FRANZ JOSEF LAND, July 4. /TASS/. The Arctic Floating University started work on the uninhabited volcanic island of Northbrook, Franz Josef Land, a TASS correspondent reported from aboard the Professor Molchanov research vessel.

Earlier, on June 2, the expedition was unable to go ashore there due to strong north wind and sea waves - the ship broke anchor when the wind was 25 m/s, and sailed to the Mabel Island, where the expedition went ashore at night, and then the vessel returned to the Northbrook Island.

"The first research groups were taken to the shore almost immediately, the weather allowed. Now the wind is much weaker than it was the day before, the waves at sea still remain, but there is an opportunity to go ashore," the expedition's deputy leader for scientific work Anna Trofimova told TASS.

The expedition participants collected litter at two 100-meter strips along the island's coastline. The litter comes mainly from foreign fishing vessels: fragments of nets, ropes, floats, boxes for fish. Work on the Northbrook Island is underway.

Arctic Floating University - 2024

On June 25, the Arctic Floating University departed from Arkhangelsk to conduct research in the White and Barents Seas, on the Kolguev Island, on islands of Novaya Zemlya and Franz Josef Land.

The project's partners and sponsors are the Arkhangelsk Region's government, the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, the Russian Geographical Society, VTB Bank, Norilsk Nickel, Roshydromet (the hydrometeorology service), the Russian Arctic National Park, the Floating University Coordination Center at MIPT (Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology; also known as PhysTech), the Nauka (Science) year-round youth educational center.

The Arctic Floating University's expeditions continue under the Science and Universities national project, implemented by Russia's Ministry of Science and Higher Education.