The Dying Black Sea

When one thinks of the ocean, one imagines a limitless, never-ending mass of water as far as the eye can see to the horizon. The ocean’s energy is constantly moving, pulsating with waves, changing with the tides, and teeming with life. Oceans cover approximately 70% of the earth and are vital to temperature, weather and survival of the human race. In addition, the ocean is a joy to children of all ages and spending a day on its shores revives the spirit. It is a fact that in the present day, global warming and pollution are wreaking havoc on the delicate balance of the earth’s oceans.

The oceans and seas have always played an important role in civilization. One of the many seas -- The Black Sea or “Chernoye more” -- is an inland sea, located in southern Russia and bordered by Turkey, Ukraine, Bulgaria, Romania, Georgia and Moldova. The Black Sea is not immune and is suffering from the ravages of mankind’s progress. As a result, it’s dying.

The primary culprits in the demise of the Black Sea are the various rivers that empty into it: the Dnieper, Dniester, and the Danube. The Danube is akin to the Mississippi River in the United States and it drains half of Europe from the Alps to the Black Forest of Germany. The many other river systems within the continent also find their way to the Black Sea. In those draining waters are found pesticides, radioactive and industrial wastes -- poisons to the life forms of the sea.

The resort towns on the Black Sea were once thriving, but now that the ecosystem is poisoned, they are emptier than they‘ve ever been. A prosperous fishing industry, especially for sturgeon, is diminished. Russian sturgeon is called beluga which translates into white in Russian. It’s an enormous fish that can reach over six feet in length and weigh in at over 250 pounds. Sturgeon is well-known as the source of black caviar which comes from the roe or eggs of female. Sadly, the sturgeon has also joined the world’s ever-growing endangered list.

Like the Gulf of Mexico into which the Mississippi flows, the Black Sea also experiences massive algae blooms that kill sea life and result in dead zones. Massive jellyfish proliferate in this environment and devour the remaining sea life.

It is a sad state of affairs and the perils of the Black Sea have attracted the notice of the Orthodox Church in Constantinople. In the late nineties, the head of the church, Patriarch Bartholomew, gathered with clergy and scientists alike on a ship in the Black Sea and blessed it, praying for its renewal.

Perhaps the Divine hand that will somehow intervene to resurrect and save the oceans and seas, but in the meantime our fervent prayer should remain that mankind will wizen up and take the necessary steps to ensure that life on this earth continues for generations to come.