VNIRO at the VI International Arctic Forum "The Arctic - Territory of Dialogue"

 

One of the key topics of the Forum, held under the motto "Live in the North!" was the problem of preserving the unique nature of the Arctic in close connection with the search for new solutions for the sustainable development of the Arctic. On the sidelines of the Forum, representatives of federal and regional authorities, the business community, scientists and experts discussed issues of developing the resource base of the territories of the Far North, taking into account the environmental agenda.

 

Head of the St. Petersburg branch of the State Research Center of the Russian Federation "All-Russian Research Institute of Fisheries and Oceanography" (VNIRO), PhD Marina Melnik took part in the work of the Forum and discussed with stakeholders issues of environmental problems of aquatic ecosystems in connection with the intensive development of the oil and gas industry in the Arctic regions.

 

In the context of industrial development of the Arctic, water bodies in the Far North regions are among the most vulnerable to man-made impacts of landscapes due to their low environmental sustainability and extreme climatic conditions. The impact of the oil industry is of particular importance. The development of oil fields in the north-east of the European part of Russia has led to the creation of a developed infrastructure and a sharp increase in the anthropogenic load on aquatic ecosystems. Negative impacts from oil and gas transportation facilities often lead to tragic consequences and man-made disasters. Environmentally safe transportation of energy resources is critical both for the preservation of the environment and bioresources, and for the development of the oil and gas industry.

 

As part of the International Arctic Forum, Marina Melnik became a guest of the Murmansk Arctic University. At the meeting in the Arctic Dialogue format, the head of the St. Petersburg branch of VNIRO shared her experience and spoke about the work of the All-Russian Research Institute of Fisheries and its branches, about the specifics of conducting monitoring studies during the elimination of the consequences of environmental incidents, and also answered in detail the questions of interest to MAU students.

 

Press service of VNIRO