ABOUT THE EXPEDITION
Official expedition website — www.sevin-expedition.ru
By Order of the Russian Academy of Sciences No. 12300-128 of February 29, 2008, the "Standing Expedition of the RAS for the Study of Red Data Book Animals of the Russian Federation and Other Especially Important Fauna Species of Russia" (the Standing RAS Expedition) was established on the basis of the A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IEE RAS), www.sevin.ru.
Head of the expedition: Academician RAS Vyacheslav Vladimirovich Rozhnov, Director of IEE RAS.
Scientific director of the expedition: Academician Dmitry Sergeyevich Pavlov, Scientific Director of IEE RAS.
As part of this expedition, with the support of Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation V.V. Putin, work on several programs related to the study of rare and especially important animals of Russia began in 2008.
For the first time in 15 years, since the collapse of the USSR, the state decided to support fundamental zoological research. Several species of large mammals of particular importance and "iconic" status for Russia were selected: the Amur tiger, the Far Eastern and Persian leopards, the snow leopard, the beluga whale, and the polar bear. Almost all of these species are listed in the IUCN Red List.
In recent years, wild populations of the tiger, the Far Eastern leopard, and the snow leopard have remained within the range of a few dozen to a few hundred individuals. The last living Persian leopard in Russia was seen in the 1950s.
The beluga whale, although not an endangered or rare species, is a recognized indicator species for the condition of marine and Arctic ecosystems, inhabiting almost all Arctic seas and the Sea of Okhotsk. The goal of all the Programs is the comprehensive study and conservation of these animal species in their natural habitats.
The scientific component includes the study of the distribution and abundance of the species studied across Russia, their seasonal movements and migrations, the genetic status of various populations, the health status of wild animals, problems of their conservation and rational use, and other interesting aspects of their life activity.
The expedition's field research is carried out in remote regions of Russia.
CONTACTS:
Head of the Standing Expedition:
Vyacheslav Vladimirovich Rozhnov – Director of IEE RAS, Academician RAS.
tel.: +7 (495) 952-73-05
rozhnov@sevin.ru
Scientific Director of the Standing Expedition:
Dmitry Sergeyevich Pavlov – Scientific Director of IEE RAS, Academician RAS.
tel.: +7 (495) 952-20-88
director@sevin.ru