From June 30 to July 11, 2025, two conference schools were held at the Deep Lake Hydrobiological Station of the A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences (Ruzsky District, Moscow Region) to improve the qualifications of hydrobiologists (graduate students, young researchers, and teachers):
1) At the 7th conference school "Systematics and Faunistics of Cladocera (Cladocera)" (June 30 - July 6), lectures were given by specialists and practical classes were held to determine the material within the framework of the study of cladocerans. The lectures were devoted to the morphology, biogeography, phylogeography, and the basics of the systematics of Cladocera (Ctenopoda, Anomopoda, Haplopoda, Onychopoda, Moinidae), and cladocerans were also considered as objects of paleolimnology.
2) At the 1st school-conference “Methods and problems of modern paleolimnology” (July 7 – July 11), lectures and practical classes were held on various methods of paleolimnological research (such as cladoceran, chironomid, spore-pollen analysis, as well as analysis of plant macroremains), issues of formation of taphocenoses of continental water bodies and problems of interpretation of paleolimnological data.
The lecturers at the two conference schools were N.M. Korovchinsky, A.A. Kotov, P.G. Garibyan and A.A. Zharov, employees of the Laboratory of Ecology of Aquatic Communities and Invasions of the IEE RAS, as well as a number of young researchers from other institutions.
The main organizer of both events was Yu.A. Pastukhova, a postgraduate student at Moscow State University, whom the IEE RAS thanks for her efforts that led to remarkable results, despite the very rainy and cool weather during the first school and the hurricane that hit the Biostation during the second school and left the school participants without electricity for two days.
The audience included young specialists from various regions of the Russian Federation, including Irkutsk, Novosibirsk, Kazan, Volgograd, Vologda and other cities. A significant proportion of the participants were young workers from fisheries institutions, which indicates that the proposed topics of the schools, held annually at the Deep Lake Hydrobiological Station of the IEE RAS, are in high demand by practical science.
Within each conference-school, half a day was devoted to the reports of the trainees on the topics of their research. Each participant shared interesting information about their achievements in the field of hydrobiology, cladocerology and paleolimnology, some participants also spoke about the work of their institutions. This was followed by a general discussion of the participants' reports and various problems related to cladocerans and paleoecological methods. Upon completion of both schools, the participants received a certificate of participation in the event and a lot of positive emotions!
We will be glad to see young scientists at the next conference-schools of the same name, which will undoubtedly be held in 2026 and in subsequent years.
Related materials:
Nizhne-Obsky branch of Glavrybzavod: "A week among scientists: new knowledge and live discoveries at the "Lake Glubokoye" biostation" VNII RHO: "A specialist from the Middle Volga branch of VNIRO took part in the work of one of the oldest domestic hydrobiological stations"