AI-powered ‘digital twin’ of Black Sea set to safeguard ecosystem

ISTANBUL

Scientists have created the first-ever artificial intelligence-powered “digital twin” of the Black Sea, a groundbreaking system designed to forecast the impacts of climate change, pollution, fishing and energy projects and guide countries toward a sustainable blue economy.

Developed under the coordination of the Middle East Technical University (ODTÜ) Institute of Marine Sciences, with partners from five Black Sea nations, the model combines vast datasets from land and sea to create an integrated simulation of the region’s ecosystem.

Supported by the European Union, the initiative can test scenarios decades into the future, helping policymakers balance economic growth with environmental protection.

“We transform all available scientific data into a functional structure that reflects the physical, chemical and biological properties of the sea,” said Professor Barış Salihoğlu, director of the ODTÜ’s Institute of Marine Sciences.

“By testing different scenarios, we can assess the potential impacts of climate change, fishing, pollution and energy investments in advance,” he added.

The system merges climate, biochemical, ecological, oceanic and fisheries models, enhanced with AI for more precise decision-making.

It can evaluate how aquaculture, marine biotechnology, wind energy, tourism and security operations might be carried out without harming the ecosystem.

Seven laboratories have been set up across the region, two in Türkiye, two in Bulgaria and one each in Romania, Moldova and Ukraine, to monitor both environmental conditions and socio-economic trends.

A public launch is planned for October through a user-friendly portal, where governments, academics and industry representatives will be able to run their own scenarios and visualize potential outcomes.

According to Salihoğlu, the initiative is the first marine digital twin of its scale in Europe.

“It will serve as a pioneering model for balancing blue economy development with environmental protection, and similar projects are expected in other seas,” he noted.