ARKHANGELSK, July 18. /TASS/. The Arctic Floating University expedition wrapped up work on the Novaya Zemlya archipelago, the expedition's leader Alexander Saburov told TASS from aboard the Professor Molchanov scientific research vessel.

On Friday morning, the expedition completed a mission ashore Cape Zhelaniya on the northern tip of the Severny Island.

"Today, the Arctic Floating University expedition has completed two missions ashore the Oran Islands and Cape of Zhelaniya. On the Oran Islands, a small group of ornithologists and microbiologists worked at bird rookeries, which are of great value from the point of view of biodiversity in the region. Comprehensive work has been carried out at Cape Zhelaniya, as well as in Ivanov Bay - marine waste, meteorology studies, microbiology studies, and the study of macrophytes. In fact, work on Novaya Zemlya has been very productive," the scientist said.

The researchers conducted exploration for a possible well to monitor permafrost.

On Friday, the Professor Molchanov is heading for the oceanology section towards Franz Josef Land. A section is a line with points having fixed coordinates, where measurements are made and where water samples are taken. Further on, the research will continue on Franz Josef Land.

"I am happy to mention our well-coordinated team, which, in fact, has been able to carry out four missions ashore without sleep over two and a half days, and for the Floating University expeditions this is likely to be a record of recent years," he added.

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.