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THE CASPIAN SEA EXPEDITION "AT SEA TRAINING PROGRAMME" - 2

The Caspian Environmental Programme (CEP) and thematic center for "Effective Regional Assessment of Contamination Level (ERACL), established within the CEP and located in Iran, carried out second stage of the "At Sea Training Programme" (ASTP).

One of the main focuses of CEP is identification of priority transboundary issues of the Caspian basin and production of a Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis (TDA) of Caspian. ASTP is the part of this programme. Primary objectives of the second stage of ASTP are to conduct a limited regional contamination assessment in order to fill the gaps in TDA, monitoring and assessment of background pollution of Caspian.

A specialized vessel "Issledovatel' Kaspia" (Russia) took the crew to the deeper central and southern part of the Caspian Sea to monitor background pollution, define contamination levels, take samples of Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons (TPH), selected biota, Chlorinated Hydrocarbons CNC (DDT), Micro-metals (TM) and other, as well as water temperature measurement, electrical conductivity / salinity, data management etc. The total duration of studies made approximately 21 days. Sampling was made both at "hot spots" and at intermediate stations, along coastline of the Caspian.

Specialists from Azerbaijan, Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Iran, and also scientists from Monaco, Ukraine and Turkey participate in the expedition.

The Caspian Environment Programme is organizing a press conference on the board of "Issledovatel' Kaspia" at the seaport buildings on Saturday, March3 1^st 2001 between 4.30 p.m. and 5.00 p.m. with the purpose to report on the work done, the sea and expedition conditions, as well as report on the first stage of the ASTP accomplished in October 2000.

Please, for further information contact:

Vladimir Vladimirov, the Caspian Environment Programme, Programme Coordination Unit, Room 108, Government Building, 40 Uzeir Gadjibekov Street, Baku 370016 Azerbaijan,
E-mail: vladymyrov@caspian.in-baku.com
Phone: + (99412) 97 17 85, 93 80 03
Fax: + (99412) 97 17 86

Elina Farmanova, the Caspian Environment Programme, Programme Coordination Unit, Room 108, Government Building, 40 Uzeir Gadjibekov Street, Baku 370016 Azerbaijan,
E-mail: efarmanova@caspian.in-baku.com
Phone: + (99412) 97 17 85, 93 80 03
Fax: + (99412) 97 17 86