Fig. 1. Greater noctule (Nyctalus lasiopterus). As a result of the studies carried out in 2020-2021 research has provided unique data that allows us to expand our knowledge about the scale and routes of movement of flying mammals - chiropterans. For the first time in world science, long-distance seasonal flights of a migratory bat species in temperate latitudes have been traced on a daily basis almost to their wintering grounds. The research was carried out by researchers from the Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences D.A. Vasenkov, N.V. Sidorchuk, RAS academician V.V. Rozhnov and MSU employee N.S. Vasilyev. Migrating bats, greater noctule bats (Nyctalus lasiopterus), marked with GPS-GSM trackers, made a long flight in the fall from their summer habitats in the Meshchera National Park (Vladimir Region) towards their wintering grounds and almost reached them. These are the largest bats in Europe (weighing more than 40 g), but even for them, the battery life of GPS-GSM trackers was limited to 2-3 weeks of operation in the mode of daily transmission of location data. During the long-distance flight, the animals crossed several European countries, flying from 1754 to 3360 km (distance in a straight line from 1459 to 2515 km). The longest flight was made by a male whose GPS-GSM tracker stopped transmitting data in Italy, 100 km from the border with France. The trackers of two females stopped transmitting data in southern Poland and Bulgaria. During these movements, the male greater noctule set two records among bats, both in flight distance from summer habitats to wintering grounds, and in daily flight range (445 km per night). Fig. 2. Map of the autumn migration flights of three individuals of the greater noctule, tracked using GPS-GSM trackers. The numbers indicate the location of each individual, corresponding to the days of migration from the date of its start. KMA - boundaries of the Kursk magnetic anomaly.  The data obtained significantly expand our knowledge of the ecology of bats, the routes of their seasonal movements and emphasize the importance of preserving natural landscapes throughout the European continent for the survival of migratory bat species. The research materials were published in the journal “Reports of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Life Sciences” and in its international version “Doklady Biological Sciences”. Vasenkov D.A., Vasiliev N.S., Sidorchuk N.V., Rozhnov V.V. Autumn Migration of Greater Noctule Bat (Nyctalus Lasiopterus): through Countries and over Mountains to a New Migration Flight Record in Bats.  Reports of Russian Science. Sciences about life. - 2023. - Т. 513. - №1. - C. 564-569. doi: 10.31857/S2686738923700403 Vasenkov D.A., Vasiliev N.S., Sidorchuk N.V., Rozhnov V.V. Autumn Migration of Greater Noctule Bat (Nyctalus Lasiopterus): through Countries and over Mountains to a New Migration Flight Record in Bats. Dokl Biol Sci 513, 395–399 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1134/S0012496623700746

Fig.1: Social vole The social vole is a small herbivorous rodent that inhabits open plains and mountainous steppe regions, as well as semi-deserts of Syria, Turkey, Iran, the Caucasus, Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and China. Field studies indicate that voles of this species live in small family groups consisting of one adult male, one or two breeding females and their offspring (one or two broods). The social vole is capable of year-round reproduction, but in arid regions it exhibits seasonal reproduction. This species is characterized by so-called social monogamy, when a married couple occupies a common habitat and raises offspring together, but it is possible for both sexual partners to mate with other individuals. As a result, female broods may contain cubs from different males. Each family pair occupies a separate, protected habitat area. There is no dominance hierarchy in family groups of this species. The young usually disperse soon after emerging from the brood burrows to the surface. Married pairs demonstrate cooperation by jointly defending their territory, making burrows, clearing underground tunnels and raising young animals. Cooperation appears to contribute to the survival of family groups of this species in extreme climatic conditions. Many features of the social behavior of the social vole were studied in detail during observations of them in enclosures at the Chernogolovka Research and Experimental Base of the Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences in the Moscow region. Such observations are unique, since it is almost impossible to observe social voles in nature. The data obtained expand our understanding of the ecology and social behavior of rodents. Based on the results of a review of literature data and long-term research on the study of the ecology and social behavior of the social vole (Microtus socialis Pallas 1773), conducted by V.S. Gromov, Doctor of Biological Sciences, leading researcher at the Laboratory of Behavior and Behavioral Ecology of Mammals of the Institute of Ecology and Evoution of the Russian Academy of Sciences, an article in Current Zoology was published. Gromov V.S., 2023. Ecology and social behavior of the social vole, Microtus socialis: A generalized review // Current Zoology V. 69. P. 775-783. doi: 10.1093/cz/zoac081

Fig.1. Photographs of a living Phoxinus adagumicus The species diversity of fish in continental reservoirs and watercourses is significantly underestimated. As a team of scientists from the A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution RAS and the I.D. Papanin Institute of Biology of Inland Waters RAS have found out, the species richness of fish in Russian water bodies is also underestimated. In particular, while conducting an audit of small carp fish - minnows of the genus Phoxinus, living in the North Caucasus, scientists discovered that two species of minnows inhabit it. One of the species is the Colchian minnow Phoxinus colchicus, widespread in the rivers of the eastern Black Sea basin, and the second is a new species for science that lives in the rivers of the Adagum system, a tributary of the lower Kuban (Fig. 3). The latter is named the Adagum minnow Phoxinus adagumicus (Fig. 1). Fig.2. Reduced pharyngeal teeth of the Adagum minnow: A) single row 5-4 (in 33% of individuals), B) double row – 1.5-4.1 (21% of individuals). The species, new to science, differs from other species of the genus, first of all, in its reduced pharyngeal teeth (Fig. 2) and a number of other characteristics. According to molecular genetic analysis of two mtDNA markers, the new species represents one of the most ancient lineages of Phoxinus in Europe and among the first to penetrate from the Far East in the distant past (Fig. 4). In fact, this is a relict line of minnows that has survived to this day in the lower reaches of the Kuban. Fig.3. Map of collections of materials and distribution of a new species of fish - the Adagum minnow. It turned out that the Colchian minnow also lives in the Kuban basin, having penetrated into the basin of the Belaya River, the largest tributary of the Kuban. A population of Colchis minnow with a unique haplogroup and a fairly high level of genetic isolation from Colchis minnows of the Black Sea basin was discovered here. This speaks in favor of an ancient event of river interception between the Kuban basin and the Black Sea rivers. Fig.4. Bayesian consensus tree of concatenated mtDNA protein-coding sequences (COI and cytb) representing the relationships of all species of the genus Phoxinus. Kuban is a river with the highest endemism of ichthyofauna among the rivers of European Russia. As the study showed, the extent of endemism in Kuban is still underestimated. The species, new to science, has a very small range, limited to dimensions of about 55 x 20 km in the Adagum basin (Lower Kuban). The habitat of the Adagum minnow is located in a region of intense anthropogenic pressure. Obviously, this endemic species requires conservation measures. The article was published in the journal Zoosystematics and Evolution (Q1 WoS). The work was supported by the Russian Science Foundation grant No. 23-14-00128.

Three IEE RAS projects will receive support from the Russian Science Foundation under the competition “Conducting fundamental scientific research and exploratory scientific research by individual scientific groups.” The Russian Science Foundation has summed up the results of the competition of projects of individual scientific groups in 2024 and the competition of interdisciplinary projects conducted on behalf of the President of Russia. As part of these competitions, 546 projects were selected based on the results of the examination. 12.5 billion rubles have been allocated to finance the winning projects in 2024-2027. In the competition of individual scientific groups, three projects of the IEE RAS will receive support: Surov A. V. Sustainable development of cities - modern challenges: analysis of evolutionary trends and adaptations of indicator animal species to urban communities Pavlov D. S. Migration polymorphism in fish and lampreys: formation and environmental consequencesBritaev T. A. Communities of coral ectosymbionts: from origin to collapse We congratulate the winners and wish them successful implementation of their projects!

The Marine Mammal Council, the Nature Reserves EcoCenter, and the Clean Seas International Environmental Fund jointly decided to establish Caspian Seal Day. It will be celebrated on March 24th. On this day in 2020, the Caspian seal was included in the Red Book of the Russian Federation. The Caspian seal has been on the list of the International Union for Conservation of Nature since 2008, with the status of “endangered”. In recent years, massive dumping of bodies of dead seals have been regularly observed in the Caspian Sea. Various causes have been cited for this phenomenon, including climate change, infectious diseases, and possible exposure to pollution. Changing ice conditions and falling sea levels are forcing animals to find new places to give birth and moult. Aerial surveys carried out in the Russian and Kazakh parts of the Caspian Sea showed that in 2023 their numbers decreased by 16.5% compared to 2022. In order to attract the attention of the Russian community to the topic of saving and preserving the endemic of the Caspian Sea, the entire ecosystem of this sea, it was decided to establish Caspian Seal Day.

Fig.1: Brandt’s vole Brandt's vole is a small herbivorous rodent that inhabits steppe and mountainous regions (up to 2900 m above sea level) of Mongolia, southeastern China and Transbaikalia in Russia. Field studies indicate that voles of this species are active during daylight hours, breed seasonally and live in family groups. They are characterized by a variable reproductive system - from polygyny to promiscuity, depending on population density, spatial distribution of females and the composition of family groups. Each family group occupies a separate, protected habitat area. Aggressive interactions between family group members are extremely rare. In some families, several females coexist in one burrow and jointly raise their offspring. Social relations between family members are based on mutual tolerance with some signs of age hierarchy, when adults and young animals from older broods occupy a higher social position. Brandt's voles have well-defined cooperation: members of the same family jointly defend their territory, dig holes and underground tunnels, make nests, store food and raise offspring. Cooperation and family ties contribute to the survival of family groups of this species in the extreme climatic conditions of Central Asia. Fig.2: Enclosures at the Scientific Experimental Base of the Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences “Chernogolovka” in the Moscow region, where observations of voles were carried out. Many features of the social behavior of Brandt's voles were studied in detail during observations of them in enclosures at the Scientific Experimental Base of the Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences "Chernogolovka" in the Moscow region. Such observations are unique. The data obtained expand our understanding of the ecology and social behavior of rodents. Based on the results of many years of research and a review of literature data on the study of the ecology and social behavior of the Brandt’s vole, carried out by V.S. Gromov, Doctor of Biological Sciences, leading researcher at the Laboratory of Mammal Behavior and Behavioral Ecology of the Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences, an article was published in the “Journal of Arid Environments". Gromov V.S., 2023. Ecology and social behavior of the Brandt’s vole: A generalized review // Journal of Arid Environments V.214. 104994. doi: 10.1016/j.jaridenv.2023.104994

On March 19, a lecture by A.A.Lisovsky  was held at the Institute of Zoology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing on the topic "Biodiversity databases in Russia and the problem of species distribution modeling in temperate climate". The main emphasis of the lecture was on the features of using information from public databases to analyze the geographical structure of biodiversity. The characteristic difficulties associated with attempts at ecological modeling of species in a limited area, especially those related to forest species inhabiting a temperate climate zone, were described, and ways to solve them were proposed. The lecture took place as part of a long-term collaboration with the Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution and the National Zoological Museum of China. Before the start of the lecture A.A. Lisovsky was awarded a diploma from the International Scholarship Initiative of the President of the Chinese Academy of Sciences PIFI for visiting scientists. A collaborative study of the genetic and morphological structure of small mammal biodiversity in the Sichuan Basin is being carried out with support from PIFI.

The conference was held in Moscow from March 19 to 21, 2024. One of the main topics of the conference was the study and conservation of the polar bear and other Arctic mammals. At the plenary session “Conservation of the Arctic: Strategic Priorities”, the director of the Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences, corresponding member of RAS S.V. Naidenko discussed the topic “Study and monitoring of the current state of large mammals and birds of the Russian Arctic (within the framework of biodiversity conservation programs).” The moderator of the working session “Scientific research of marine mammals and other animals in the Arctic” was D.M. Glazov, leading engineer of the IEE RAS, executive director of the Council of Marine Mammals. Also participating in this session was Ph.D. M.A. Solovyova, head of scientific work on research programs for seals (Laboratory of Behavior and Behavioral Ecology of Mammals of the Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences). During this working session, the state of marine mammals and other Arctic vertebrate species, methods for studying them, including tagging, measures aimed at their conservation and sustainable use, results of monitoring, population surveys, and the results of special expeditions to study marine mammals were discussed. N.G. Platonov, Ph.D., senior researcher at the Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences, (Cabinet of Earth Remote Sensing Methods and Thematic Interpretation in Ecology) took part in the work session “Studying the biology and monitoring of the polar bear.” This part of the conference presented the results of research into the biology and ecology of the polar bear, diseases faced by the polar bear, the consequences of pollution of the polar bear’s habitat, and the level of contamination of the biological tissues and organs of the polar bear. I.N. Mordvintsev, Ph.D., leading researcher at the Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences, received a letter of gratitude from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Ecology of the Russian Federation. During the conference, the participants signed a framework “Agreement on interaction on issues of environmentally friendly and safe development of protected areas, professional and public monitoring, development of the voluntary movement, popular science and ecological tourism, civil science, training and education.” Also within the framework of the conference, an “Agreement on cooperation on conducting scientific research on the Chukotka-Alaskan polar bear population, developing measures and finding solutions for the conservation of the polar bear and carrying out environmental protection and rehabilitation measures for habitats, implementing projects aimed at monitoring the polar bear and solving conflict situations “man-polar bear”, including with the involvement of local and indigenous residents and volunteers.” You can view photos of the VII International Scientific and Practical Conference “The Universe of the Polar Bear: Arctic Ecosystems” by following the link. Related materials: Nature.Kremlin: "The conference "The Universe of the Polar Bear: Arctic Ecosystems" started in Moscow and Chukotka" Meteonews: "Russian scientists presented new data on the study of the Arctic" TASS. Science: “The neural network counted almost 180 polar bears on the Bear Islands in Yakuti”

Fig. 1. Graphic expression of the degree of similarity of the helminth faunas of sculpin, navaga and cod of the White Sea. Parasitic organisms are an integral component of natural ecosystems. The composition of the parasitic fauna reflects the ecological connections of the hosts, the biogeographical features of the region and the impact of a number of other environmental factors. The parasitic fauna of cod, saffron cod (the navaga) and sculpin in the White Sea has been studied repeatedly, but large-scale parasitological studies of these fish have not been carried out in the last three decades. To fill this gap, a team of scientists from Moscow State University, the All-Russian Research Institute of Fisheries and Oceanography and the A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution RAS conducted a study of the helminths of these fish species in the waters of the N.A. Pertsov White Sea Biological Station of Moscow State University in 2021-2022. Fig 2. Cod The species composition of parasites in the three studied fish species turned out to be quite similar (Figure 1), however, the helminth communities in individuals of navaga and White Sea cod were closer in structure to each other than to the communities of sculpin, which reflects both the phylogenetic and ecological proximity of the first two host species. The authors’ conclusions indicate that the level of infection of White Sea cod, navaga and sculpin with helminths turned out to be consistently high over 85 years of observations in the White Sea. Figure 3. Sculpin Materials published in the article: Logvinenko, A.D., Gordeev, I.I., Ekimova, I.A. Sokolov S.G. (2024). Helminths of three species of White Sea fishes.Parasitology Research123, 39. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-023-08017-9

The Caspian Sea is the largest closed lake on earth, stretching across two parts of the world - Asia and Europe. It is distinguished by a unique ecosystem that is home to more than four hundred endemic species unique to this region. The Caspian seal is endemic and the only representative of aquatic mammals in the Caspian Sea. It is at the top of the food chain, so the stable state of its population serves as an indicator of the well-being of the entire marine ecosystem. We present for your attention the scientific and educational film “Caspian Seal”, prepared by order of the Fisheries Committee of the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the NCOC company. The chief researcher of IEE RAS, Chairman of the RAS Scientific Council on Problems of Ecology of Biological Systems, Academician of the RAS Vyacheslav Vladimirovich Rozhnov took part in the filming.