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Arctic expedition sets sail from Arkhangelsk

Studies of the Walrus population in the Arctic is one of the aims of the expedition. Photo: Thomas Nilsen

The expedition will visit the territory of the national park “Russian Arctic” with the aim to collect scientific data to form the basis for the park’s future.

Location

The voyage left Arkhangelsk on Tuesday sailing towards the Cape of a wish, Big and small Orlean islands, Inostrantsev’s bay, the Zayachij cape as well as a federal wildlife preserve on the Franz Josef Land.

Staff of the park “Russian Arctic” as well as of the Ministry of natural resources and ecology of Russia, specialists of the World Wildlife Fund will travel by a ship “Professor Molchanov” fully equipped for scientific research. 

The complex scientific expedition is organized by the national park “Russian Arctic” and WWF in Russia. The aim of the research is to collect scientific data.

During the expedition the scientists will watch the Atlantic walrus, which is now on the edge of extinction, and rookeries of sea birds on the park territory. Distant methods will be used for the first time – satellite video recording of high definition, reports Dvinainform

Besides the scientific side, the expedition program includes ecological research.  For that purpose the project coordinator on wildlife biodiversity preservation Michael Stishov and the Arctic and Antarctic museum director Victor Boyarsky are invited to join the voyage and give several lectures to the expedition participants.  

A team of scientists, geographers, botanists, zoologists, ornithologists, historians are staying on the archipelago “Franz Josef Land” until September working and living on a yacht.

This complex and wide-scale project is a part of a planned program establishing the basis for the formation of the park “Russian Arctic” development plan up to 2017. Its development is supported by the international project program “Preservation and development of the marine and costal specially protected areas of the Russian Federation”.

A famous Russian writer Evgeny Grishkovets is taking part in the Arctic expedition as well. Many of his books are about the sea, during two weeks he will be writing a literature blog about the trip and research.

The Russian Arctic National Park was set up in 2011 and its land territory is 1.5 million hectares, while the marine territory is 794,000 hectares.