Since 2018, the Lake Baikal Foundation has been carrying out a set of activities aimed at studying the Baikal seal and forming a careful attitude to it. As part of the project “The Year of the Baikal Seal”, in July 2019, a unique expedition was organized to the Ushkany Islands by a group of specialists from the Institute of Ecology and Evolution Problems of A.N. Severtsov RAS, the Baikal branch of the All-Russian Scientific Research Institute of Fisheries and Oceanography (VNIRO), as well as representatives of the FSBI “Reserved Podlemorye”. The project “Year of the Baikal Seal” was supported by the Presidential Grants Fund.
Scientists shared with us their impressions of the results of field work, and talked about the significance of the project.
Solovieva Maria Andreevna, zoologist, specialist in marine mammals, leading engineer of the laboratory of behavior and behavioral ecology of mammals of the A.N. Severtsov Institute of RAS, member of the expedition and performer of research:
- We had an old dream to work with the Baikal seal. Thanks to the Lake Baikal Foundation, we were able to achieve it.
As part of the expedition, field work was carried out, during which we installed 15 satellite transmitters on Baikal seals. Until now, many seals have never been tagged, they have been equipped with satellite transmitters merely once many years ago. Materials for genetic studies were selected from each of the captured animals to study hormonal status, various chemical pollutants, and so on. Now we are working on the processing of these field data, we receive information from satellite tags and by February we are preparing a final report with all the results.
The Baikal seal is an amazing animal, unlike any other. We were able to carry out everything that we planned - this is the most important thing. The work was carried out within the time constraints, all the participants did their share of work, which allowed us to achieve high results. The project has left only the best of impressions.
Shumeyko Natalia Ramovna, Leading Engineer of the Laboratory for Behavior and Behavioral Ecology of Mammals of the A.N. Severtsov IPEE RAS, member of the expedition and field researcher:
- We cannot yet disclose all the results of the research, as the experts agreed not to publicize them before preparing the publications. But we can say that the results are, of course, amazing. In general, the expedition was successful, in a well-coordinated team, with good animals, on the amazing Lake Baikal. Everyone was very pleased.