Set up in 1992 to accelerate and coordinate research aimed at studying sea-bottom geology and minerals of the Azov–Black Sea basin and other areas of the World Ocean, at improving the environment in the water area of the Black Sea, the Sea of Azov and adjacent territories.
The Department has 3 structural divisions (those of sedimentary ore-formation, for problems of ecological geology of ore-deposits development, and of geodynamics) and four non-structural subdivisions (groups of marine geology and hydrochemistry, of stratigraphic studies, of hydrated-gas geology, of engineering geoecology), and Kerch field geological base.
The Department employs 80 people, among them being a NAS academician, 3 academicians and corresponding members of various branch academies, 4 doctors of science, 18 candidates of science, 14 workers without advanced academic degrees. 3 post-graduate students are being trained here.
The Department is a leading institution in studies of the Earth crust, sedimentation and ore-formation processes in seas and oceans, prospecting for minerals in the Black Sea, the Sea of Azov and the World Ocean. Its research subjects also involve geoecology and scientific principles of natural-resource and environment conservation.
The Department carries on fruitful studies of mineral and raw-material resources of the Azov–Black Sea basin; in particular, it has obtained new data on gas recovery potential of the sea bottom, distribution of hydrated gas, gold manifestations, deposits of organo-mineral fertilizers, building materials etc.
The Department offers the following developments for joint finalization:
- recommendations towards using research results on gas and mud volcanism in organizing prospecting for carbohydrates in the Black Sea and in designing underwater engineering structures, oil and gas pipelines;
- a procedure and technology of search for laminated gold;
- recommendations towards running optical-fiber communication lines on the sea bed;
- recommendations on search for and use of alternative energy (hydrated gas).
The Department successfully develops science schools in:
- marine geology and sea-bottom minerals (NAS academician Ye. F. Shniukov);
- geodynamic modelling (founded by NAS corresponding member Ye. I. Patalakha);
- protection and rational use of geological environment in the context of geoecology (founded by NAS academicians H. M. Malakhov and Ye. F. Shniukov).
