Climate The Danube Delta

The unique character, the beauty of the places, the natural environment, very little modified and its great flora and fauna riches made it necessary for this complex of ecosystems to be protected. In 1990, with the support of UNESCO and of the renown French explorer, Jacques Cousteau, the entire Danube Delta was declared as Reservation of the Biosphere ( including the Delta itself, the lagoon complex Razim-Sinoe and the Danube basin down to the Cat bend). In 1991, more than half of the Delta surface was included in the list of the Convention for the World Natural Patrimony.
	A series of characteristics make the Reservation of the Danube Delta Biosphere an ecological unique place: its vast variety of ecosystems, the area covered by common reed and the maritime bank ridges tops Letea and Caraoman, terrains on which, next to sand dunes with desert-like aspect, there grow forests with subtropical vegetation( tropical creepers, specific trees and shrubs. More than 1150 species of plants can be found here alongwith 160 species of fish, 300 species of birds and over 30 species of mammals.
18 zones of strict protection have been designed within the Reservation of the Danube Delta Biosphere which are surrounded by buffer areals and a few areals affected by human activity, which have in view the ecological reconstruction.Among these, one can mention the main protected zones of an exceptional scientific interest: Rosca-Buhaiova( Reservation Rosca-Buhaiova-Hrescisca-14.600 has, located between Chilia and Letea bank ridges tops), in the viccinity of Rosca Lake, where the largest pelican colony in Europe nestle; Letea Forest, century old forest situated on the homonymous bank ridge top( the highest bank ridge top), Sacalin-Zatoane, located near the mouth of Sfintul Gheorghe Arm which spreads over 21000 has and is one of the few places in Europe where the Dalmatian pelican still lives and the Reservation Sfintul Gheorghe-Palade-Perisor( 16400 has) placed in the fluvio-maritime Delta, located East of Dranov lake, towards the sea shore which concentrates the majority of lacustrian species: swans, collar goose, red breast goose, etc.
Visits to these places require the approval of the Administration of the Reservation of Danube Delta Biosphere which has its office in Tulcea, 32, Taberei Str, tel.no.0040-40-550338, e.mail:deltainfo@tim.ro Usually trips to this areas are restricted to specialists and researchers. Those persons who obtain the visit permit must observe the following rules: it is forbiden to set up tents, to set fire, to disturb waters and to cut down trees. Notice should be also taken that to visit other zones in the Delta, tourists need a special permit issued by the above mentioned Administration. Fishing in the Danube Delta is allowed almost all over the year, except for a period of 60 days, a time which corresponds to the laying of spawn in April.
The irrational exploitation of the common reed, the uncontrolled fishing, the pollution of waters as a result of disposing of some toxical residues represent disturbing factors of the biological balance of the Delta; all this stands for alarm signals.