White Sea Biological Station “Kartesh”

Staff Gallery  •  Biological Station Website (In Russian)

The White Sea biological station was established in 1949 in Petrozavodsk, and since 1957 it exists as constantly working station in the Chupa Inlet of the Kandalaksha Bay of the White Sea. The main areas of research of nits work include studies of biodiversity, distribution, and temporal dynamics of the main components of White Sea ecosystems and adjacent reservoirs, the study of life cycles of marine organisms in Arctic and subarctic seas.

In 2010–2020, the staff of the White Sea biological station was involved into studies of seasonal and long-term dynamics of elements of the ecosystem and influence of climatic factors on the state of marine biota. The results of long-term studies of pelagic and benthic ecosystems and production characteristics of the White Sea biota were summarized, composition and abundance of different biological resources of the sea were described, trophic relations and production abilities of the main elements of the ecosystem were studied. The results of monitoring of seasonal and long-term changes in communities and populations of several White Sea animal species were analyzed. Long-term trends and natural fluctuations in White Sea coastal ecosystems and their potential mechanisms were revealed. Juvenile and larval development of mass species of Bivalvia in the White Seawas described on the basis an original method of mollusk larval development, based on a computer analysis of microphotographs and 3D modeling. Malacofauna of the region was revised, and new mollusk species previously unknown from the White Sea, were described. In several expeditions of the “Professor Vladimir Kuznetsov” research vessel into the Pechora Sea (southeastern part of the Barents Sea), main hydrological indices were determined for the first time for shallow waters of this region; species composition, abundance, and structure of communities of zooplankton and benthos was estimated; marine mammals and birds were recorded; parasitological situation was investigated; sublittoral settlements of mussels, dwelling at the northeastern border of the range, were discovered and examined.

Scientific Staff

Vyacheslav V. Khalaman (Head of Station, Principal Researcher, Doctor of Biological Sciences)

Nina V. Alexeeva (Researcher, Candidate of Biological Sciences)

Dmitry A. Aristov (Researcher, Candidate of Biological Sciences)

Peter N. Yershov (Senior Researcher, Candidate of Biological Sciences)

Anton A. Kovalev (Junior Researcher)

Eugene V. Kozminsky (Senior Researcher, Candidate of Biological Sciences)

Aleksandr Ju. Komendantov (Senior Researcher, Candidate of Biological Sciences)

Peter J. Lavrentyev (Senior Researcher, Candidate of Biological Sciences)

Peter A. Lezin (Senior Researcher, Candidate of Biological Sciences)

Daria M. Martynova (Senior Researcher, Candidate of Biological Sciences)

Andrew D. Naumov (Principal Researcher, Doctor of Biological Sciences)

Kirill E. Nicolaev (Senior Researcher, Candidate of Biological Sciences)

Elena V. Rybkina (Junior Researcher)

Vyacheslav V. Smirnov (Junior Researcher)

Alexey A. Sukhotin (Principal Researcher, Candidate of Biological Sciences)

Nikolay V. Usov (Researcher, Candidate of Biological Sciences)

Technical Staff

Evgeniy V. Belyaev (Carpenter)

Sergey A. Gubanishchev (Driver)

Dmitry A. Kurtov (Mechanic)

Inna P. Kutcheva (Research Assistant)

Elena I. Likhareva (Senior Research Assistant)

Sergey N. Makarenkov (Engineer)

Olga V. Prokopyeva (Warehouse Manager)

Larisa G. Rybakova (Senior Research Assistant)

Vladimir A. Shipilov (Electrician)

Topic of State Assignment

“Dynamics of structure and functioning of the ecosystems of the White Sea and adjacent Arctic seas”
PI: Director of Station, Candidate of Biological Sciences А.А. Sukhotin
No. 122031100283-9

Main publications of the Station staff

Naumov A.D. 2019. The White Sea and its bottom communities. St. Petersburg: Zoological Institute RAS. 414 p. [Russian]

Sukhotin A. (Ed.) 2013. Long-term research on marine ecosystems in the White Sea, Russia. Hydrobiologia 706 (1): 1–219.

Berger V.Ja. (Ed.) 2012. Biological Resources of the White Sea: Investigation and Exploitation. St. Petersburg: Zoological Institute RAS. 377 p. (Explorations of the Fauna of the Seas 69(77)). [Russian]

Primakov I.M. 2012. Mechanisms for the formation of spatio-temporal organization of mesozooplankton communities in the White Sea. St. Petersburg: Zoological Institute RAS. 137 p. (Explorations of the Fauna of the Seas 70(78)). [Russian]

Naumov A.D. 2011. Anomalous ejection of starfish in the Dvina Bay in the spring of 1990. St. Petersburg: Zoological Institute RAS. 414 p. [Russian]

Berger V.Ja. 2007. Production potential of the White Sea. St. Petersburg: Zoological Institute RAS. 292 p. [Russian]

Naumov A.D. 2006. Clams of the White Sea. Ecological and faunistic analysis. St. Petersburg: Zoological Institute RAS. 367 p. (Explorations of the Fauna of the Seas 59(67)). [Russian]

Berger V., Dahle S. (Eds.) 2001. White Sea. Ecology and Environment. St. Petersburg – Tromsø. 155 p.

Kulakowski E.E. 2000. The biological bases of mussel mariculture on the White Sea. St. Petersburg: Zoological Institute RAS. 168 p. (Explorations of the Fauna of the Seas 50(58)). [Russian]

Berger V.Ja. (Ed.) 1995. The White Sea. Biological resources and problems of their rational use. Parts 1, 2. St. Petersburg: Zoological Institute RAS. 249 + 250 p. (Explorations of the Fauna of the Seas 42(50)). [Russian]

Sergievsky S.O. (Ed.) 1995. Population studies of the White Sea mollusks. St. Petersburg: Zoological Institute RAS. 194 p. (Proceedings of the Zoological Institute RAS 264). [Russian]

Sukhotin A.A. (Ed.) 1993. Studies on the mussel mariculture in the White Sea. St. Petersburg: Zoological Institute RAS. 143 p. (Proceedings of the Zoological Institute RAS 253). [Russian]

Naumov A.D., Fedyakov V.V. (Ed.) 1991. Benthos of the White Sea. Populations, communities, fauna. Leningrad: Zoological Institute AS USSR. 159 p. (Proceedings of the Zoological Institute AS USSR 233). [Russian]

Ivanchenko O.F. (Ed.) 1990. Overall results of the research on the White Sea herring. Leningrad: Zoological Institute AS USSR. 155 p. (Proceedings of the Zoological Institute AS USSR 227). [Russian]

Berger V.Ja. 1986. Adaptations of marine molluscs to environmental salinity changes. Leningrad: Nauka. 218 p. [Russian]

Khlebovich V.V. (Ed.) 1974. Seasonal phenomena in the life of the White and Barents seas. Leningrad: Nauka. 328 p. (Explorations of the Fauna of the Seas 13(21)). [Russian]

Kuznetsov V.V. 1960. The White Sea and biological features of its flora and fauna. Moscow-Leningrad: AS USSR: 324 p. [Russian]

Station staff participate in the following grants

DAAD 91677357. “Cellular energy budget and metabolic allometry in ectotherms” (PI A.A. Sukhotin).

RFBR No. 20-54-15002_NTsNI_а. “Ontogenetic dynamics of toxicity of the arctic White Sea sponge Halichondria panicea (Demospongiae) and its response to an external impact - confirmation or refutation of the Optimal Defense Theory?” (PI V.V. Khalaman).

RFBR No. 18-34-00405_mol_а. “Determining factors of invertebrate benthic predator distribution and its influence to macrobenthic communities at the shallows of the White sea: the case of Amauropsis islandica” (PI D.A. Aristov).

RFBR No. 18-04-00062_а. “Role of ecosystem engineering species in forming of associated species assemblage in fouling communities of the White Sea” (PI V.V. Khalaman).

RFBR No. 16-35-50025_а. “Transfer and accumulation of heavy metals by planktonic filter-feeders in the White Sea” (PI D.M. Martynova).