NOVAYA ZEMLYA, July 12. /TASS Correspondent Irina Skalina/. The Arctic Floating University expedition conducted underwater research off Novaya Zemlya in the Russian Harbor Bay, a TASS correspondent reported from aboard the Professor Molchanov research vessel. Within two days, the expedition was able to conduct two dives to depths of up to 30 m. The works continued in poor visibility, and were interrupted in the storm.

"The water was terribly muddy; the first 10-15 meters were just milk; low visibility. It was hard to work. Therefore, yesterday and today we went down up to 30 meters," Yuri Zuev, a hydrobiology expert, told TASS. "Yesterday's location was more interesting, there were a lot of anemones, polychaetes of various kinds, a lot of small local crabs, gastropods, quite lively it was."

Off the coast, biologists explore the so-called "megabenthos" - large (more than a centimeter) long-living invertebrates, that normally are not captured by traditional quantitative accounting tools - dredgers.

Despite publications on megabenthos and its individual representatives in the Barents Sea coast, large invertebrates of the upper sublittoral area have been studied extremely poorly.

"This is the northern side of the Barents Sea, and at our diving depths, where we've got used to work, we’ve seen a very high diversity, the fauna intersects quite strongly, so the opportunity to indicate properties of invertebrates still remains: both in the southern part, which we know quite well, and here that there are similar species, we may analyze the biogeographic distribution and the appearance of warm-water species," he said. "We may draw conclusions about the fauna distribution, about the connection between the southern and northern parts of the sea."

Underwater world near Novaya Zemlya

The fauna off Novaya Zemlya has turned out to be richer than in the southern part of Franz Josef Land water area. "Yesterday, the density of coral polyps, they look like flowers, and of anemones, was a few dozen per square meter, like a field of flowers. Today it is similar, though slightly simpler," the expert said.

During the voyage on the Professor Molchanov, the researchers eyed a complex expedition off the vessel, analyzing how much possible this was, he continued. They had a maximum of equipment, some of which is difficult to use in unfamiliar underwater terrain. It would be optimal to have joint work with roboticists, when at first dives an underwater vehicle, takes pictures, and only then the divers go.

Besides, it would be best to dive twice at one location. Thus, the vessel must remain at the point for a long time. "We would take time to make a long section, could go along it, could describe it and mark a couple of points for sampling on the second occasion. Physically, three dives are quite difficult in this water. Thus, there could be two separate dives with a break for a few hours. To dive, to get out, analyze, get dry, take a rest and dive again," he added.

The balance between work and rest is specifically important for divers when they work in very cold water. "They must sleep at night, rest between dives, eat according to the regime," said Nadezhda Zueva of the Russian State Hydrometeorology University.

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.