Photo courtesy of the Lake Baikal Foundation Scientists from the A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IEE RAS), together with experts from the Lake Baikal Foundation, have compiled the results of an expedition to study the Baikal seal. The expedition, which took place in the summer of 2025, focused on studying this key endemic species of Lake Baikal. Dozens of days of challenging research in the seal's habitats and hundreds of hours of observation will reveal how humans influence the seal's life. The comprehensive expedition to study the Baikal seal, a species of seal found exclusively in the waters of Lake Baikal, took place from June 16 to July 31, 2025, on the Ushkany Islands archipelago, the main summer rookery site for these animals. Researchers will need approximately another year to process all the data collected during the expedition. Photo courtesy of the Lake Baikal Foundation The expedition focused on two areas: observation and humane capture of the animals. To study the seals from a distance (to determine their numbers and observe their behavior), 41 ground-based visual observations and 44 overflights were conducted using a DJI Air 3 drone. Drones are indispensable aids to science in such expeditions, as they can gather information without attracting the attention of the subjects. In the case of the seals, the drone flights were conducted at altitudes of 60 to 140 meters. The scientists paid special attention to studying the seals' behavior. This painstaking and careful work required 696 time slices totaling over 103 hours. The collected data (video and photos) will now be carefully reviewed and analyzed to identify all the seals' behavioral characteristics. Photo courtesy of the Lake Baikal Foundation During fieldwork, scientists managed to carefully and humanely capture 20 seals: 9 males and 11 females of various ages. Fifteen of them were tagged with Pulsar satellite tags from the Argos system. These tags operate 24/7 and allow scientists to monitor the animals' movements in real time. Approximately 300 biomaterial samples (whole blood, blood plasma, hair, and whiskers) were collected from the captured animals. All samples were collected using gentle methods without the use of sedation. During a survey of the coast of the Ushkany Islands, the scientists found 15 dead seals. Samples were also taken from the dead animals to investigate the possible causes of death. Photo courtesy of the Lake Baikal Foundation "The Lake Baikal Foundation has been systematically studying the Baikal seal for several years, together with leading scientists from the Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences," notes Anastasia Tsvetkova, General Director of the Lake Baikal Foundation. As a reminder, 2025 marks the release of the first popular science film about the life of the Baikal seal. The film, "Seal and Man," is available for free viewing and tells the story of the noble mission and difficult work of caring people trying to preserve Lake Baikal's natural environment. The materials collected during the summer expedition have been transferred to the laboratories of the Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences for detailed analysis. The results will form the basis for scientifically based measures to conserve the Baikal seal population in the face of increasing anthropogenic pressure. However, its obvious and often negative impact is already being recognized. For example, due to the increased tourist flow to Lake Baikal, there are more boats, and the animals are being frightened more frequently. It should be noted that Nikon D7500 and D500 cameras, Levenhuk 8×42 and Nikon 10×50 binoculars were used for visual observations during the summer expedition; weather conditions were recorded with a Megeon 11030 anemometer, and noise levels were measured with a Megeon 92022 sound meter. Related materials: Mail.News: "Zoologists are investigating the causes of the death of Baikal seals"   EcoSever: "Baikal is sending out an alarming signal: what is the reason for the deaths of seals on Ushkany Islands?"

As part of the Presidential Fund for Nature's project "Search, Description, and Development of a Strategy for the Rational Use of Endemic Fish Species from Unexplored Lakes of the Bystrinsky Nature Park (Kamchatka Krai)," a team of scientists from Vitus Bering KamSU and the Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences is studying the fauna of hard-to-reach water bodies in the Sredinny Range of Kamchatka. One of the interesting finds is dwarf char from lakes located in the mountains at the snow line. The descendants of arctic char (typically weighing 0.6-1.5 kg) have become smaller, and in lakes such as Bolshoe Goltsovoe and Avotya, they grow to only 80-100 g. The fish use their scarce resources not on somatic growth, but on sexual maturation. For the first 6-7 years of their lives, they accumulate lipids in their bodies, which they then use to develop their gonads. Repeat spawning requires several more years of resource accumulation. Muscle fat content at the beginning of maturation is over 20%, while in arctic ancestors it is 5-7%. But most interestingly, a third of all fatty acids and more than half of the polyunsaturated fatty acids in the muscles of dwarf charr are docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, the acid formula is 22c:6 ω-3). "DHA is one of the most valuable omega-3 essential fatty acids for human health. DHA supports overall metabolism, prevents subcutaneous fat accumulation, and is beneficial for vision and brain function. Its role in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases has been proven. The discovery of DHA-enriched char may be of interest for aquaculture, particularly for the production of new feeds," explained Olga Rebkovets, Acting Rector of Kamchatka State University. When deficient in DHA, vertebrates can obtain this acid through enzymatic elongation from another fatty acid, alpha-linolenic acid (18c:3 ω-3). However, this process is energy-consuming and time-consuming, and linolenic acid itself is also very scarce. It is believed that the human body cannot synthesize the required amount of DHA, especially during childhood. Meanwhile, char from Kamchatka lakes can accumulate it in concentrations of 17-18 mg/g. Previously, such high concentrations of omega-3 acids were recorded only in large predatory salmon and marine fish. It was believed that they gradually accumulate omega-3 acids by eating other fish. However, dwarf char from the lakes of the Kamchatka highlands feed on bottom-dwelling invertebrates and lead a sedentary lifestyle. "The morphological effects of isolation in small habitats are well known; this is known as 'insular dwarfism.' A classic example is the 1.5-meter-long elephants that lived on Mediterranean islands during the Pleistocene. Interestingly, we were able to discover a specific physiological adaptation in dwarfs. Apparently, the chars accumulate DHA as an energy source instead of shorter, more saturated acids. However, the benefits of this anabolic shift are not obvious, as this acid is more susceptible to spontaneous oxidation than others. The specific physiological characteristics of dwarfs require further analysis," explained project leader Evgeny Esin. Project participants: Kamchatka Volcanoes Nature Park, Vitus Bering KamSU, A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences, and the Territory of Science NGO.

Photo: Marina Vladimirovna Rutovskaya An interview with Marina Rutovskaya, Doctor of Biological Sciences, Senior Researcher at the Laboratory of Mammal Behavior and Behavioral Ecology at the Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences, and a leading expert on the desman, was published by the Nature Defenders Foundation. For reference: Marina Vladimirovna Rutovskaya, Doctor of Biological Sciences, is a zoologist, associate professor, and Senior Researcher at the Laboratory of Mammal Behavior and Behavioral Ecology at the Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences. She began her research in her first year at the Faculty of Biology at Moscow State University under the supervision of Doctor of Biological Sciences A. A. Nikolsky. Her PhD dissertation focused on the vocalization of forest voles, and her doctoral dissertation focused on the vocalization of voles of a broader group—the Arvicolinae subfamily. Marina Vladimirovna has also studied the vocalization of other mammal groups (ungulates, carnivores, and insectivores). Her second major research interest is studying the biology of the Russian desman and monitoring its population status in the wild. Every year, he conducts several expeditions with the help of volunteers from the Russian Desman Friends Club to census the species. Photo: Scientific research base Chernogolovka, a complex for studying the behavior and reproductive biology of the Russian desman - I came to work with desmans quite by chance. In 1988, Pyotr Nikolaevich Romanov came to work at our Chernogolovka experimental base at IEE RAS. He had been working with desmans at the Moscow Zoo, then left to work in Chernogolovka. There, he built a desman-keeping complex, started working there, but after a while, he lost interest and quit. The complex remained: a building, a dug pond, and a few animals. At the time, I was working on my own research project—animal sound alarms. But I was curious and didn't want to give up the complex. In 1993, I approached the then director of the Institute, Academician Vladimir Evgenievich Sokolov, and proposed that he give me the complex to work on, and I would work on the desman. The director gave the go-ahead. - By then, science was already facing a problem that remains acute today: desmans were not reproducing in captivity. This became the first task. But at that point, I knew little about the animal, just theory. Of course, nothing came of it right away. Then came the financially difficult years. When things had settled down a bit, the next head of the Institute, Doctor of Biological Sciences Vyacheslav Vladimirovich Rozhnov, suggested I revisit the project. Photo: A Russian desman in the wild. Few people ever get to see one. - By then, I was really getting serious about the subject. Several desmans lived in our complex from 2004 to 2015. Then, Ksenia Eskova, now a zoologist and employee of the Institute of Developmental Biology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, joined our graduate program. She ended up writing a dissertation on the topic, and she's about to defend it. And here's our main question: why aren't they reproducing? We had quite a few good-looking animals, which I captured in the Oka Nature Reserve with permission from the Ministry of Natural Resources. Time passed, the animals aged, and we still hadn't solved the problem. Unfortunately, our supervisor closed our project: we had no new animals to work with. However, the ideas for how to properly conduct this complex work were just beginning to take shape. It became clear that without knowledge of how desmans live in the wild, nothing would work. We started going into the field. - In 2009, we assembled our first group of student volunteers and asked for an internship with Maria Vasilyevna and Alexander Sergeyevich Onufrenya (desman specialists at the Oka Nature Reserve). At the time, they were invited to conduct censuses in the Vladimir Region. We went with them, conducting both the censuses and the internship. Gradually, our group built a reputation, and nature reserves began inviting us to conduct censuses. Since then, we've conducted censuses in different locations every year, without a single break. Monitoring the status of desman populations across their range has become one of our main focuses. Photo: A census of the Russian desman is underway in the Bryansk Forest Nature Reserve. - But the main problem—finding a way to breed desmans in captivity—still remains unsolved. Why? When you read publications, you begin to imagine the species' lifestyle, but when you see them in the wild, your ideas change dramatically. Ideas begin to emerge. While the animals were living with us, we developed a method for their care, particularly their diet. Studying desman thermoregulation suggested the role of ambient temperature in successful reproduction. But just when we had our hypotheses and the time had come to test them in practice, the topic was officially closed. - The theory, in fact, is quite simple. We have a stereotype: when we take an animal and want to breed it, we try to create the most comfortable conditions possible. Desmans in the wild reproduce when their habitats regularly experience spring floods. And what is a flood for an animal? This means the desman is driven out of its stable burrow and is forced to seek temporary shelter: floating debris, logs, tree hollows, cold at night, hot in the sun during the day, bright sunlight, and a different water composition. The main conclusion: it's stressed. According to our theory, which we haven't yet tested for objective reasons, stressful conditions trigger reproduction. Incidentally, in the fall, when environmental conditions also become unstable for the desman, a second peak in reproduction sometimes occurs. We currently don't have any animals to continue this work. Photo: Desman in the wild - We built a new desman breeding facility at the Bolshoe Kropotovo Biological Station of the N.K. Koltsov Institute of Developmental Biology of the Russian Academy of Sciences in the Moscow Region near Kashira, where Ksenia Yeskova works, and received permission to trap the animals in 2020. But! We haven't caught a desman in five years! Maria Vasilyevna and Alexander Sergeyevich Onufrenya helped us with advice and lent us their traps. But so far, no results. - The problem now is that the species' habitat has changed significantly, partly as a result of global warming. The hydrological regime of rivers is changing; spring floods are not observed every year, so reservoirs are not filled with water and are becoming shallower. Consequently, the desmans' burrow patterns are also changing: they make very deep burrows, unusually deep compared to the animals of 30-40 years ago. Photo: Desman in the wild - A typical den has access routes in the form of a ditch. These ditches used to be shallow, and in the fall, when the grass settled and the water became clear, these ditches were visible from the shore. Traps were placed in these ditches without damaging the access routes, and the animals were caught. We don't find such dens anymore: desmans have begun digging unusually deep burrows. Their access routes are not ditches, but tunnels under the bottom of the reservoir, with an outlet somewhere in the middle. We find these burrows by breaking through the upper arch of the tunnel, but if we damage the access routes, the desman will not enter the trap; it is very cautious. - Why do desmans build so deep? Maria Vasilyevna Onufrenya said they have repeatedly seen that desmans have a keen sense of the weather. If shallow burrows are found during surveys, it means there will be rain and the water level will rise. If desmans dig deeper burrows, it means there will be no rain and the water level will drop. Currently, the water in the lakes is getting smaller every year, the reservoirs are getting shallower, and the desmans are digging deeper. Photo: Marina Vladimirovna talking to students - What we're doing is experimental. Initially, we planned to play with temperature, as it happens in a natural environment during floods. We have a nursery with natural lighting, and a floodplain nearby. It's easy for us to mimic natural air and lighting conditions. At the same time, we could create more extreme temperature fluctuations for them, deprive them of access to their burrow, that is, create "flood" conditions. And so on, and so forth. That was the initial idea. But there are other possibilities. - The most fundamental thing we realized is that desmans DO NOT NEED comfortable conditions for them to reproduce. Oddly enough, they need a certain level of stress. But there's another problem here. If we've achieved reproduction and produced a litter, we need to be able to preserve it. Photo: Desman loves its peace - The thing is, desmans are very sensitive to stress. Researchers know this: these animals are so nervous that they can simply die in your hands. I had such an unfortunate experience too... Accordingly, if we created stressful conditions for a successful mating season, then in the future we must create stress-free conditions to avoid losing the brood. There have been attempts to breed desmans in captivity before, since the 1940s. But our approach is our unique idea. There has been some evidence to support this idea. - My last pair of desmans lived in a deep aquarium with an artificial burrow. I blocked the entrance to the burrow for a week in the spring, creating uncomfortable conditions. After the allotted time, about 45 days, the female built a nest from fluff she had torn from her chest, in the upper part of the artificial burrow, where she usually didn't go before, and stayed in this nest for 24 hours. Her entire behavior suggested that either it was a false pregnancy, which couldn't be ruled out, or she had given birth and eaten the litter. The latter could have happened due to any disturbance. Photo: A census of the Russian desman is underway - The recommendations for the Bryansk territories where we conducted the 2025 census are more general. There are three key points that I believe are crucial now for maintaining populations. First and foremost: we need to minimize poaching and check for nets in bodies of water, not just large ones, others as well. The second idea proposed by Maria Vasilyevna and Alexander Sergeyevich Onufrenya is to deepen reservoirs. Their experience shows that this is effective. And the third idea, which Ksenia Yeskova and I are promoting, is to create a reserve population of desmans in captivity. And mandatory environmental education! - A catastrophic scenario in which we lose the desman within 30 years is entirely possible, given the current decline in the species' population. In previous centuries, when this relict species' population was high, it could have survived periods of unfavorable conditions (such as glacial cold snaps) because it had a reserve population: hundreds of thousands of desmans, and its range was continuous. If a population died out somewhere due to unfavorable conditions, other animals had a source to repopulate when conditions improved. But what do we have now? Our habitat is highly fragmented, with small populations in isolated spots. If such a population were to die out, there's no way for the species to recover. Photo: A desman perished in a fishing net - But we absolutely must work with the micropopulations we currently have! This is a truly unique animal, and we must do everything we can to preserve it, to help it survive the crisis. In areas where good protection is established (no nets, no felling of trees in the floodplain) for a long period, their numbers have increased dramatically. I can cite Ugra National Park as an example. Unfortunately, we cannot influence climate conditions... - Poor and good climate conditions for the desman. Poor conditions for it primarily mean the absence of spring floods and the presence of winter floods. Now, with global warming, the hydrological regime of water bodies is changing dramatically. Also, if we're talking about anthropogenic impact, we should include damage from 20th-century power plants: because of them, floodplains were flooded, and we lost thousands of animals. Then there's land reclamation: because of it, our water bodies have become critically shallow, and thousands upon thousands of desmans have died. Photo: The world's most famous photo of desmans. Nikolai Shpilenok took it in the Bryansk Forest Nature Reserve. - As for favorable conditions, they are as follows: the body of water must be deep enough, have good banks suitable for burrowing, have annual floods that inundate these banks (these floods seem to stimulate the animals to reproduce), and avoid winter floods, which often occur now when water rises over the ice and the animals die because their burrows are flooded and they can't get air because of the ice covering the body of water. It also requires an absence of anthropogenic pressure in the form of nets, water pollution, and grazing cows that damage the banks. In principle, it lives well near humans, as long as humans don't disturb it. Photo: Marina Vladimirovna Rutovskaya and her dog Uzhik - Indeed, very few people in the country are working on the desman. While the desman was a commercial species, many researchers studied it, but even a complete ban on hunting it didn't stop its decline. When it became clear that the desman was no longer and would never regain its commercial value, interest in the species plummeted. Now, interest is limited to scientific and conservation efforts. - The Far Eastern leopard is a federal program. Remember, there was a period when the president traveled around the country and interacted with various rare species. It all started with Vladimir Vladimirovich putting a satellite collar on a tiger. Then the president went somewhere, I can't remember where exactly, with a leopard. Then with dolphins. Then a program to restore rare species was launched, which continues to this day. But they are such attractive animals. Everyone wants to work with wild cats, dolphins, bears... But the desman is a secretive, inconspicuous animal. Although very charming, too. That's why we're persistently working on the desman and have no intention of giving up. The animal must have its protectors in the human world.

Just recently, we celebrated Nina Pavlovna Krivosheina's 95th birthday, and today, Klara Sergeevna Popova, who served science within the walls of our Institute throughout her entire scientific career, from her graduation to her retirement, is celebrating her centenary. She didn't become an academician, she didn't create a scientific school, most of the colleagues with whom she worked directly are no longer with us, and very few people remain at our Institute who knew her personally. But this anniversary, especially such a grand one, is a good opportunity to remind everyone that everyone's contribution matters in science — not only the big names who create new directions, put forward hypotheses, and make fundamental discoveries that revolutionize our understanding of the world, but also those who test these theories in practice, meticulously and accurately collect data, process it, and make, albeit less dramatic, yet important discoveries, without which it is impossible to formulate new hypotheses and theories. Everyone's role in science is crucial. This short story is about a very modest scientist, one among thousands. But it is precisely by their hands that science is made. Klara Sergeevna Popova was born on November 18, 1925 (her birth certificate and passport stated November 21, 1925) in the village of Zakhody, Gdovsky District, Pskov Oblast, to Sergei Pavlovich Popov, an officer in the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army (a veteran of World War I and later the Great Patriotic War, a colonel, and a recipient of the Order of Lenin, the Order of the Red Banner, and two Orders of the Red Star), who was serving in the area at the time. Sergei Pavlovich's wife, Elizaveta Ivanovna, was a housewife. The name Klara was given in honor of Clara Zetkin, one of the founders of the Communist Party of Germany. Such were the revolutionary times. Photo 3: 1947. Klara as a second-year student at Moscow State University. In June 1941, 15-year-old Klara was vacationing with relatives in the village of Semyonovskoye in the Kalinin (now Tver) region when the war began. Until 1943, Klara was evacuated to the Kirov region, then returned to Moscow and finished school. In 1945, she entered the Ichthyology Department of the Biology Faculty of Moscow State University. Her favorite teacher was Vladimir Viktorovich Vasnetsov, the youngest son of the artist Viktor Vasnetsov. Photo 4: Sosnovy Bor, 1981 Klara graduated from the Ichthyology Department at Moscow State University in 1950 and defended her thesis under the supervision of Professor S.G. Kryzhanovsky. After graduating from Moscow State University, she joined the A.N. Severtsov Institute of Evolutional Morphology and Ecology of Animals of the USSR Academy of Sciences as a junior researcher, where she worked her entire career, until March 1990. Klara Sergeevna participated in many expeditions, working in the Volga Delta and in Dagestan as part of a kutum breeding project. She was actively involved in studying the impact of discharge water from the Leningrad Nuclear Power Plant (Sosnovy Bor) on fish development. For many years, she assisted Mark Gulidov in his research on the morphological features of fish ontogenesis. Photo 5: Dagestan. Samur fish factory From the 1960s to the 1980s, she authored works on various aspects of early fish ontogenesis and the influence of various environmental factors. She is the author of scientific publications on various aspects of ichthyology, particularly early fish ontogenesis and the influence of various environmental factors. Here are just a few of her publications: - "The Effect of Starvation on the Development of the Kutum at the Beginning of the Larval Period of Life" (1961). - "Some Data on the Effect of Low Temperatures on the Development of the Kutum in the Embryonic Period of Life" (1968, co-authored with E.N. Smirnova). - "The Effect of Elevated Oxygen Concentrations on the Course of Hatching and Morphological Features of Embryos of Some Cyprinidae" (1978, co-authored with M.V. Gulidov). - "The Effect of Temperature on Some Developmental Features of Roach Embryos" (co-authored with M.V. Gulidov). In her final years at the Institute, Klara Sergeevna focused on Higher Attestation Commission (HAC) matters, overseeing dissertation defense preparations, including those of foreign specialists. Photo 6: Moscow State University 75 years later K.S. Popova was awarded the "Veteran of Labor" and "850 Years of Moscow" medals, as well as the "For Valiant Labor" jubilee medal in honor of the 100th anniversary of V.I. Lenin's birth. She raised two children and has four grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Photo 7: Tea connaisseur Interesting fact: Klara Sergeevna has been an avid sports fan since her youth. As a teenager, she would go to Dynamo Stadium with her friends to watch football matches, and to this day, she never misses a single football or hockey match. Her favorite athletes are Dzyuba, Akinfeev, and Karpin. She loves walking in nature, especially along the Volga River. We sincerely congratulate Klara Sergeevna Popova on her wonderful anniversary! We wish her good health, vitality, prosperity, and the support and love of her loved ones. The Directorate and all employees of the Institute.

Photo: The Caspian seal has been listed as endangered due to a sharp population decline in 2020. / Clean Seas Foundation In early November, more than 100 dead seals were found on the coast of the Caspian Sea in Kazakhstan. Authorities cited weakened immune systems and a subsequent infection as the causes of their deaths. Maria Solovyova, a PhD in biology and senior researcher at the A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences, spoke to Rossiyskaya Gazeta about the likelihood of a similar situation recurring in the Russian sector of the Caspian Sea. The largest recent die-off of Caspian seals occurred in December 2022. More than 2,500 carcasses were discovered on the shores of Dagestan. "The stranding of dead seal carcasses on the coast of the Caspian Sea in the fall has been a regular occurrence in recent years. It reoccurs at the same time—November to early December. Typically, due to the direction of the sea currents in Kazakhstan, such incidents occur slightly earlier, and two to three weeks later, the dead mammals are discovered in the Russian sector of the Caspian Sea." "This means that we predict a stranding of dead animals on the Dagestani coast at the end of November," the scientist believes. According to Maria Solovyova, the exact cause of the animals' deaths has not yet been determined. The reason is that they wash ashore already dead. Moreover, two to three weeks pass after their death. Photo: A view of a Caspian seal stranding from a height of 200 meters during aerial research by the "Soul of the Caspian" expedition. Photo: Clean Seas Foundation "To attribute the cause of death to a weakened immune system or infection, a recent death would require an examination of the individual. The Caspian seals that washed ashore were well-fed in previous years. For example, weight loss could indicate illness," the expert noted. "Histologists and veterinarians did not find any serious pathologies associated with any particular disease, such as changes in the structure of the kidneys, liver, or heart. The cause of their immediate death is drowning, meaning they suffocate in the water. However, why this occurs is still unclear." Several years ago, another hypothesis for the death of these animals emerged. Scientists attribute it to underwater emissions of methane and associated gases. The Caspian Sea basin is characterized by various oil and gas seeps, the intensity of which increases sharply during earthquakes. These emissions cause gas emissions, which in calm conditions form gas-filled lenses of air above the sea surface, where the seals suffocate. "Dead seal strandings in the Caspian Sea occur every year. Of course, they vary in scale. But I'd really like to try to get to the epicenter of these processes. That is, in October or November, we could go out on a boat and explore the waters to find the spot where they die. Such expeditions are very expensive and must be conducted not only at sea but also in the air, with aerial surveys. Unfortunately, there's no funding for this yet," laments Maria Solovyova. The last comprehensive study of Caspian seals in the Russian part of the Caspian Sea, as part of the "Soul of the Caspian" project, was conducted in 2021. A specially equipped Russian-made La-8 amphibious aircraft was used for the aerial survey. The team of scientists then managed to record from the air a single haulout of 500 seals, most of which were located on Maly Zhemchuzhny Island. Expedition members landed on it and were able to take measurements, determine the approximate age, and sample blood, fur, and whiskers from seven individuals, while also attaching satellite tags to the largest ones. In 2023, Caspian seal counts were conducted in winter using two types of aircraft. A manned La-8 served as a reconnaissance aircraft, and then silent UAVs flew over the waters unnoticed by the seals, combing and thoroughly scanning any aggregations of the animals. Specially installed infrared equipment helped identify not only adults but also newborn pups on the ice. "Ice conditions are crucial for an accurate Caspian seal population census. They reproduce, raise their young, and rest on the ice. In the Caspian Sea, ice forms in only two countries – Russia and Kazakhstan. This is why simultaneous aerial surveys over the waters of these two countries are necessary," the expert emphasized. According to Maria Solovyova, consolidated conservation efforts are needed, as the Caspian seal population has experienced many negative impacts over the 20th century. These include mining, ships polluting the waters, poaching, and a significant reduction in ice cover in the Caspian Sea due to frequent warm winters. The latest aerial surveys conducted by Russian and Kazakh scientists several years ago indicated that the estimated Caspian seal population currently stands at between 180,000 and 240,000 individuals. At the beginning of the 20th century, these numbers were five times higher. In 2020, the animal was listed in the Red Book of Russia as a second-category rare species, meaning it is declining in population. Incidentally, Caspian Seal Day is celebrated annually on March 24. To coincide with this date next year, the organizers of the "Soul of the Caspian" project—the Clean Seas environmental foundation—plan to release a documentary about these animals, titled "Harvesting Not Conserving! Time Will Place the Comma." Related materials: Clean Seas Foundation: "A Russian Academy of Sciences expert explained the likelihood of seal strandings on the Caspian coast" Ecology of Russia: "A scientist predicted the stranding of dead Caspian seals at the end of November"

During a visit of high academic and scientific value, Professor S.V. Naidenko, Director of the A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IEE RAS), met on Tuesday with the leadership of the National University of the Amazon in Peru (Universidad Nacional de la Amazonía Peruana). The main topic of the meeting was opportunities for collaboration in scientific research aimed at preserving Amazon biodiversity. The meeting took place at the University of Iquitos. S.V. Naidenko, along with José Antonio Hernández Blanco, PhD (Biology), Senior Researcher at IEE RAS, B.D. Efeikin, Researcher at IEE RAS, and D.S. Kostin, PhD (Biology), Researcher at IEE RAS, met with Mildred García Dávila, Dean of the Faculty of Biological Sciences. Henry Vladimir Delgado Wong, Head of the University's International Relations and Cooperation Office, also participated in the event. The main goal of the meeting was to assess the possibility of concluding a scientific cooperation agreement that would enable joint research in various fields related to ecology, evolution, and species conservation. The Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences is one of the most important biological research centers in Russia and worldwide. Founded in 1934, it has over 90 years of experience in research on animal ecology, biodiversity, behavior, and evolutionary morphology, as well as in developing conservation strategies. S.V. Naidenko, Professor and Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, is known worldwide for his work on big cat conservation, mammalian behavioral ecology, and the protection of endangered species. His experience includes successful conservation projects for the Amur tiger and Far Eastern leopard, both critically endangered species. Potential areas of collaboration discussed at the meeting include parasitological research, biodiversity assessments using modern environmental DNA methods, and assessments of the impact of microplastics on organisms. Potential collaboration between the IEE RAS and the National University of the Amazon in Peru could yield the following results: Access to advanced research methods developed in Russia for wildlife studies.Opportunities to conduct joint research for publication in international journals with a high impact factor.Strengthening the position of the Faculty of Biological Sciences as a center for Amazonian research at the continental level.Increasing competitiveness for obtaining international funding for research projects. Both organizations agree that scientific research should directly contribute to the sustainable development of the Amazon region. Protecting and preserving biodiversity not only ensures the survival of unique species but also provides ecosystem services on which local communities depend. The IEE RAS can assist the University in implementing successful conservation programs that will help restore populations of species on the brink of extinction. Although the meeting was of an introductory nature, both parties expressed interest in formalizing an interinstitutional cooperation agreement that would lay the foundation for joint research projects, the exchange of researchers and students, and the organization of international academic events. This work is being carried out under grant No. 075-15-2025-655 from the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation, dated August 21, 2025.

Photo: the Golden Turtle Festival On Saturday, November 15, the Golden Turtle Festival in Moscow will host events as part of "Moscow Nature Day." Researchers from the A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IEE RAS) will give lectures on Moscow's ecosystems. Lecture Program: 11:00–11:30 Anton Aleksandrovich Goncharov, Senior Researcher, IEE RAS "Insects of Moscow" 11:35–12:05 Ksenia Vyacheslavovna Dudova, PhD (Biology), Senior Researcher, IEE RAS, Lecturer, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Science Popularizer "How Do Plants Adapt to the Urban Environment?" 12:10–12:40 Lyudmila Aizikovna Khlyap, Senior Researcher, IEE RAS, Curator of the Theriology Unit at Losiny Ostrov National Park "Animals of Losiny Ostrov, Common and Rare” 12:45-1:15 PM Andrey Borisovich Petrovsky, Researcher, IEE RAS, Editor of the Amphibians and Reptiles Section of the 3rd Edition of the Moscow Red Book "Alien Species of the Moscow Part of Losiny Ostrov National Park - Invasive Species Dangerous to the Park" 1:20-2:00 PM Alexey Vladimirovich Gornov, Deputy Director, CEPL RAS "Mechanisms for Maintaining Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functions of Moscow Forests" 2:55-3:25 PM Ivan Vladimirovich Sotnikov, Junior Researcher, IEE RAS "Traces of the Invisible: Environmental DNA — a Secret Weapon for Studying Urban Biodiversity" A detailed program with a description of the events is available at the following link (select November 15th): https://goldenturtle.ru/programma-2025 Lecture venue: Lecture Hall We look forward to seeing you at our lectures! Please note that tickets for the Golden Turtle Festival are only available online: https://goldenturtle.ru

The grand opening of the "Elements of Science" photo contest exhibition will take place on November 21, 2025, at 7:00 PM Moscow time at the Zodchie cultural space, located at 23 Partizanskaya Street, Moscow. Guests will be admitted from 6:00 PM. Admission is free! The winners of the competition will be announced at the opening ceremony, and commemorative gifts from the competition partners will be presented. The winners will be congratulated personally by: 1. Alexey Mikhailov, Director of the "Elements of Science" photo contest, PhD in Biology, member of the Union of Photographers of Russia, and lecturer in the Photography Department at Institute of Design and Photography and International College of Arts and Communication;; 2. Anna Geraskina, PhD in Biology, Head of the Laboratory of Structural-Functional Organization and Stability of Forest Ecosystems at the Center for Environmental, Social, and Cultural Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, and Head of the Soil Biota and Education Departments at the Carbon RITM consortium (Russian Innovative Technologies for Monitoring for Carbon consortium); 3. Elizaveta Ivantsova, Deputy General Director of the Institute of Environmental Design and Surveying, JSC, a partner of the "Elements of Science" photo contest; 4. A representative of the editorial board of "Science and Life" magazine, a partner of the competition; 5 Nadezhda Pupysheva, head of the Scientific Communications department at the Carbon RITM consortium, associate professor at the Faculty of Geography and Geoinformation Technologies at the National Research University Higher School of Economics, and curator of the Elements of Science photo contest. The "Elements of Science" photo exhibition will run from November 18 to December 17 at the Zodchie cultural space. Everyone is welcome to visit: free of charge, no registration required, and admission is free from 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM Moscow time. The photo exhibition is dedicated to science and nature, and will feature photographs by the finalists of the 13th "Elements of Science" competition. The competition is held annually, and participants include both research fellows with a passion for photography and anyone who enjoys photographing nature. In 2025, the competition was held in six categories: Air Element – ​​landscapes and open spaces: drone photography and terrestrial photography; Water Element – ​​aquatic and near-aquatic ecosystems, underwater photography, underwater landscapes and organisms; Macrocosm Element – ​​macro- and microphotography; Human Element – ​​humans who transform the environment and humans who study it; Life Element – ​​individual organisms, portraits of animals and plants in their environment; Forest Element – ​​forest ecosystems as communities of closely interconnected elements: vegetation, soil, wildlife, water, and air. A special category of the Carbon RITM consortium. In 2025, 330 people from 123 cities across Russia, Belarus, France, Germany, China, and the United States participated in the competition. The largest number of applications came from Moscow, St. Petersburg, Bryansk, Nizhny Novgorod, and Volgograd. Participants uploaded 1,180 photographs, of which the jury selected 61 works to be displayed at the exhibition. The jury members were Viktor Tyakht, Nadezhda Muravyova, Natalya Lukina, Sergey Tolmachev, Vitaly Gorshkov, and Dmitry Kochergin. Competition partners: Science and Life magazine, the Carbon RITM consortium, and  the Institute of Environmental Design and Research. Detailed information about the competition is available on the website: fotoscience.ru

Fig. 1. Expedition route – from the Chersky ridge (2) to the Zyryanka village (1). Landmarks: 3 - Omulyovka river, tributary of Yasachnaya river (4), river Kolyma (5). E.S. Chertoprud, a research fellow at the A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution (IEE RAS), and A.A. Novikov, from Kazan State University (KFU), participated in organizing and conducting a hydrobiological expedition in the Magadan Region and the Verkhnekolymsky District of Yakutia (Fig. 1). For approximately three weeks in July and August 2025, the hydrobiologists rafted on a catamaran and packraft along the Omulyovka and Yasachnaya Rivers (Fig. 2), collecting zooplankton and meiobenthos samples from reservoirs located on river terraces. Fig. 2. Through the Omchikchan midlands – on the way to Kolyma The main goal of the fieldwork was to analyze the diversity of microcrustaceans in the northern spurs of the Chersky Range and the floodplain waters of the upper Kolyma River. The primary targets were copepods (Copepoda) and cladocerans (Cladocera), which are abundant in the waters of the northern taiga. The expedition enjoyed sunny, hot weather, rare in Eastern Siberia. Locals joked that they "managed to experience a short Yakut summer." From the river's upper reaches, the hydrobiologists quickly rafted on the receding floodwaters—the result of heavy rains in early summer. By the time the group reached the rapids, the waters had already subsided, ensuring the safe passage of the route. Fig. 3. Swampy lakes of the northern slopes of the Chersky ridge (altitude > 600 m above sea level) More than 50 natural and oxbow lakes were surveyed, and samples were collected from the substream waters of several streams (Figs. 3, 4). Because the expedition's route followed the river valley flowing from the Chersky Ridge, the studied water bodies varied greatly in elevation. The southernmost lakes were located at approximately 1000 m, while the northernmost oxbow lakes in the Kolyma River floodplain were only 30 m above sea level. Overall, approximately 150 qualitative and quantitative samples of zooplankton and meiobenthos were collected, as well as bottom sediments for paleolimnological analysis. Crustaceans were collected from the water column using plankton nets, benthic organisms were collected using a tube sampler, and samples from the substream waters were obtained using the Karaman-Chapuis method: small holes on the shore were dug, water seeped into them, and then this water was filtered using a net. Fig. 4. Swampy lakes of the northern slopes of the Chersky Ridge (altitude > 600 m above sea level) Some of the copepod material has already been analyzed, revealing a number of species new to the studied areas, as well as several species new to science. The remarkable diversity of the fauna is particularly noteworthy: 29 copepod species were found in 10 samples (Fig. 5). It is noteworthy that many of the discovered species are already known from Central and Eastern Siberia. This may indicate a commonality in the copepod fauna across Siberia, from the Yenisei River to the Kolyma River. Further laboratory work is planned to identify all discovered crustaceans to the highest possible taxonomic level. Morphological character studies and molecular genetic analysis will be performed on a number of taxa with questionable status or potentially new to science. Thus, the expedition's materials will provide an opportunity to fill gaps in our knowledge of the structure and regulation of aquatic communities in northeastern Eurasia. Fig. 5. Some interesting species of Copepoda: A. Acanthodiaptomus pacificus – a typical Far Eastern species; B. Ectocyclops phaleratus – a rare species in cold regions; C. Eucyclops arcanus – a typical Siberian species; D. Diacyclops sp. – possibly new to science; E. Attheyella dentata – a Palearctic species; Bryocamptus sp. – possibly a new species, previously recorded in Central Siberia The expedition was supported by local residents throughout the fieldwork, ensuring the rapid and safe transportation of the hydrobiologists to the start and end points of the route. We wholeheartedly thank Alexander Vladimirovich Kremnev, without whose assistance it would have been impossible to reach the upper reaches of the Omulyovka River with all our expedition equipment. We also extend a special thanks to Sergei Anatolyevich Dolgov, head of the village of Zyryanka, for his assistance in organizing sampling in the floodplains of the Yasachnaya and Kolyma rivers, as well as for transporting the team from Yakutia back to the Magadan Region (Fig. 6). Fig. 6. Expedition members with the head of the village of Zyryanka Future plans include continuing the analysis of aquatic microcrustacean communities in the Magadan Region and the Verkhnekolymsky District of Yakutia. A key focus of this research will be assessing the impact of mineral development on aquatic biodiversity.

Based on the results of research conducted by scientists from the A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences (Moscow), the I.D. Papanin Institute of Biology of Inland Waters of the Russian Academy of Sciences (Borok), the A.O. Kovalevsky Institute of Biology of the Southern Seas of the Russian Academy of Sciences (Sevastopol), and the Southern Branch of the Joint Russian-Vietnamese Tropical Research and Technology Center (Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam), a collective monograph, “Biological Diversity and Ecological Status of the Mekong Delta (Vietnam)” (edited by I.N. Marin and A.V. Tiunov), was prepared. Moscow: KMK Scientific Publications Partnership. 2025. 541 p. The Mekong River is the largest in Indochina and one of the most voluminous rivers in the world. In its lower reaches, the river forms a vast delta located in the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. The delta covers approximately 40,000 square kilometers. Over 2.6 million hectares (approximately 65% ​​of the delta's area) are used for agriculture, accounting for approximately a quarter of the country's total cultivated land. Up to 90% of the country's rice exports are grown in these areas. The river's natural branches and a vast network of artificial canals form the largest transportation system in the south of the country. The delta is home to approximately 20 million people; it adjoins the combined deltas of the Dong Nai and Saigon rivers and the vast metropolis of Ho Chi Minh City. Due to its vast size and diverse ecological conditions, the Mekong Delta supports a wide variety of animals, including a number of endemic species, making it a center of biological diversity. However, high anthropogenic load inevitably has a negative impact on the delta's complex and dynamic ecosystems. The natural hydrological regime of the Mekong has been altered by the construction of dams, dikes, and irrigation canals, significantly affecting water flow, the direction of bottom currents, the dynamics of river sediments, and siltation. This disrupts habitats at the confluence of river and sea waters and the migration routes of aquatic animals. Pesticides and fertilizers from fields, antibiotics from coastal fish and shrimp farms, urban runoff, petroleum products, and other toxic substances enter the water; the riverbed and bottom sediments are polluted with solid waste, particularly plastic. Pollution and overfishing reduce the diversity and abundance of aquatic organisms. Human impact is exacerbated by global climate change, which leads to rising sea levels and, consequently, the infiltration of saltwater through channels deep into the delta and soil salinization. Clearly, the delta's biodiversity and ecological well-being are under threat and require close attention. This collective monograph presents the results of comprehensive research conducted primarily between 2020 and 2024 under the Ecolan E-3.4 theme "Mekong River Ecosystem under Global Climate Change and Anthropogenic Impact" of the Joint Russian-Vietnamese Tropical Research and Technology Center. The author's chapters cover a wide range of key characteristics of the delta ecosystem. The first section examines the delta's hydrological conditions and its zoning. The second section describes the current state of the biota, including data on biodiversity and quantitative characteristics of phytoplankton, major zooplankton groups, benthic crustaceans, and fish. The third section examines various aspects of anthropogenic impact, from trawling and plastic pollution of the delta to detailed data on the concentrations of heavy metals, radionuclides, and hydrocarbons in water and bottom sediments. The main text of the chapters is presented in Russian, with abstracts in English. The monograph in PDF format is available for reading and downloading at the link.