Новости

MMBI SCIENTISTS HAS PRESENTED PRELIMINARY RESULTS OF RADIOECOLOGICAL AND BENTOLOGICAL RESEARCHES PERFORMED DURING THE FIRST STAGE OF THE TRANSARCTIC-2019 RESEARCH POLAR EXPEDITION

On May 20, 2019, the first stage of the Transarctic Research Arctic Expedition at the RV “Akademik Treshnikov” was completed, scientists from MMBI Olga Zimina and Nikita Meshcheryakov took part in the expedition from Murmansk Marine Biological Institute.

As part of the expedition, which lasted two months from March 20 to May 20, 2019, during the period of drift at the experimental station "Ship-ice experiment" the scientific group MMBI of N.I. Meshcheryakov and O.L. Zimina conducted radioecological and bentological studies.

The goal of radioecological works was to determine the content of technogenic radionuclides (the study of contamination with technogenic radionuclides 137Cs, 90Sr, other gamma emitters) in components of the Arctic environment. During the work, samples of bottom sediments, ice water, ice, snow, aerosols, and biota were selected. Samples have been transferred to the Laboratory of Oceanography and Radioecology of MMBI for further processing and analysis of data.
The purpose of benthic studies was to study species composition and distribution of zoobenthos in the northern part of the Barents Sea along the route of the vessel's drift in horizontal and vertical aspects, identifying features of the biogeographic composition and influence of hydrological factors. Soil samples were taken using quantitative samplers adapted for work at great depths (weighted bottom grab or box-corer / multicorer). In total, zoobenthos samples were taken at 18 stations during the drift period with an ice field within the Franz-Victoria Trench and at 6 stations in the sections through the Franz-Victoria Trench to Franz Josef Land. Primary processing was carried out onboard a vessel or in an ice camp (washing, fixing, primary sorting by taxonomic groups, identification, counting and, weights, determination of the biomass of organisms of different taxonomic groups). The material is currently undergoing further processing in MMBI laboratory of zoobenthos.

Source: http://www.aari.ru/transarctika2019/dreif.html