All news

Scientists test fish DNA in Murmansk Region’s industrial areas

The expedition participants have picked a few locations for studies - at different distances from the industrial facility

MOSCOW, June 29. /TASS/. Scientists of the Russian Academy of Sciences’ Siberian Branch at the invitation of Nornickel began to study fish in areas near the company’s industrial facilities in the Murmansk Region, the Great Scientific Expedition’s press service told TASS on Wednesday.

"Our task is to sample the soil, plant organisms, to conduct DNA tests of the ichthyofauna, juvenile fish. It is very sensitive to contamination. We have already sampled it in three of the four reservoirs. This means that the juvenile fish feel fine here. They have food, sufficient oxygen. The fish reproduce, live. More detailed results, of course, will be available later on, after detailed studies," the press service quoted an expert of the Institute of Biophysics (the Russian Academy of Sciences’ Siberian Branch) Anastasiya Rudchenko as saying.

The institute’s scientists study the aquatic biodiversity - plants, animals, bacteria. The expedition participants have picked a few locations for studies - at different distances from the industrial facility. Those locations are Lake Moncheozero, Lake Imandra’s one of the bays, Lake Devichya Lambina, and Lake Polozero. Later on, similar research will continue in the Pechenga District - in and around Nickel and Zapolyarnoye.

"Besides, the scientists filter water to see what algae live there," the press service said. "They screen water samples through special sieves to select small crustaceans - zooplankton. Zooplankton is the food base for fish, thus it is important to understand its numbers and species."

Great Scientific Expedition

In early 2022, Nornickel initiated the Great Scientific Expedition - a large-scale survey of biodiversity in Russia’s three regions, where the company has its industrial assets. The expedition’s objective is to specify areas of the company’s impact and to analyze the current conditions of the ecosystems’ biodiversity. The works feature experts of the Russian Academy of Sciences’ Siberian Branch.