The current state of the polar bear population and its distribution in the Arctic is an issue that has been of concern to the specialists studying this region for decades. The polar bear is the largest representative of the family Ursidae and the order Carnivora. This bear is protected by the Russian and International Red Data Book. It is the top of the food chain in its habitat and an important indicator of the entire Arctic ecosystem. Today the world, especially the circumpolar countries, Canada, the US, Norway and Denmark, is drawn to polar bears. In the 1970s, Russia counted these predators every year, but in recent decades only expert estimates of the state of the polar bear population have been published based mostly on lair count: how many lairs, where they are and how many cubs. However, it is impossible to see the full picture with this method. "We have to know how many bears there are in different parts of the Arctic to see which processes the population is undergoing, how far the bears migrate, the structure of various groups, and the threats the bears are exposed to considering human activity and environmental processes. We need to create this kind of comprehensive monitoring," noted academician Vyacheslav Rozhnov, director of the Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution at the Russian Academy of Sciences.  

On July 9, 2020 the updates of the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) were published. Among others, these changes affected the common hamster (Cricetus cricetus), a species that 50 years ago was very numerous both in Western Europe and in Russia, being both a pest of agriculture and a commercial species. However, afterwards its number throughout the entire range began to decline sharply, and in a number of European countries it disappeared completely. The common hamster status, according to the IUCN classification, has risen from LC (Least Concern) to CR (Critically Endangered). Thus, the common hamster has passed 4 stages of conservation status in a row, which is an unprecedented case. Previously, it was as common as the gray rat (Rattus norvegicus) or the common squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris), but now its status is the same as that of the saiga (Saiga tatarica) or black rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis)! This, however, does not mean that hamsters are now as few as rhinos: the IUCN estimate takes into account not so much the total number of the species, but rather its trends and the risk of extinction. In European countries, the situation with the common hamster is the most dramatic. In Russia and Kazakhstan, their numbers are decreasing as well, but in many regions this species is not only numerous, but even causes harm to property. It is felt specifically by villagers and summer residents.

A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of Russian Academy of Sciences within the framework of the Ministry of Education and Science project "Updating the instrument base of the leading organizations performing research and development in the academic sector of science" has acquired new equipment for the electron microscopy room: - Scanning electron microscope TESCAN MIRA 3 LMH - is equipped with a Schottky cathode, a detector for studying samples "in the light" and an energy dispersive microanalysis system AZtecOneX-act. (SEM TESCAN MIRA 3 LMH is one of the most modern hi-tech devices - a universal analytical complex for studying the morphology and ultrastructure of biological and industrial objects with an ultrahigh spatial resolution based on a scanning electron microscope and conducting a semi-quantitative microanalysis of biological samples. The Schottky auto-emission cathode provides resolution - 1.2 nm at 30 kV, magnification range without distortion of the field of view from 2 X to 1 000 000 X, scanning speed 20 ns / pixel, image saving up to 16 384 X 6 384 pixels and high performance. Energy dispersive microanalysis system AZtecOneX-act allows obtaining SEM images in secondary or reflected electrons, building maps of the distribution of elements in a certain area and obtaining color representations of several elements in one summary image with the possibility of overlaying them on an electronic image). - Sputtering installation Q150R ES Plus (Quorum Technologies)

 Starting from the 1-st of August, in the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation will be held test flight counting of polar bears. The expedition is organized within the framework of the project "Host of the Arctic", initiated by Federal service for supervision of natural resources of the Russian Federation (Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment) and International Environmental Fund "Clean seas", with participation of  "Arctic Initiatives" Foundation. During the project implementation it is planned to explore the coastal areas from Yamal to Taimyr, to conduct trial flight counting of polar bears and marine mammals, and to assess the overall environmental situation in the Russian Arctic. The immediate organizers of the project are: Svetlana Radionova, Head of Federal service for supervision of natural resources; Sergey Krikalev, Hero of the Soviet Union, Hero of Russia, Pilot-astronaut, President of the "Clean Seas" Foundation; Vasily Bogoslovsky, General Director of the "Clean Seas" Foundation; Andrei Patrushev, General Director of  the "Arctic Initiatives" Foundation; Vyacheslav Rozhnov, Academician, Director of Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution; Valery Tokarev, Hero of Russia, test-pilot, astronaut, chief pilot of expedition. According to the head of Federal service for supervision of natural resources Svetlana Radionova, today there are several threats to the polar bear, including poaching, global warming and human economic activity. The objectives of the project are:

A century has passed since the days when the law of homologous series in variation was first manifested. This event happened in 1920 in Saratov, in the third post-revolution year, in the frameworks of the III All-Russian Conference on Plant Breeding, then mobilized in view of current needs of agricultural practice, science and education. The report of a 33-year-old professor Nikolai Vavilov, who was accompanied by his students from the Saratov University, caused a sensation. Vavilov’s generalization on the phenomenon of the homologous series in variation of cultivated plants was reported on June, 4, 1920 and enthusiastically appreciated by the qualified breeders as a great scientific achievement comparable with the Mendeleev’s periodic Law of the chemical elements. On June 21, 1920, a message of the provincial Saratov branch of the Russian Telegraph Agency shared internationally the information on “the greatest discovery of world significance” which was addressed to the State government by the decision of the meeting. Very soon after the initial Russian publication (Vavilov 1920), the paper entitled “The Law of Homologous Series in Variation” was published in the Journal of Genetics, edited by W. Bateson and R.C. Punnett, the elder statesmen of genetics (Vavilov 1922).

At the Leopard Recovery Center of the Sochi National Park, examinations have been completed for 5 animals preparing for release into nature. After two years of training at the Center, leopards received all the necessary skills for an independent life. Before release, each animal was equipped with a satellite collar, which will allow monitoring their movement and assessing adaptation. The exact place of release for each predator will be determined in the near future. What happened? On July 22, at the Leopard Recovery Center of the Sochi National Park, satellite collars were put on five leopards. This is a great milestone both for the Center and for the leopards themselves. For young predators, this is a ticket to the wild. Before receiving a collar, every leopard has undergone rigorous testing and exams. At the moment, 3 females and 2 males are prepared for release into the wild: Agura, Aibga, Kodor (parents Alous and Cheri), as well as Laba and Baksan (parents Zadig and Andrea). Surprisingly, all 5 graduates from both couples were born on the same day - 06/03/2018. How does it happen? First, the animals are immobilized by injecting veterinary drugs through syringes loaded into long-range rifles. After that, scientists promptly collect all the necessary information about a specific individual: weight, size and other parameters of the animal, check claws, fangs, take blood and fur for analysis, photograph patterns of spots on the skin of leopards. All this data is necessary in order to make sure that the animals are healthy, as well as to provide the data for the creation of the so-called "leopard passport". Thanks to such passports, in the future, it is possible to accurately identify an animal by traces of its vital activity or photographs from camera traps.

  The "Master of the Arctic" project is being implemented within the framework of cooperation between Rosprirodnadzor and the International Ecological Fund "Clean Seas". In addition, the Arctic Initiatives Center is actively involved in this work. The scientific program of the experiment was developed by the A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IPEE RAS), whose specialists will directly participate in aviation surveys and in the subsequent processing of the data obtained. The head of Rosprirodnadzor, Svetlana Radionova, at a press conference held on July 21, 2020 at the RIA-Novosti press center dedicated to the "Master of the Arctic" project, said that the polar bear is one of the most beautiful and strong animals. He really is the master of the Arctic. However, polar bears are listed in the Red Book, meaning direct interference with the population in the wild is out of the question, which is why the department organized an exploratory expedition, based on the results of which further work will be drawn up to preserve the population. In addition to the head of Rosprirodnadzor, the press conference on the "Master of the Arctic" project was attended by Hero of the Soviet Union, Hero of Russia, pilot-cosmonaut, President of the Clean Seas Foundation Sergei Krikalev; Vyacheslav Rozhnov, Academician of RAS, Director of IPEE RAS; General Director of ANO Arctic Initiatives Andrey Patrushev; General Director of the Clean Seas Foundation Vasily Bogoslovsky; and Hero of Russia, test pilot, cosmonaut, chief pilot of the expedition Valery Tokarev.

Russian scientists, together with colleagues from the State University of New York at Buffalo, studied the phylogeography, evolutionary rate, and species diversity of cladocerans of the Daphnia curvirostris complex. The sequences of four genes of this complex were studied and the existence of twelve separate species was confirmed. A previously unknown group of four rare species was found in the Far East. Scientists have found that these animals are endangered as a result of human activity. The researchers spoke about the results of the work on the pages of the prestigious zoological publication Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. The study was supported by a grant from the Russian Science Foundation (RSF). Daphnia curvirostris is a complex of Holarctic Cladocera species. These species are common in freshwater bodies of the Palaearctic, the largest of the zoogeographic regions of the planet. “Our work is devoted to the revision of one of the most common groups of cladocerans - Daphnia curvirostris sensu lato, that is, in a broad sense. The team studied the genetic and morphological features of the populations of these animals throughout their modern range. Our research has made a great contribution to the study of the biological diversity of continental water bodies of the Palaearctic, ”says Aleksey Kotov, Doctor of Biological Sciences, Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Chief Researcher at the A. N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

The Lake Baikal Foundation signed an agreement with the A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution RAS (IPEE RAS) to conduct serological and hormonal studies of the biomaterial of the Baikal seal, which was collected during the expedition in 2019, and also transferred part of the necessary funds. This is already the third agreement between the Baikal Foundation and IPEE RAS, aimed at developing research on the Baikal seal. The joint work of the Lake Baikal Foundation and IPEE RAS began with the initiation by the Foundation of the development of a comprehensive scientific program for the study of the Baikal seal and its habitat in 2018 in order to find innovative approaches to the registration and study of the Baikal seal and to provide expert recommendations for the conservation of the population. The second agreement, signed by the parties in 2019, was aimed at supporting a ten-day expedition with the purpose of studying and satellite tagging of the Baikal seal, during which 15 seals were tagged and 174 samples of biological material from 23 seals were collected using non-invasive and minimally invasive methods. This year, cooperation between the Foundation and IPEE RAS is aimed at analyzing the collected biomaterial and is a systematic and logical continuation of the work done for the competent preservation of a unique animal.

Well-known Russian ornithologist, researcher at the A.N.Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution RAS, candidate of biological sciences Sophia Rosenfeld worked for a week in the Nizhnekolymsky region of Yakutia. Together with the pilot Georgy Kirtaev on a small amphibious aircraft, they were engaged in aerial survey of geese. Journalist Alexei Kurilo interviewed her for the SakhaNews news agency, and this is what Sofya Borisovna reported: - There are many hunters in Yakutia, and they think this way: the birds flew by, we shot them, and they flew away somewhere. Where did they go? How many are there? Global trends are such that migratory birds do not belong to any country. They are not yours, they are not ours, they don’t belong to any of the continents. They hibernate in one country, fly through many countries, breed in Yakutia. And if for moose, wild boars, and some large mammals there are some quotas, there are some accounts, then the matter is much more complicated with migratory birds. We are asked the question: how do you count them? Here international cooperation is already necessary: birds do not recognize borders and do not understand political relations between countries. And it turns out that we do not know much. We do not have any accounting, monitoring. In all large countries of the world, more or less developed, there are accounts of the birds, and we are just beginning to approach this topic. And we are now trying to introduce aerial surveys of waterfowl, as well as cranes, owls, and large Arctic birds.

The site "My Planet" published an article by N.Yu. Feaktistova, d. N., scientific secretary of the A. N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution RAS, about what animals know and remember their parents. Animals not only do not know their ancestors, but can also mate with them. Nevertheless, there are behavioral models where babies come into contact with the elderly and may even be cared for by them. For example, bear familial units often have cubs from an earlier litter that help take care of the younger ones, showing them the ropes. But it rather resembles the relationship between older and younger siblings. Orcas live in large families, led by the females. Daughters do not leave their mothers, even when they produce their own offspring. The males prefer to stay in the family as well. Moreover, among killer whales the mothers and grandmothers are trying in every possible way to take care of their sons and grandchildren: they help them hunt, they support them during conflicts with other individuals. After all, the longer the male lives, the more offspring he will leave! Scientists suggest that it is due to the need to take care of the younger generation that killer whales have a long post-reproductive life span. Although in most mammals it is limited by the period of fertility. But to compare these relationships with the attitude of grandmothers and grandchildren would not be correct. In nature, a different principle applies: the elders take care of the younger ones. And it is not necessary for them to be relatives. For example, when an older female chimpanzee sees that a younger individual cannot take care of the cubs, it may as well pick them up to nurture them herself.

Instects magazine published a scientific article by M.Ya. Benkovskaya and A.O. Benkovsky on the belonging of two populations of ladybugs to one species. The scientific and information portal Search described in detail the essence of the study and posted a comment of the project manager Marina Yakovlevna Benkovskaya, Doctor of Biological Sciences, senior researcher at the A. N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, RAS. Russian researchers have studied the type of ladybugs - Chilocorus kuwanae, - which has been used to control pests for more than a century. It was previously believed that the native land of this species is Asia, and another related ladybug lives in Europe. However, the study of signs of body structure and statistical processing of the results showed that these two populations belong to the same species. The study demonstrates how important animal identification is using precise quantitative methods and statistical processing. The data obtained also indicate the need for reassessment of the effectiveness of measures related to the importation of individuals of this species. The work was published in the journal Insects. Research is supported by a grant from the Russian Science Foundation.

This year, the Scientific-Experimental Base “Chernogolovka” of IPEE RAS celebrates its 45th anniversary! We have prepared a small report (see video report under the text) about the workings of the base at the moment and the scientific research conducted there. The scientific-experimental base "Chernogolovka" is located approximately in 60 kilometers from Moscow. Its location in the forest prevents onlookers and curious locals from interacting with the animals kept there. The base is located in a dense forest, with minimal interference into the wildlife, paths connecting the houses of scientists and cages, kennels and fenced areas in which animals are kept. Despite the fact that the base is far from the city, the scientific life does not stop on weekdays or weekends. Employees of the IPEE RAS can be stationed at the base comfortably - even on weekends. The results of their research at the base are published in international scientific journals. Several types of animals are studied at the base. However, the spectrum of research is similar - first of all, the study of animal behavior and its formation in ontogenesis, their communication, the biology of reproduction and hybridization, and environmental physiology. Based on the study of these aspects, rare breeding technologies are being developed for their conservation.

On June 17, 2020, while diving in the Black Sea, Alice Kosyan, a researcher at the Laboratory of Morphology and Ecology of Invertebrates, passed away. Alice was born and spent her childhood in Gelendzhik, graduated from the Department of Invertebrate Zoology, Faculty of Biology, M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University. While studying, Alice began to research marine predatory gastropods. She was not only a student gifted in science, but also distinguished by her breadth of education and musical abilities (she played in the student theater of Moscow State University). In 2003, she graduated with honors from the Faculty of Biology and entered the graduate school of our Institute, and after defense she was enrolled in the Laboratory of Morphology and Ecology of Marine Invertebrates. Alice mastered morphological, histological, hydrobiological research methods already in her student years. She worked intensively and enthusiastically. During her short scientific career, she had published more than 30 articles in scientific journals, including leading international ones, mainly on taxonomy, morphology and ecology of various groups of the Buccinidae family. Only this year two have been released. Alice worked on other projects, having a lot planned for the future. Alice was distinguished by rare benevolence and equilibrium. She was a beautiful and gentle mother and devoted a lot of time and effort to raising her daughter Sonya. Perhaps not everyone knew that Alice devoted a huge part of her money and mental strength to the benefit of children from dysfunctional families. She always helped people through action, kind words, and advice. She also helped homeless animals, took home and treated stray cats, and arranged for dogs to be taken in by good families.

The developments by IPEE RAS of artificial nests-incubators of salmon caviar were included in the list of Russian studies that are changing the world. The list of Russian scientists whose research is known all over the world and whose inventions have successfully integrated into the real sector of the economy, was prepared by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation. Artificial incubator nests for salmon caviar In the laboratory of fish and aquatic invertebrate ecology of the Institute of Biology, FIC “Karelian Scientific Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences” together with the staff of the A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution RAS is developing technical solutions for the reproduction of valuable salmon fish in the natural conditions of rivers, an alternative method for the factory reproduction of ichthyofauna. More than 10 types of artificial caviar incubator nests of various designs and capacities have been developed, adapted for the reproduction of both noble salmon of the Salmo genus (Atlantic salmon, brown trout), and for the entire group of Pacific salmon of the Oncorhynchus genus. The devices have been tested and are used on the rivers of the Republic of Karelia, the Murmansk and Sakhalin Regions, the Kamchatka Territory; the devices have been used in the Republic of Belarus. Currently, a new development is being introduced at the stage of “incubation complex of extra-plant breeding”, which allows intensively reproducing salmon species of fish in small spawning rivers where the construction of a hatchery is not practical. Unique equipment for the extraction of bitumen oil

Drobyshev Yuliy Ivanovich, Senior Researcher, Laboratory of Ecology of Arid Territories, A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of Russian Academy of Sciences, Ph.D., Candidate of Historical Sciences, conducted a lesson "Educational research: from design to implementation" for students who signed up for distance-intensive "Environmental activism or how I can help nature." Classes are held by the Federal Children's Ecological and Biological Center. During classes, the students learn how to: - conduct real research - shoot videos - create a guide or sightseeing route around their region - choose a profession related to their interests - present their work   More information here:  https://kamddt.ru/novosti/ekologicheskiy-aktivizm-ili-kak-mogu-pomoch-prirode_20200615/ 

Candidate of Biological Sciences, Researcher at the Laboratory of Soil Zoology and General Entomology of the A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution RAS Potapov Anton Mikhailovich received a medal and a prize of the Russian Academy of Sciences for a series of works “The structure of energy flows in detrital food networks”. You can familiarize yourself with the Order on awarding medals of the Russian Academy of Sciences with prizes for young scientists of Russia and for students of higher educational institutions of Russia following the results of the 2019 competition (submission of the RAS Commission for Work with Scientific Youth) by clicking the link.

The E.N. Pavlovsky prize of 2020 was awarded to Doctor of Biological Sciences Sergey Spiridonov from the A.N.Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of RAS. The scientist was noted for a series of works "Systematics and phylogeny of nematodes parasitizing in invertebrates." The presidium of the Russian Academy of Sciences awarded the Doctor of Biological Sciences Arkady Balushkin the gold medal of L.S. Berg in 2020. The employee of the Zoological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences received the award for a series of works on the morphology, systematics, and historical biogeography of Antarctic fish. The Yu.A. Israel gold medal in 2020 will be received by the Doctor of physical and mathematical sciences Sergei Semenov (Institute of Global Climate and Ecology named after academician Yu.A. Israel) for the cycle of works "Greenhouse gases and climate change".