For the past two years, scientists have worked on preventing conflicts between polar bears and humans.

The Severstov Institute of Ecology and Evolution at the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Wildlife Conservation and Research Society, with the support of Rosneft, are conducting a research project to study the population count and density of polar bears using ultralight aviation to assess the potential for conflict situations between humans and polar bears in the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation (Kara Sea).

The project is part of the Russian Arctic Polar Bear Study programme.

In May 2018, for the first time in Russia, scientists involved in the project counted polar bears and marine mammals (earless seals, bearded seals, walruses and beluga whales) using an ultralight amphibious plane.

In harsh Arctic conditions, researchers from the Severstov Institute of Ecology and Evolution flew over the Pechora Sea, the southern part of the Novaya Zemlya archipelago and the Kara Sea shore from the Kara Gates strait to Cape Sterligov and back along the boundary between fast ice and open water, that is, the areas where seals and polar bears are in abundance during spring. They covered a total of 6,035 km.

The spring of 2018 set the decade’s record for delayed spring melting of sea ice in the Kara Sea, which determines when polar bears move to their spring feeding locations.

In the course of aerial surveys and photo monitoring, the scientists spotted 19 adult polar bears and five cubs. They also collected data on their population density and their food sources in certain areas and along the entire route.

The surveys also concerned gender and age statistics, as well as the bears’ behaviour as they approached the Yevgeny Fyodorov Marine Weather Station at Cape Bolvansky Nos on Vaigach Island. The scientists interviewed the station personnel on the number of polar bear encounters at the station in various seasons, on conflicts with humans and on cases of poaching on the island. They also received information on the distribution of polar bears’ nutritional resources.

The scientists are going to process the expedition results into a specialised geo-information system.