The leading role in carrying out scientific research in the basin is played by the Southern Branch of the SSC RF "All-Russian Research Institute of Fisheries and Oceanography" (VNIRO), which has a scientific vessel corresponding to all parameters.
In the Russian world practice, there is a long tradition of assigning personalized names to ships, the same practice has recently been applied in VNIRO, according to which scientific figures and scientists who have made a significant contribution to the development of the fisheries industry are named after NIS. So, in 2024, one of the flagships of the VNIRO scientific fleet in the Azov-Black Sea basin was named Oleg Betin. This name was given in honor of a statesman and a successful leader who made an invaluable contribution to the development of the institute. Under the leadership of Oleg Ivanovich, VNIRO established the Center for Economic Research of Fisheries, organized a section of the Academic Council on economics, as well as specialized postgraduate and doctoral studies. He took the initiative to assign VNIRO the status of a State Scientific Center.
The Oleg Betin IC is designed to carry out complex expeditionary scientific research in the Black and Azov Seas, including the coastal areas of the Northern Azov region, which were previously inaccessible to domestic researchers. Thanks to the specialized fleet, scientists of the Southern Branch of VNIRO can conduct oceanographic, hydrological and hydrochemical research. And the laboratory located on board the ship allows them to quickly conduct a primary analysis of the collected materials.
In 2025, the research vessel carried out 5 sea voyages with a total duration of 50 ship days, including studies of the state of the Black Sea ecosystem in the oil spill area during the spring spawning migration of the Azov hamsa, comprehensive oceanographic and ichthyoplankton surveys in the Sea of Azov, as well as surveys to assess the state of the Black Sea hamsa reserve in territorial waters and the exclusive economic zone. the zone of the Russian Federation in the Black Sea. The collected materials formed the basis for forecasting the total allowable catches and recommended production volumes for industrial fishing in the Azov-Black Sea basin.
In mid—April, Oleg Betin will embark on its first scientific voyage of this year, a hydrological voyage across the Sea of Azov. The research program covers a wide range of issues related to the seasonal climate, hydrology and oceanology of the region, which will provide new data on the state of the marine ecosystem in the context of modern climate change.
VNIRO Press Service