A 2015 complex Arctic expedition organized by the Polar Expedition Gallery and the Moscow State University (MSU) Marine Research Center aboard the Kartesh research vessel will enter its final stage on September 26.

During this stage, MSU researchers will assess the vulnerability rate of the impact that anthropogenic factors and oil spills in the Kara and Barents seas have on the Arctic shores. The researchers will take samples of the micro-flora in the coastal waters of the Kara Sea to study the activity of oil oxidizing micro-organisms and practice offshore sea-mammal surveillance methods. Polar Expedition Gallery photographers will continue shooting beautiful Arctic landscapes.