Research

Expedition 2017

Expedition Dates: July 08-28, 2017

Expedition Duration: 20 days

Expedition Organizers: Northern (Arctic) Federal University named after M.V. Lomonosov; Roshydromet

Expedition Route: Arkhangelsk — the Zhelaniya Cape (Novaya Zemlya) — Hall Island (Franz Josef Land) — Heiss Island (Franz Josef Land) — Jackson Island (Franz Josef Land) — Rudolf Island (Franz Josef Land) — Hooker Island (Franz Josef Land) — Northbrook Island (Franz Josef Land) — Bell Island (Franz Josef Land) — Arkhangelsk.

You can find information about the location of the research vessel “Professor Molchanov” on the geoportal

Expedition participants: 58 people (students, post-graduate students, research fellows of both Russian and foreign scientific and academic institutions)

Partners participating in the expedition: Russian Geographical Society, Russian Arctic National Park, Lomonosov Moscow State University, University of Geneva, University of Lausanne, Federal Polytechnic School of Lausanne.

Aims of the expedition:

• acquiring new knowledge about the state and changes in the ecosystem of the coastal areas of Franz Josef Land archipelago;
• training of young specialists of the Arctic-focused specialties: hydrometeorology, ecology, arctic biology, geography, ethnopolitology, international law etc.

RESEARCH PROGRAM:

• assessment of state and degree of contamination within the local island territories of the former economic activities in the areas of work for the elimination of accumulated environmental damage;
• study of the species diversity of living organisms and populations in the archipelagof Franz Josef Land and adjacent waters in the context of climate change;
• study of historical and cultural heritage of the Russian Arctic National park for the purposes of development of tourism and educational activities;
• study of adaptive mechanisms of the human organism tthe conditions of the High Arctic.

EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM:

The Program focuses on the bachelor, master and PhD students.

Contents of the program: 8 educational modules and 32 hours of the lecture course.

• formation of students’ interdisciplinary knowledge about Arctic region through the demonstration of the natural complex and historical and cultural heritage of the Russian sector of the Arctic.

EDUCATIONAL MODULES:

• Arctic climate;
• Arctic oceanographic;
• Arctic and subarctic biodiversity of Northern European Russia;
• Marine and terrestrial ecosystems of Northern European Russia;
• Modern methods of molecular biology and biotechnology in the Arctic researches;
• Geography of soil landscapes and carbon cycle of Arctic ecosystems;
• The latest geological and paleomagnetic studies in the Russian Arctic;
• Russia in World Politics;