News
August 12, 2022
Staff of the Northern Water Problems Institute KarRC RAS spent a fortnight on an expedition aboard the Ekolog Research Vessel. Surveys covered virtually all parts of Lake Onego and Vygozerskoe Storage Reservoir during peak water warm-up period. The results will help analyze how human impacts aggravated by climate warming influence the waterbodies.
The expedition to Lake Onego and Vygozerskoe storage reservoir took place from July 18 to August 2 under state assignment to the Northern Water Problems Institute (NWPI) KarRC RAS. The studies are necessitated by a growing human impact on the water ecosystems in the context of climate warming.

– What characterizes the current situation in waterbodies of Karelia, as well as in the whole of Northwest Russia, is that human impact is markedly intensified by climate warming. This triggers a dangerous phenomenon – water blooming with potentially hazardous cyanobacteria. We now observe such processes in lakes Vedlozero, Kroshnozero, and others. Can these phenomena happen in Lake Onego or Vygozerskoe storage reservoir, which are exposed to different anthropogenic impacts? Finding the answer to this question was the mission of our expedition, – tells Natalia Kalinkina, Dr. of Biology, Leading Researcher, Head of Hydrobiology Laboratory NWPI KarRC RAS.

As scientists explain, intensive warming up of the surface water layer in abnormally hot years accelerates lake eutrophication. The main pollution sources for Lake Onego and Vygozerskoe storage reservoir are pulp-and-paper mills. Besides, trout farms have influenced Onego in the past few decades. What makes the situation even more complicated is the high permissible levels introduced for mineral phosphorus in lake water in the 1990s.

– It is therefore critically important to monitor the situation in areas exposed to industry and trout farming impacts. The data collected during the expedition will be used to verify the 3D biogeochemical model of the Lake Onego ecosystem currently being developed at NWPI KarRC RAS, – Natalia Kalinkina informs.


Ekolog vessel itineraries in Lake Onego and Vygozero storage reservoir

The mission for the scientists taking part in the expedition was to carry out a multidisciplinary study of Lake Onego (Verkhne-Svirskoe storage reservoir) and Lake Vygozero (Vygozerskoe storage reservoir) to explore the current state, predict future changes, and help conserve their valuable resources. This task required collecting data on the water temperature, chemical and hydrobiological parameters in different parts of the waterbodies.

The team has collected data on water color, total and mineral phosphorus content, dissolved organic carbon in different regions of the impounded lakes. Hundreds of water samples were taken. E.g., 207 samples were taken for assessing the state of bacterial plankton through microbiological analysis, 170 samples – for estimating the quantities of water fungi.


To analyze different parameters of macrozoobenthos (species composition, structure, abundance, biomass, production) 44 sediment samples were collected. In the photo: Natalia Kalinkina, Head of Hydrobiology Laboratory, NWPI KarRC RAS

Sample collection was done simultaneously with measuring water transparency by Secchi disk and measuring water temperature and conductivity by Cast-Away probe. The most detailed part of the effort was the hydrobiological survey, yielding determinations of the quantitative and structural parameters of bacterial plankton, phytoplankton, zooplankton, macrozoobenthos, and chlorophyll a content at 42 sites in Lake Onego and 16 sites in Vygozerskoe storage reservoir.

– Studies of the past decades have shown an increase in the deposition of allochthonous iron imported with discharge from rivers on Onego lakebed, which has possibly caused inhibition of pelagic benthos, relict crustaceans Monoporeia affinis – the main food item for Coregonids. So, it was necessary to continue 30-year benthos observation series and assess the present-day status of food resources for valuable fish species of Lake Onego, – Natalia Kalinkina adds.

The results of the expedition will be reported in article submissions to scientific journals.

Info: Valeria Smirnova / NWPI KarRC RAS
Photos: Natalia Kalinkina, Aleksey Tolstikov / NWPI KarRC RAS

See also:

June 26, 2025
Ice-related phenomena on rivers emptying into the White Sea now last three weeks less than 60 years before

Ice on northern rivers now forms later while ice-off occurs earlier. Karelian scientists confirmed this having analyzed 64 years of marine and meteorological data from the estuaries of rivers draining into the White Sea along its western coast. Climate change has bit three weeks off the ice-covered period on these rivers. The reductions have been the most significant in the last 30 years, aligning with global warming trends in Arctic water bodies.
June 23, 2025
Citizen science and web technologies help researchers study insects of Karelia

More than 30 insect species not encountered in Karelia previously have been revealed by entomologists from KarRC RAS during their expeditions and using data communicated by active participants of the iNaturalist portal – an open platform for collecting biodiversity data.
June 20, 2025
Application process for 2025/2026 Doctoral Studies started at KarRC RAS

On June 20, Karelian Research Centre RAS began accepting papers from applicants for its Doctoral Courses. This year, university graduates can choose from ten academic specialties in the STEM, natural sciences, humanities, and social sciences.
June 17, 2025
An important phase of the KarRC RAS Director General election procedure completed

The Electoral Commission has summarized the results of the voting for the election of the Director General of KarRC RAS. The turnout exceeded 80% of the Center's employees. The majority of votes, 391, were cast for Alexander Kryshen, Director of the Forest Research Institute. Acting Director General Olga Bakhmet was supported by 252 voters, and Deputy Director General Yuri Zaika received 17 votes. The Electoral Commission documented these results in its report, which will be submitted to the HR Policy Department of the Federal Ministry of Science and Higher Education. The candidacies will now undergo the procedure of approval by federal agencies, after which the employment contract will be signed with the winner of the competition.
June 11, 2025
Posseidon research vessel is back from this season’s first integrated expedition

Employees of the Northern Water Problems Institute KarRC RAS completed an expedition around Lake Onego on board the Posseidon research vessel. The expedition covered 19 sites in bays, Central Onego, and Kizhi Skerries region. Scientists have sampled water for chemical and biological analyses.