TASS, July 13. The Russian Academy of Sciences' Siberian Branch will conduct a separate research to assess the feed base in Taymyr's reservoirs. The scientists will focus on microorganisms and the ecosystems where they develop, the expedition's press service told TASS on Wednesday.

"The Russian Academy of Sciences' Siberian Branch plans the expedition will begin within a few days. As soon as the weather allows, we will go to the reservoirs. A key aspect is to study the feed base. That is, it would be hydro biology and studies of the ecosystem where these microorganisms develop," the press service quoted Director of the Siberian Branch's Ecology Research Center Nikolay Yurkevich as saying. "We will study not only the feed base, but also the conditions for its formation."

"The expedition will feature hydro chemists, hydrologists, hydro biologists, ichthyologists," he said.

In the studies of reservoirs, the expedition will cooperate with the recently started Taymyr Expedition of the Russian Federal Research Institute of Fisheries and Oceanography (VNIRO), he continued, saying the expeditions are facing rather different tasks. While the Siberian Branch follows mostly scientific interests, the VNIRO experts face the task to restore the population.

"I do not think we'll be able to pay much attention to ground systems, but anyway we will study rivers and the big rivers they are crossing," Yurkevich said. "Our expedition team features about 20 specialists."

"Since our expedition will be long - about a month, or even 6 weeks - we will have a certain rotation of specialists, and totally about 30 people will participate in the field stage," he concluded.

The basic biodiversity survey continues the work, which the Norilsk Nickel Company (Nornickel) and the Russian Academy of Sciences’ Siberian Branch began in 2020. This work has extended into three regions - the Kola Peninsula, the Krasnoyarsk Region's north and the Trans-Baikal Region. The current survey’s purpose is to identify Nornickel’s impact zones and to assess biodiversity in areas of Nornickel’s operations. The research results will be used in building out a corporate biodiversity management system and biodiversity monitoring and conservation programs.

Earlier, TASS wrote about the expedition, initiated by the Norilsk-Taymyr Energy Company (NTEC, Nornickel's subsidiary) and VNIRO to survey Lake Pyasino and rivers. The expedition's purpose is aimed at resuming industrial fishing.