Novosibirsk institute suggests giving to Yakutia its scientific station in Arctic

NOVOSIBIRSK, August 27. /TASS/. The Institute of Petroleum Geology and Geochemistry (the Russian Academy of Sciences’ Siberian Branch), which manages the Samoilovsky Island research station, suggested giving it to Yakutia’s scientific organizations, the institute’s website reads.
The institute has managed the Samoilovsky Island year-round research station since 2012, when it was built at the initiative of Russia’s prime minister.
“Since the range of tasks at the station goes far beyond the main topic of oil and gas, the Institute has suggested transferring the station’s management to Yakut scientific and educational organizations,” the website reads. “This way, the Samoilovsky Island station will be used more effectively, ensuring the necessary level of interdisciplinary research, and balancing the scientific and applied components.”
For a long time, the station has been the center of international cooperation in the Arctic, and it has been used for implementation of many scientific projects. Presently, the station requires a new stage in development, its focus should shift to the internal priorities of the Russian Federation’s Arctic Zone’s development.
“The station has everything necessary for world-class scientific research, and for training scientific specialists for Yakutia’s development,” the Institute’s Director, Vyacheslav Glinsky, was quoted as saying.
The Samoilovsky Island station is located in the Lena River delta. It is Russia’s only modern Arctic research station. Research continues in seismology, shallow-depth seismic exploration and electrotomography, geobotany, thermometry and geochemistry, stratigraphy and paleontology. These works continue previously started projects and complement understanding of the Arctic ecosystem. Throughout the year, several small boats, all-terrain vehicles and snowmobiles provide access to an area of up to 200 km around the station.