The White Sea Biological Station at Moscow State University hosted a landmark event organized by ON Pertsov of the BBS, supported by Rosneft. This All-Russian scientific conference celebrated the 85th anniversary of the station and showcased the long collaboration between academia and industry that has shaped Arctic research for decades. Rosneft’s press service confirmed the gathering and highlighted the breadth of participation from top universities and major research institutes across the country.
Attendees included students from leading universities and scientists from Russia’s premier scientific organizations. During the conference, experts from Rosneft Arctic Research Center discussed ongoing projects conducted in partnership with Innopraktika, underscoring a shared commitment to advancing Arctic science. The collaborations emphasize a multidisciplinary approach that combines field observations, laboratory work, and field-proven technologies to address critical environmental and energy challenges facing the Arctic region.
According to official statements, 2023 marked a turning point for the White Sea Biological Station as it became a key platform for research assessing how global climate change and local human activities influence Arctic sea ecosystems. The emphasis is on understanding both broad regional trends and site-specific responses, which are essential for informing policy and sustainable management in northern seas.
Over two exploration seasons, researchers plan to revive the oceanographic program initiated a century ago by Konstantin Deryugin, a foundational figure in Russian hydrobiology. The initiative aims to compare current climatic, hydrological, and biological data from the White Sea with archival results from 1922 and 1923. This comparison seeks to develop robust algorithms capable of identifying long-term climate trends and predicting future shifts in Arctic marine environments, a task of growing importance for navigation, fisheries, and energy exploration in northern latitudes.
The conference also provided an update on a microbial preparation developed collaboratively by Rosneft and Innopraktika at Moscow State University’s Faculty of Biology. Designed to remediate hydrocarbon pollution, this bio-based treatment demonstrates activity in harsh marine conditions, including low and even subzero temperatures. Ongoing field and laboratory tests at the White Sea Biological Station are evaluating its effectiveness and ecological safety, with the goal of reducing environmental impact during oil and gas activities in cold-water ecosystems.
In addition, attendees learned about a new engineering geophysics method that integrates 2D surveying with simultaneous data collection. This approach has the potential to streamline field operations, shorten project timelines, and increase the precision of geological surveys. Early trials were conducted in 2022 aboard the station’s fleet research vessel, Professor Zenkevich, and the outcomes are now informing broader seismic exploration and broadband geophysical studies in the region. The adoption of these methods signals a move toward more efficient, data-driven exploration practices that align with environmental stewardship goals while supporting responsible resource development in the Arctic.