Winter research in the Gulf of Ob
04 December 2024

Winter research in the Gulf of Ob

Scientists from the Tyumen branch of the Russian State Research Center “All-Russian Research Institute of Fisheries and Oceanography” (VNIRO) have begun the most complex fisheries research of the year: winter monitoring of the ichthyofauna in the waters of the Gulf of Ob. The specialists will spend almost a month in harsh Arctic conditions.
 
More than 25 species of fish live in the Gulf of Ob, which is a feeding and wintering reservoir for them. The traditional point of December fisheries science records is the area of ​​the village of Yaptik-Sale in the Yamal region. In winter, vendace aggregations are observed in the middle part of the Gulf of Ob, which gives scientists in the industry the opportunity to collect representative material for analysis.
 
The specialists will conduct comprehensive research, which includes biological analysis and mass measurements of fish, as well as the collection of hydrochemical and hydrobiological samples.
 
The collection of material in the area of ​​the village of Yaptik-Sale has been carried out for more than fifty years. Long-term data allow specialists to track the dynamics of various fishery indicators. Vendace remains the most numerous whitefish in the Ob basin. According to scientists from the Tyumen branch of VNIRO, its stocks do not cause concern, the population is in a stable state.
 
The census of vendace in the Ob Bay is being conducted as part of the state monitoring of aquatic bioresources and habitat. The results of the scientific visit will form the basis for recommendations on the permissible catch of this important commercial fish.
 
Press service of VNIRO