Institute of Marine Biology FEBRAS
The Pacific waters of Russia are of special interest for marine biologists. These waters are inhabited by flora and fauna of particular diversity, and the continental shelf of the Pacific supports rich marine life. The necessity to expand our knowledge of marine animals and plants and to meet economic needs connected with development of the region were the main reasons for foundation of a scientific institution for fundamental and applied research in marine biology. The Department of Marine Biology in Vladivostok was established in he 1967 according to the project of Dr. Alexey V. Zhirmunsky, who organized and directed the Department, and Dr. Oleg G. Kussakin, who contributed much to this foundation. In January 1970, the Department was reorganized to the Institute of Marine Biology of the Far East Science Center (FESC) of the Academy of Sciences of USSR, now Far East Branch (FEB) of Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS).
MAIN RESEARCH OBJECTIVES OF THE INSTITUTE:
The staff of the Institute numbers 440, including 170 research workers, 2 Academicians, and 1 Corresponding Member of RAS, 21 Doctors, and 110 Candidates of Sciences. They conduct their researches in 19 laboratories, 4 biological stations, and the Far East State Marine Reserve.
Since 1967, hydrobiological explorations have been conducted all over the far-eastern seas from Chukotka Peninsula down to southern Primorye, in Sakhalin, the Kuriles and Commander Islands. More than 30 marine expeditions sailed to coral reefs of the Pacific and Indian Oceans and to the coasts of Vietnam. In the Institute, 26 Doctor dissertations and 170 Candidate theses were defended and more than 3500 scientific publications appeared, including 75 collections of papers and 81 monographs. Since 1975, the Institute of Marine Biology has been publishing Marine Biology, Vladivostok (Biologiya morya), a journal of Russian Academy of Sciences. Its English translation appears in the USA under the title The Russian Journal of Marine Biology.
The Institute has held several national and international conferences on marine biology, marine biogeography, biological resources of shelf, experimental ecology of marine invertebrates, physiology and biochemistry of adaptations in marine animals, on marine biotesting, and classes in marine biology and micromethods for lipid analysis.
Specialized Boards for dissertations in hydrobiology, ichthyology; embryology, histology, and cytology and animal physiology operate within the Institute. Post-graduate school in these specialties as well as in biochemistry, genetics, ecology, plant physiolgy, zoology operates at the Institute.
The Institute organizes the activities of the United Scientific Council for Biological Sciences of the Far East Branch, RAS, the Primorye Branches of Russian Scientific Societies for Hydrobiology, Genetics, Selection, and Biochemistry.
The main scientific achievements of the Institute are connected with the biological survey of coastal waters, research in ecology of invertebrates and algae, cytology, biochemistry of lipids, salmon biology and problems of marine environmental protection.
