A student of the North Caucasus Federal University joined the scientific expedition of the Baikal Museum of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, dedicated to the study of the ecology and behavior of the Baikal seal in conditions of global warming.

Almaz Zaripov, a student of the Faculty of International Relations, who passed a competitive examination, acted as a representative from NCFU in the expedition.

tbor for the performance of scientific research work. The route passed through the water area of the lake: Listvyanka – Olkhon – Ushkany Islands – northeast coast. During the flight, the scientists conducted animal counts, video recordings from unmanned aerial vehicles, and drone noise measurements to determine a safe flight altitude.

Almaz Zaripov worked as part of an interuniversity team, which included representatives of the Russian State Hydrometeorological University, the Irkutsk branch of the Moscow State Technical University of Civil Aviation and Irkutsk State Agrarian University named after A.A. Yezhevsky.

– The purpose of the expedition was to obtain data on how the habits of the Baikal seal change, where it migrates and what happens to its food supply. In the field, I performed a wide range of tasks: from preparing equipment and hoisting the boat on board to untangling nets, counting areas, rowing and shooting seals from a quadcopter. The Floating University project gave me a chance to work with real heavyweights of science, and participating in such an expedition became a unique experience and an opportunity to apply my skills in real scientific work," the student noted.

The internship was organized with the support of the Russian Ministry of Education and Science within the framework of the United Nations Decade of Ocean Sciences.