Marine Research Laboratory

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Laboratory of marine studies since its formation in 1960 works in the following main directions: taxonomy and systematics of zoobenthos, estimation of biodiversity, and biogeographical and synecological zoning. Studies are performed with the use of traditional methods and innovation technologies of molecular biology, biostatistics, ecology, and geoinformatics. Many results are world known and obtained in cooperation with foreign colleagues from leading museums and scientific institutions, being supported by World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and the Arctic Council. Regions of investigations cover the Arctic and Antarctic, far eastern seas of Russia, tropical waters of the Pacific, and Pont-Caspian region.

In 2010–2020, the stuff of the laboratory had published 14 keys and monographs, about 300 papers on systematics and ecology of different rank zootaxa and communities on the whole. 130 new for science invertebrate species of 17 genera and 3 families were described, inventory of the zoobenthic fauna of Arctic and Russian Far Eastern seas was performed, and the system of the class Holoturoidea (Echinodermata) was renovated. Ecological studies revealed regularities of biodiversity and quantitative development of zoobenthos in Arctic and far eastern seas in dependence of hydrological factors and anthropogenic influence, in particular, of the intensity of fishery. Together with operative publishing the obtained data are deposited in international databases, such as the World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) and the European resource MarBEF Data System (Marine Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functioning).

Staff

17 doctors and 27 candidates of science were trained at the laboratory.

Currently, the laboratory staff counted 21 researchers, 5 research assistants and collection keepers.

Stanislav G. Denisenko (Head of Laboratory, Senior Researcher, Doctor of Biological Sciences)

Boris A. Anokhin (Senior Researcher, Candidate of Biological Sciences)

Konstantin L. Biyagov (Junior Researcher)

Galina N. Buzhinskaya (Senior Researcher, Candidate of Biological Sciences)

Sergey Yu. Gagaev (Senior Researcher, Candidate of Biological Sciences)

Sergei D. Grebelnyi (Leading Researcher, Doctor of Biological Sciences)

Nina V. Denisenko (Senior Researcher, Candidate of Biological Sciences)

Natalia E. Zhuravliova (Researcher, Candidate of Biological Sciences)

Denis V. Zakharov (Senior Researcher, Candidate of Biological Sciences)

Natalia Yu. Ivanova (Researcher, Candidate of Biological Sciences)

Pavel V. Kijashko (Leading Researcher, Candidate of Biological Sciences)

Elena L. Markhaseva (Senior Researcher, Candidate of Biological Sciences)

Sophia A. Nazarova (Researcher, Candidate of Biological Sciences)

Nadezhda B. Ovchankova (Researcher, Candidate of Biological Sciences)

Boris I. Sirenko (Principal Researcher, Doctor of Biological Sciences)

Alexey V. Smirnov (Senior Researcher, Candidate of Biological Sciences)

Igor S. Smirnov (Senior Researcher, Candidate of Biological Sciences)

Elena V. Soldatenko (Senior Researcher, Candidate of Biological Sciences)

Ekaterina A. Stratanenko (Researcher, Candidate of Biological Sciences)

Denis V. Tumanov (Researcher, Candidate of Biological Sciences)

Vladislav V. Khlebovich (Principal Researcher, Doctor of Biological Sciences)

Elena M. Chaban (Senior Researcher, Candidate of Biological Sciences)

 

Olga V. Bozhenova (Senior Collection Keeper)

Tatyana N. Konina (Research Assistant)

Ekaterina A. Nefedova (Senior Collection Keeper)

Raisa A. Pikalova (Senior Collection Keeper)

Vladislav V. Potin (Senior Collection Keeper)

Topic of State Assignment

“Taxonomy, biodiversity and ecology of invertebrates of the Russian and adjacent waters of the World Ocean, continental ponds and wetlands”
PI: Head of Laboratory, Doctor of Biological Sciences S.G. Denisenko
No. 122031100275-4

Collections

Stock collections stored in the laboratory are the largest in Russia. They contain more than 15,000 species of marine and freshwater invertebrates and about 1,700,000 storage units, including digitized Sea Star Collection (Class Asteroidea), Brittle Star Collection (Class Ophiuroidea), Sea Urchin Collection (Class Echinoidea) and Sea Cucumber Collection (Class Holothuroidea).

Main publications of the Laboratory staff

Vitaliy V. Anistratenko, Thomas A. Neubauer, Olga Yu. Anistratenko, Pavel V. Kijashko, Frank P. Wesselingh. 2021. A revision of the Pontocaspian gastropods of the subfamily Caspiinae (Caenogastropoda: Hydrobiidae) // Zootaxa. Vol. 4933, Iss 2, 2021. – pp. 151–197. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4933.2.1

Neubauer, T.A., Anistratenko, O.Yu., Anistratenko, V.V., Kijashko, P., Stoica, M., van de Velde S., Vinarski, M., Wesselingh, F.P., 2020. A Revision of the poorly known Pontocaspian Gastropod Genus Abeskunus, and its Central Paratethyan Origin // Historical Biology. Vol. 33, Iss. 9, 2020. – pp. 1580–1597. https://doi.org/10.1080/08912963.2020.1720015

Vitaliy V. Anistratenko, Tatiana Ya. Sitnikova, Pavel V. Kijashko, Maxim V. Vinarski, Olga Yu. Anistratenko. 2020. A review of species of the genus Theodoxus (Gastropoda: Neritidae) of the Ponto-Caspian region, with considerations on available type materials // Ruthenica. Vol. 30, part 2, 2020. – pp. 115–134.

Sirenko B.I, Gagaev S.Yu., Smirnov I.S. (Eds.) 2017. Species diversity and distribution of bottom communities in the Prydz Bay of the Cooperation Sea (eastern Antarctic). Results of biological researches of the Russian Antarctic Expedition. St. Petersburg: Zoological Institute RAS. 273 p. (Exploration of the fauna of the seas 76(84)). [Russian]

Kos M.S. 2016. Copepods of the families Stephidae and Temoridae (Copepoda: Calanoida) of the Russian seas and adjacent waters. St. Petersburg: Zoological Institute RAS. 108 p. (Keys to the fauna of Russia published by the Zoological Institute RAS 179). [Russian]

Bogutskaya N.G., Kiyashko P.V., Naseka A.M., Orlova M.B. 2013. Key-book of fish and invertebrates of the Caspian Sea. V.1. Fish and mollusks. St. Petersburg-Moscow: KMK Scientific Press Ltd. 543 p. [Russian]

Buzhinskaja G.N. 2013. Polychaete worms (Polychaeta) of the Far East Seas of Russia and adjacent waters of the Pacific Ocean: annotated check-list and biogeography. Moscow: KMK Scientific Press Ltd. 131 p. [Russian]

Denisenko S.G. 2013. Biodiversity and bioresources of macrozoobenthos in the Barents Sea: structure and long-term changes. St. Petersburg: Nauka. 284 p. [Russian]

Sirenko B.I. (Ed.) 2012. Illustrated Keys to Free-Living Invertebrates of Eurasian Arctic Seas and Adjacent Deep Waters. Vol. 3. Cnidaria, Ctenophora. Moscow: KMK Scientific Press Ltd. 237 p. [Russian]

Sirenko B.I. (Ed.) 2012. Species list of free-living invertebrates of the Russian Far Eastern Seas. St. Petersburg: Zoological Institute RAS. 256 p. (Explorations of the Fauna of the Seas 75(83).

Gill M.J., Crane K., Hindrum R., Arneberg P., Bysveen I., Denisenko N.V., Gofman V., Grant-Friedman A., Gudmundsson G., Hopcroft R.R., Iken K., Labansen A., Liubina O.S., Melnikov I.A., Moore S.E., Reist J.D., Sirenko B.I., Stow J., Ugarte F., Vongraven D., Watkins J. 2011. Arctic Marine Biodiversity Monitoring Plan (CBMP-MARINE PLAN), CAFF Monitoring Series Report No. 3, April. CAFF International Secretariat, Akureyri, Iceland. 160 с.

Buzhinskaja G.N. (Ed.) 2011. Illustrated Keys to Free-Living Invertebrates of Eurasian Arctic Seas and Adjacent Deep Waters. Vol. 2. Nemertea, Cephalorhyncha, Oligochaeta, Hirudinida, Pogonophora, Echiura, Sipuncula, Phoronida and Brachiopoda. Fairbanks: University of Alaska Fairbanks. 161 p.

Sirenko B.I., Denisenko S.G. (Eds.) 2010. Fauna of the East Siberian Sea, distribution patterns and structure of bottom communities. St. Petersburg: Zoological Institute RAS. 248 p. (Exploration of the fauna of the seas 66(74)). [Russian]

Laboratory staff participate in the following grants

RFBR No. 19-54-53028_a. “Comparative analysis of the Ophiura sarsii Lütken, 1855 (Echinodermata: Ophiuroidea) populations in the seas of the Arctic and the Pacific Oceans: morphology, genetics and linear growth” (PI S.A. Nazarova).

RFBR No. 18-05-60157_a. “Сentury-long changes in the bottom ecosystems of the Russian Arctic seas, the current state and forecast” (PI S.G. Denisenko).

RFBR No. 16-34-00682_a. “Winter in the tidal zone: winter conditions impact to the bivalve population recruitment in the White Sea (with the specific reference to Macoma balthica)” (PI S.A. Nazarova).