The learners were offered a busy program from the very first day: after the opening ceremony, the inception session, and a tour of laboratories of the KarRC RAS Northern Water Problems Institute (NWPI) and Institute of Biology (IB), young researchers had a field class on the ice of Lake Munozero, where they learnt about hydrophysical survey methods. In the evening, the program continued at NWPI’s Hydrobiology and Hydrochemistry Laboratory. The learners, supervised by scientists from the NWPI, were to analyze the “first-day samples” from the lake, which required being analyzed within 24h.
Head of the Hydrology and Hydrobiology Laboratory, Anastasiia Sidorova, guides the limnology practical
The limnology practical continued the next day. Laboratory Head Anastasiia Sidorova provided the participants with water samples collected off the Sainavolok shore in Lake Onego, which contained the organisms inhabiting the water. The students’ task was to identify the species, classify them, and assess the water quality according to the findings. Water in the Sainavolok area proved to be relatively clean, with very little pollution. Evidence of that, e.g., is stonefly larvae, which are highly sensitive to habitat quality. Anastasiia Sidorova also highlighted the issue of biological invasions and familiarized the guests with one of Lake Onego’s alien species – the Baikalian amphipod.
– This freshwater crustacean is of Baikalian origin and is alien for Lake Onego. It arrived in European Russia some 60 years ago through intentional introduction meant to improve the food resources for fish. The first record of the Baikalian amphipod in Lake Onego dates to 2001. This invasive species has widened its distribution over the past 20 years, – the scientist informed.
The agenda on March 25 included theoretical training at the premises of the Institute of Applied Mathematical Research (IAMR KarRC RAS). The beginner scientists listened to online lectures on the impact of climate change on groundwater resources delivered by Professor Patil Nagraj from Visvesvaraya Institute of Technology (India) and Professor Wang Ping from the CAS Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research (China), as well as to in-person presentations by experts from Karelia. Viktor Tarasenko, Researcher at the KarRC RAS Department for Multidisciplinary Research, presented his experience with express remote monitoring in the context of interdisciplinary research at water bodies. Senior Researchers at the IAMR and NWPI, Ilya Chernov and Alexey Tolstikov, spoke about mathematical modeling within the studied topic and presented a numerical model of the White Sea water, ice, and ecosystems.
Roundtable participants
In the afternoon, the young scientists gathered for the roundtable session “Climate change impact on aquatic ecosystems”. It was moderated by the project’s scientific supervisor, Head of the Geography and Hydrology Laboratory at the NWPI KarRC RAS, Aleksey Tolstikov. Speaking of his own observations, the scientist specifically noted the effect of climate change on the water discharge of Karelian rivers.
– As for the annual discharge of Karelian rivers, it has not changed much, except a minor increase. If, however, we look at the pattern within a year, we’ll see a substantial redistribution, with a growing share of the wintertime runoff, – remarked Aleksey Tolstikov.
At the roundtable, the learners shared the topics and subjects of their research and debated on pressing issues, such as the problem of transboundary water resources in Central Asia.
For instance, Dias Bekmurat, a participant from Kazakhstan, is an environmental and sustainable development activist and director of the Moving to the Future private foundation. The aims of his study trip to the KarRC RAS were to explore the modern approaches to the conservation of aquatic ecosystems and to exchange experiences in the field of sustainable development.
– Our organization implements environmental initiatives addressing problems related to water resources. The challenges we face today are multifaceted: on the one hand, we have the consequences of human impact – pollution of water bodies with wastes and microplastics; on the other hand, there is a growing impact of climate change, which leads to glacier melting, droughts, and the drawdown of water bodies. To me, this topic is not only professional but also personal. I come from the region where Lake Balkhash is located. This is a unique body of water combining fresh and salt water. Today we are witnessing water level fluctuations and changes in the ecological balance of this lake, which raises serious concerns about its future, – shared Dias Bekmurat.
The participant emphasized the importance of timely and efficient decision- and policy-making for water management. “In the Republic of Kazakhstan, sustainable water management is getting increasingly mainstreamed. Participating in this school is an opportunity for me to not only gain new knowledge but also to work out practical approaches that can be applied in my work”, – he added.
Participant from Kazakhstan, Dias Bakmurat, and PhD Student from the Vitus Bering Kamchatka State University, Alexandra Shadrina
Alexandra Shadrina is taking a doctoral course at the Vitus Bering Kamchatka State University. She studies methane emissions in Kamchatka’s aquatic ecosystems.
– For me, this school is an opportunity to learn about well-performing practical methods and theory, because Karelia has strong scientific capacities and a team of reputable specialists who have been doing water research for many years. In our region, scientists pay great attention to the study of water bodies from the perspective of biological resources – all Pacific salmon species enter every river and lake in Kamchatka to spawn. However, hydrological research is also of high relevance. Kamchatka is located at the junction of three lithospheric plates, which are in constant motion. As a result, our lakes have unique characteristics in terms of dissolved solids, emissions, and thermal patterns due to the presence of hot springs. All these aspects are of special scientific interest, – noted the school participant.
Yulia Novikova is a Doctoral Student and Junior Researcher at the Northern Water Problems Institute KarRC RAS. The subject of her doctoral study is the water column mixing across different types of lakes in Karelia.
– We analyze a variety of indicators to determine how the water structure changes over time, how mixing develops, what the water stratification seasons are, what shifts occur in these cycles, and how this is related to meteorological parameters. Together with you, we have drilled ice, collected a sample, and could observe the changes in the structure. White ice builds up because of an increasing number of thaw days during the winter. Such white ice has much poorer strength and carrying capacity than crystalline ice, which is an important thing to remember for the safety of people on ice-covered waterbodies, – said Yulia Novikova.
All of March 26 was dedicated to lectures. They were delivered by experts from the KarRC RAS, Alexey Tolstikov, Elena Makarova, Mikhail Zobkov and Stanislav Kutenkov, as well as by invited lecturers, Karakoz Narbayeva (Institute of Geography and Water Security, Kazakhstan), Irina Fedorova (Takhtajyan Institute of Botany, National Academy of Sciences of Armenia) and Nina Sukhovilo (Belarusian State University).
On the final day of the School, the students and lecturers visited field sites studied by researchers at the NWPI KarRC RAS, which are at the same time Karelia’s major tourism destinations – the first Russian spa resort Martial Waters and the Kivach Nature Reserve.
– Martial Waters is a classic deposit of iron-rich water. It is unique in terms of genesis, evolution history, and water composition. Ferruginous waters are not uncommon, but their iron concentrations are typically very high, so that they are either very acidic (because sulfide oxidation involves the formation of sulfuric acid) or highly mineralized, up to brines. Martial Waters, however, feature an amazing combination of a pH that is favorable for the human body and a low dissolved salt content – less than 1 gram per liter, which is acceptable for drinking water, – explained said Galina Borodulina, Senior Researcher at the KarRC RAS. She and her colleagues have been monitoring the springs for many years.
At the Martial Waters springs
After the trip, the youth school and workshop was wrapped up with an opinion exchange among the participants at the KarRC RAS Environmental Research Museum. Emphasizing the topicality of the issues discussed, the participants unanimously agreed that despite geographical differences, the researchers are united by common themes – first of all the human and climatic impacts on the natural environment. Concerted efforts for their study can produce greater insights.
In particular, Ellina Nikitkina, Junior Researcher at the Biodiversity and Ecology Laboratory of the Research Institute of Biology and Biophysics (Tomsk), remarked that certain processes in present-day Siberia contribute to climate change on the one hand while being themselves driven by global warming on the other hand. Many scientific organizations are studying these questions within various projects. There are collaboration opportunities available for the interested participants from other regions and countries. Ellina Nikitkina herself specializes in microbiology and conducts research in the Ob River valley. “We explore the pathways of carbon sequestration in soils and investigate the role of microorganisms in this process”, – the scientist explained.
– Since all processes in the environment are interconnected, and a change in one area or one region can lead to changes in others, we can discuss many issues together in order to develop solutions to environmental problems. This can only be achieved by sharing knowledge with others. This school has helped us build a strong cooperation network, through which we can share knowledge. This is a high-quality event, from which not only young researchers but our nations as a whole can benefit, – noted Javokhir Abdukarimov, PhD student at Samarkand State Architecture and Construction University (Uzbekistan).
Organizers, students, and lecturers at the closing ceremony in the KarRC RAS Environmental Research Museum
Wrapping up the formal agenda, the learners and the organizers shared announcements of upcoming events in their home regions and invited colleagues to participate. Among these, thematic conferences dedicated to the anniversaries of the Karelian Research Centre and its Northern Water Problems Institute will be held in Petrozavodsk this autumn. On June 22, the Youth Eco-Forum “The Ecosystem. The Virgin Land” will start in Kamchatka.
– It is symbolic that we are now building ties between regions lying at the opposite flanks of our country – and not just them, of course. It is for a reason that this project is called the “A Youth Network for Water Ecosystem Research”. We wish our contact would continue after the workshop has ended – perhaps in a network format. We firmly believe these four days have been useful for all participants, not only because of the substantial amount of theory and practical exercise, but also through the informal communication, which can serve as a starting point for joint international research, – summed up Alexandra Smirnova, the project leader and Director of the North Centre Association.
Watch photos from the international school and workshop “Under the Pressure of Global Climate Change: A Youth Network for Water Ecosystem Research” in KarRC RAS group on VK.
Photos: I. Georgievsky, M. Dmitrieva / KarRC RAS