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Arctic Floating University’s expedition heads for White Sea

The expedition’s team comprises 57 people

ARKHANGELSK, July 17. /TASS/. The Arctic Floating University on board the Professor Molchanov research ship on Tuesday left Arkhangelsk heading for the White and Barents Seas, thus beginning the Trans-Arctic 2019 expedition’s third stage. The voyage will continue to early August, the expedition’s leader Olga Gripas told TASS.

"The third stage of Roshydromet’s (national hydro-meteorology service) Trans-Arctic project begins today, and it will last for 18 days, to August 2," she said. "This stage is different from others because its educational segment is bigger - the expedition’s one in two participants is a student."

The expedition’s team of 57 people includes students from the Moscow State University, the St. Petersburg State University, the Hydro-Meteorology University and the Northern Arctic Federal University (NAFU). "The third stage’s program will have two directions - an educational part and scientific research," Roshydromet’s Deputy Director Natalia Radkova told reporters. "We shall also continue the traditional cooperation with NAFU."

 

White Sea studies

The Professor Molchanov will go to the White and Barents Seas. The expedition will pay special attention to the White Sea and its three bays. The researchers will visit the Sosnovets Island in the White Sea, where used to be a monastery and then a military base. Presently, there are only a meteorology station and a lighthouse on the island. The lighthouse is old - it was built in the early 20th century.

 

Climate changes and life in the North

NAFU researchers will survey the local low-numbered indigenous people to see how they feel the climate changes and how those changes affect their lives and traditional occupations (hunting, fishing, collecting wild berries), the deputy director said.

Staff of the meteorology stations will also share their opinion on the climate changes. "Meteorologists live in the Arctic practically year-round, and they can tell us whether they can see the climate changes, they must have interesting views on this process," she added.

Another question to ask the local people is about their attitudes towards extraction of mineral resources in the Arctic’s hard-to-reach areas and to the mining companies. "This topic is interesting, for example, Alaska has been studying it, and we also want to see the picture regarding the Russian Arctic zone."

 

Training specialists for the Arctic

 

This voyage is the Arctic Floating University’s first expedition, which involves that many students.

"We plan having onboard not just lectures, but truly practical classes," Gripas said. The students will learn how to take probes of water, bottom sediments, air, biological samples, how to work with various equipment. "The students may wish to participate in basic research," she added.

The hydro-meteorology service eyes the expedition’s participants as potential employees for work in the Arctic. "These young people will realize what the Arctic is, what sea expeditions are about, they will decide which directions to pick and where to work," head of the hydro-meteorology service’s Northern Division, Roman Yershov, told reporters. "A few students have told they want to work with us."

Two Master degree students at the St. Petersburg University told TASS during the expedition they wanted to practice earlier skills and to gain new knowledge in related fields. "We have chosen to study Polar areas," they said. "The Arctic topic is very important now, especially the Arctic’s ecology.".