On Friday, 24 November, Svetlana Artemyeva, a researcher at A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, delivered an informative lecture on amazing marine mammals - walruses for the guests of the Rosneft pavilion at the Russia Exhibition and Forum.

The event took place on Walrus Day. This date was established in 2008 and its purpose is to draw public attention to the protection of these marine mammals, which are among the most vulnerable inhabitants of the Arctic.

Rosneft places a strong focus on preservation of favorable environment and biodiversity, and is constantly working to minimize its environmental impact.

Since 2015, the Company has been conducting research on the number and population characteristics of the Atlantic walrus subspecies. During this time, work has been carried out in the Nenets State Nature Reserve and in the waters of the Kara and Laptev Seas. A large-scale research of walruses in the Barents Sea was carried out as part of the Ecology National Project. Thanks to Rosneft, the Franz Josef Land Archipelago was explored for the first time - more than 40 islands, the Great Oransky Islands and Victoria Island. 

In total, more than 200 biological specimens were taken and analyzed during the expeditions, 26 animals were tagged with satellite transmitters. Detailed mapping of known walrus rookeries was carried out, its forage base was studied, and new sites were described. During a one-time full-scale walrus census using unmanned aerial vehicles, more than 7,000 animals were recorded for the first time. In addition, the largest walrus aggregation was found on Eva-Liv Island (Franz Josef Land Archipelago) - more than 2,000 animals.

Svetlana Artemyeva, who is one of the country’s leading scientists specializing on walrus research and who has headed scientific expeditions to the Arctic on several occasions, told the guests of the pavilion about the species diversity of these pinnipeds, their distribution, behavior and reproduction. She also shared her experience of participation in scientific expeditions and told interesting facts about walruses.

At the end of the event there was a thematic quiz dedicated to marine mammals. The winner of the quiz received a book "Rediscovering the Arctic" as a gift. This publication was prepared by Rosneft together with Innopraktika and is dedicated to the 10th anniversary of the Company's research in the Arctic.

In addition, documentary film "Guardians of the North" was demonstrated to the visitors of the Rosneft pavilion on Friday.

The film shot by a TV presenter and PhD in Biosciences Ivan Zatevakhin is dedicated to the second comprehensive expedition of Rosneft to research and monitor walruses and polar bears near the Franz Josef Land and Novaya Zemlya Archipelagos. The expedition took place in 2021; and the film describes the behavior and lifestyle of the animals, as well as the work of scientists.

Taking care of the environment is one of Rosneft's key priorities. The Company implements a number of initiatives aimed at preserving and restoring natural resources and studying biodiversity. The Atlantic walrus subspecies is included in the Red Book of Russia and is a bioindicator species of Arctic marine ecosystems. The Company considers the conservation of these animals and their habitats to be one of the objectives of its environment protection activities.

Information and Advertising Department
Rosneft
24 November 2023