The REXDAN project is a multidisciplinary, integrated research initiative aiming to keep the Danube's waters safe from and safe for humans.
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00:00The Danube is the longest river in the European Union, flowing through 10 countries.
00:07What impact do human activities have on this delicate river ecosystem?
00:11How can its biodiversity be protected?
00:15That's the mission of REXDAN, a multidisciplinary European research project with laboratories
00:20on land and on board this ship, the largest of its kind in continental European waterways.
00:26But what are they measuring?
00:29We measure the quality of the atmosphere up to 15 km.
00:32We measure the quality of water, the quality of biota,
00:35that is, everything that lives from small microscopic things to large animals.
00:40We want to know what's going on here, what are the dangers for the extended ecosystem.
00:53The Danube Delta is a biosphere reserve.
00:56Climate change and human actions are having an impact on the state of its waters,
01:00its sediments and all its ecosystems.
01:04The European REXDAN project brings together specialists like Stefan on land and on the water.
01:11He studies the stress of four sturgeon species, three of which are on the red list.
01:18Nowadays there are many emerging contaminants
01:21and we don't really know which is their effect on the sturgeon.
01:26The goal is to create a complex and integrated analytical framework
01:31which will serve as a decision support tool for the decision makers
01:35to adopt proper solutions for conservation of those species which are endangered.
01:42We're in international waters between Ukraine, Moldova and Romania.
01:46These Romanian researchers are taking samples that are being analysed in the nine laboratories on board the boat
01:52and in the nine other REXDAN laboratories at the UGAL University in Galati.
01:57Here they're studying microplastics.
02:17The European Commission proposes that by 2030,
02:21the pollution with microplastics should be reduced by 30%.
02:25REXDAN's total budget is over 19.5 million euros,
02:2985% of which has been financed by the EU's cohesion policy and 15% by national funds.
02:36Here in Romania alone, the Danube provides water for 6 million people.
02:41This water is life.
02:43With polluted water, life is harder, more complicated and more difficult.
02:48This is what we do.
02:50The impact of the pollution that is happening now will affect people's health in 10 years.