Blue-Health under Climate Pressure: Resilience of Thalassotherapy Resources in the Black Sea Region
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.52340/ijch.2025.02.04Keywords:
thalassotherapy, Black Sea, climate change, marine heatwaves, salinity, peloids, Techirghiol, Pomorie, Balchik Tuzla, Ureki, Kuyalnyk, BlueHealth, adaptationAbstract
Thalassotherapy - structured therapeutic exposure to marine waters, aerosols, climate, and marine-derived materials (e.g., peloids) - is tightly coupled to the state of coastal ecosystems. The Black Sea has warmed rapidly over recent decades while experiencing salinity fluctuations driven by reduced river inputs and atmosphere-ocean variability, trends that could alter the physicochemical baseline of thalassotherapy resources. Using recent oceanographic literature and case evidence from Georgia (Ureki, Kobuleti), Bulgaria (Pomorie, Balchik Tuzla), Romania (Techirghiol–Constanța), Türkiye (Eastern Black Sea coast; Rize/Ayder), and Ukraine (Kuyalnyk–Odesa (Shikhaleeva et al., 2023)), this study synthesizes climate-sensitive pathways that may affect therapeutic efficacy and safety. A resilience framework - exposure, sensitivity, adaptive capacity - is integrated with a practical monitoring and governance agenda (sentinel indicators, GIS risk mapping, clinical-ecological data linkage). Climate adaptation is feasible if resorts adopt harmonized monitoring (CMEMS/INSPIRE) (INSPIRE Directive, 2007; Copernicus Marine Service, 2023a), quality standards for peloids and brines, and evidence-based clinical protocols co-designed with public health agencies.
Downloads
References
Altiok, H., Sur, H. I., & Beşiktepe, Ş. (2012). Variation of the Cold Intermediate Water in the Black Sea and its impact on surface salinity. Progress in Oceanography, 102, 67–82. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pocean.2012.03.005
Andrulionis, N. Y., Soloviev, D. M., & Lisnyak, A. I. (2022). The Black Sea and the Kerch Strait: Physical oceanography and salinity structure. Physical Oceanography, 29(5), 401–416. https://doi.org/10.22449/1573-160X-2022-5-401-416
BlueHealth Project. (2020). Blue spaces, climate, and health – European Union Horizon 2020 Project. European Commission. https://bluehealth2020.eu
Călin, M. A., Badea, R., Savastru, D., & Savastru, R. (2024). Hyperspectral imaging reveals that sapropelic mud therapy improves local tissue oxygenation in the Techirghiol ecosystem. Biomedical Optics Express, 15(4), 2383–2397. https://doi.org/10.1364/BOE.15.02383
Copernicus Marine Service (CMEMS). (2023a). Black Sea Physics Reanalysis (BLKSEA_MULTIYEAR_PHY_007_004). https://marine.copernicus.eu
Copernicus Marine Service (CMEMS). (2023b). Ocean Monitoring Indicator: Black Sea surface temperature extremes (reanalysis). https://marine.copernicus.eu
Copernicus Marine Service (CMEMS). (2023c). Black Sea Waves Reanalysis (WAV_007_006). https://marine.copernicus.eu
Dondoladze, K. (2023). Magnetite and health effects: Comparison of Ureki and Chakvi sands. Journal of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, 4(2), 88–94.
Lima, L., Staneva, J., Grayek, S., & Behrens, A. (2021). Climate signals in the Black Sea from a multidecadal reanalysis and observations. Frontiers in Marine Science, 8, 710973. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2021.710973
Mohamed, B. A., Siddig, E. E., & Shaltout, M. (2022). Sea surface temperature variability and marine heatwaves in the Black Sea (1982–2020). Remote Sensing, 14(10), 2383. https://doi.org/10.3390/rs14102383
Ramsar Sites Information Service. (2021). Pomorie Wetland Complex (Ramsar Sites Information Service, 2021) (Site No. 1229). Ramsar Secretariat.
Shikhaleeva, G. M., Novikova, E., & Shadrina, I. (2023). The history and current state of study of the hyperhaline Kuyalnyk Estuary geoecosystem (NW Black Sea). GeoJournal of Environmental Studies, 12(1), 55–72.
Stips, A., Macias, D., Garcia-Gorriz, E., & Dosio, A. (2014). Numerical simulations of the Black Sea and adjoining Azov Sea: Salinity and stratification patterns. European Commission Joint Research Centre Report. https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu
Surdu, T. V., & Ștefănescu, M. (2025). Microvascular responses after balneotherapy with mud and hypersaline water from Lake Techirghiol. Water, 17(12), 1830. https://doi.org/10.3390/w17121830
