From March 8 to April 6, a comprehensive marine expedition of MMBI RAS was conducted in the Barents Sea on R/V "Dalnie Zelenetsy." This time, our colleagues from the Southern Scientific Centre joined MMBI specialists for joint research work.
Photo: The return of R/V "Dalnie Zelenetsy" to the port of Murmansk on April 6, 2025, photo by Vitaly Novikov
The scientific goal of the expedition was to collect data for a comprehensive analysis of ecosystem processes in the Barents Sea. To achieve this, the following tasks were carried out: determining hydrological parameters and hydrochemical parameters of the aquatic environment; collecting water samples to determine phyto-, bacterio-, and zooplankton; collecting macrozoobenthos samples; collecting water and bottom sediment samples for subsequent determination of pollutant concentrations in the MMBI laboratory; collecting bottom sediments to determine granulometric composition; collecting soil samples to determine granulometric composition for characterizing macrozoobenthos habitat conditions; collecting the upper layer of bottom sediments to determine indirect indicators of primary production (sediment pigments) and total organic matter to characterize current trophic conditions for macrozoobenthos in the study area; conducting ornithological and theriological observations at sea along the ship's route.
During the expedition, 87 hydrological stations, 12 benthic stations, and 17 complex stations were completed, and several hundred samples were collected. The research vessel team is now already preparing for the next expedition.
Photo: Expedition Chief Zinaida Rumyantseva
