Courses

1. "Challenge for Good Environmetal Status in Coastal Waters", Gelendzhik, Russia

A training course was organised by The Shirshov Institute of Oceanology, Russian Academy of Sciences and Development (SIO RAS), on the “Challenge for Good Environmental Status in Coastal Waters”, from 30 June - 4 July 2014, in Gelendzhik, Russia. 

According to the project objectives, the Courses will share knowledge and experience between matured specialists and young scientists dealing with studies of Mediterranean and Black Sea coastal zones. The participation in Courses of young professionals is essential to mobilize new talents and to broaden field of their expertise. The Courses will highlight new approaches in research and familiarize the participants with modern international activities. The Courses will contribute also to the creation of personal networks between participants from the European and Non-European countries that can be fruitful for future cooperation.

The Training Courses/Summer School are open to young researchers, PhD and graduated students with a scientific background in physical, chemical, biological and engeneering oceanography, interested in expanding their field of interest, from both PERSEUS partner and non-partner institutions. 

Applications have now closed and the successful participants have been notified. 

list of the guest lecturers is also avaiable. 

Relevant Documents

Course Announcement
Summer School Programme


2. PERSEUS-BSEC Training Course on MSFD Principles, 4-8 June 2012, Chios, Greece

PERSEUS organised its first training activity in June 2012. This initial training activity took place from 4-8 June 2012, in collaboration with the ‘Maria Tsakos’ Foundation, on the island of Chios, Greece, under the auspices of the General Secretariat of Research and Technology (GSRT) of Greece. GSRT is the Coordinator (until June 2012) for the Working Group on Cooperation in Science and Technology in the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC). The training course in Chios was the first part of two interdependent courses (two stages/modules) in order to take full advantage of the progress of PERSEUS and to maximize the active participation and involvement of participants to their full benefit. The first training course in this subject will be followed by another course scheduled in spring 2013, in Turkey, under the auspices and support of TUBITAK. 

The course aimed to contribute to establishing common understanding and joint approaches to ensure coherence and consistency throughout the Black Sea countries, in order to facilitate the basin-wide promotion of the MSFD principles and objectives. 
The gap analysis and the potential application of the Directives will be the scope of the second module (Turkey, spring 2013) which can be regarded as the culmination of the whole Training. Following the experience and knowledge acquired in the first course in 2012, and more importantly the outcomes of the Gap Analysis of PERSEUS, trainees will attend the second course aiming to discuss the actual monitoring strategy, attempt an initial assessment of the ecological status in their countries and finally provide, where possible, suggestions for achieving the goals of the Directives (MSFD - GES, WFD - GECS).

The Minutes of the Training Course on MSFD Principles, in Chios are now available, along with an Annexes document, which includes information on the lecturers and organisers, the trainees and invited scientists that participated in the lectures, together with the lecture list as well as the evaluation reports which can prove a useful guide when planning the next course.

The presentations given by the lecturers during the Training Course can be found here: 
1. Nikolaos Zampoukas (EC DG JRC Water Resources Unit): Monitoring for the MSFD: Requirements and Options
2. Michael Angelidis (UNEP/MAP- MED POL): Ecosystem Approach for the Management of human activities in the Mediterranean
3. Gianna Casazza (ISPRA): EU's legal instrument for the protection of our seas, theri historical review and key concepts on policy and science
4. Irina Makarenko (Commission on the Protection of the Black Sea Against Pollution): Environmental Policies in the Black Sea related to  MSFD principles
5. Nikolaos Zampoukas: MSFD Initial Assessment: setting the baseline for GES
6. Colpan Polan Beken (TUBITAK): The implementation of WFD (and MSFD) in a non EU country
7. Gianna Casazza: MSFD: Common Understanding of determination of GES and establishment of environmental targets
8. Maria Kapari (National Centre for Environment and Sustainable Development): WFD and MSFD incorporation into the Greek legislation 
9. Kalliopi Pagou (HCMR): The implementation of the WFD in the Eastern Mediterranean, state of the art on phytoplankton indicators. Further development of indicators related to eutrophication in the frame of MSFD
10. Panagiotis Panagiotidis (HCMR): Targets of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive
11. Evangelos Papathanassiou (HCMR): PERSEUS EU project and the potential to the promotion of MSFD principles
12. Claudette Spiteri (Deltares): Development of Marine & Maritime indicators in support of MSFD implementation
13. Argyro Zenetos (HCMR): MSFD Descriptor 2: The two criteria for assessing progress towards GES
14. Nomiki Simboura (HCMR): The implementation of the Water Framework Directive in Eastern Mediterranean, state of the art on benthic indicators (Phytobenthos & benthic macroinvertebrates)  
15. Panagiotis Panagiotidis (HCMR): From the Habitat Directive to the Marine Strategy Framework Directive: The ecosystem based management in the Mediterranean - Natural science aspects
16. Argyro Zenetos (HCMR): MSFD Descriptor 2: Non-indigenous species introduced by human activities are at levels that do not adversely alter the ecosystem

The Trainee presentations can be found below: 

1. Hasmik Grigoryan & Larisa Kharatova (Ministry of Nature Protection of the Republic of Armenia, Armenia): Republic of Armenia: State Environmental Governance
2. Konul Ahmadova (Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources, Azerbaijan): The Caspian Sea
3. Daniela Toneva-Zheynova, (Technical University of Varna, Bulgaria): Marine Strategy and the Bulgarian Experience
4. Irine Baramidze (Batumi State Maritime Academy, Georgia): Environmental condition of the Georgia surface and coastal zone waters
5. Madona Varshanidze (Batumi State Maritime Academy, Georgia): Biodiversity of the Georgian Black Sea costal zone
6. George Parnassas (Ministry of Environment, Greece): Implementation of WFD and MSFD in Greece: Management and Finance
7. Sissia Roussi (Ministry of Environment, Greece): Management Agency of the National Park Messolonghi-Etoliko Lagoon
8. Andra Oros (National Institute for Marine Research and Development, NIMRD, 'Grigore Antipa', Constanta, Romania): National Environmental Policy for the Marine Environment-Romania
9. Marian-Traian Gomoiu (National Institute for Marine Research and Development, NIMRD, 'Grigore Antipa', Constanta, Romania): Marine Environment Pressure in the NW Black Sea – Romanian Littoral System: Past, Present, Perspectives, Strategies and Policies
10. Ayse Gazihan Akoglu & Baris Salihoglu (Institute of Marine Science Middle East Technical University): On the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directives
11. Patricia Ramey - Balci (TUBİTAK Marmara Research Center, Environmental Institute, Turkey): WFD and Insights into the Sea of Marmara: a Benthic Perspective