Rosneft supported an expedition to study and monitor the polar bear population on the north-western coast of the Taimyr Peninsula and the islands of the Kara Sea. Scientists of the A.N. Severtsov Institute for Problems of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences conducted a full-scale survey of the red-listed animal population distribution during the ice-free period.

Rosneft is committed to environment-oriented campaigns and biodiversity preservation activities. The Arctic Research Centre implements the most ambitious programme for studying the Arctic region since Soviet times. Over 12 years, more than 50 expeditions have been carried out, during which scientists have studied the region’s hydrometeorological, geological and biological peculiarities. This has resulted in a unique body of information on the Arctic’s climate, nature and wildlife.

The total length of the polar bear expedition’s air routes exceeded 2,500 km, and the scientists encountered 50 Arctic predators. To monitor the seasonal migration, activity, maternity dens and feeding grounds of the polar bears, a number of the animals were fitted with transmitters containing satellite radio tags. This was the first time that ear tags had been used on male polar bears in Russia.

In addition, specialists took blood and hair samples from the animals for laboratory testing, including genetic studies. These tests will facilitate an objective evaluation of the health status of these endangered carnivores. As bioindicators of Arctic ecosystems, polar bears’ behaviour in their natural environment provides valuable insight into the impact of climate change on the region as a whole.

The next phase of the polar bear population study in the Kara Sea is scheduled for spring 2025. As before, it will be conducted on sea ice, which is familiar territory for the animals.

The research is being carried out as part of Rosneft’s biodiversity conservation programme, Tamura. The Company’s Arctic Research Centre is implementing the programme. Between 2024 and 2027, studies of reindeer and birds on the Taimyr Peninsula and fish in the Yenisei River estuary are planned. In total, there will be ten expeditions over the four-year period.

Department of Information and Advertising
Rosneft
September 20, 2024

Keywords: Environmental news 2024