ARKHANGELSK, July 17. /TASS/. Weather and ice conditions favored the Arctic Floating University expedition to go ashore in Ivanov Bay - on Novaya Zemlya's Severny Island's northwestern coast.
This is the second mission ashore, the expedition's leader Alexander Saburov told TASS from aboard the Professor Molchanov scientific research vessel, adding the participants planned to take advantage of the "favorable weather gap."
"It is the second mission ashore the Arctic Floating University has this year in Ivanov Bay, which is Novaya Zemlya's Severny Island's northwestern part. I must say, we now enjoy the weather gap that is rather rate for this region, where we may go ashore on boats, and we hope that over the next three days, in addition to Russkaya Harbor and Ivanov Bay, we will go ashore two more times," he said.
In Ivanov Bay, the expedition will conduct research in main areas: microbiology, ornithology, and coastal pollution assessment. Ivanov Bay is a location that scientists can reach only rarely.
"Now, of course, the expedition is doing everything to use most effectively this time, to work at all possible locations. In addition to Ivanov Bay, we would like to work on the Oran Islands, as well as on Cape Zhelaniya, where monitoring continues for many years now," he added.
About the expedition
The Professor Molchanov departed from Arkhangelsk on July 9, and the expedition will continue to August 1. The project's sponsors and partners are Russia's Ministry of Science and Higher Education, VTB Bank (the general sponsor), the Russian Geographical Society, the Norilsk Nickel Company, and the Floating University Coordination Center based at MIPT.