The Polar Bear and the White Whale research projects are at the stage of planning and preparing field studies. The two programmes are being implemented by the Marine Mammal Council, a regional non-governmental organisation with support from the Russian Geographical Society.

The Polar Bear Programme is a follow-up to studies carried out by the Marine Mammal Council since 2008, and complies with the provisions of the 2010 Strategy for Polar Bear Conservation in Russia. The research programme focuses, among other things, on curbing poaching, raising environmental awareness, establishing and sustaining protected habitats for polar bears, carrying out academic initiatives, monitoring Arctic territories with input from local residents, and improving the legal framework and regulations.

"The Russian Geographical Society finances field surveys in both geography and biology," Andrei Boltunov, Vice Chairman of the Marine Mammal Council and member of an expert group on the polar bear at the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, said. "We received the grant from the Russian Geographical Society ahead of the spring research session, and were unable to use these funds right away. The main research efforts are expected to be deployed in the fall, including aerial observation of Chukotka to inspect the coastline, so we are currently negotiating with aviation units. We also intend to collect biological samples. Conserving the polar bear is our common objective. We'll seek to attract the leading specialists into this project to ensure that it yields tangible results," he added.