The Russian Federal Research Institute of Fisheries and Oceanography's (VNIRO) recently delivered multi-disciplinary research vessel Vikenty Zaitsev (Викентий Зайцев) will sail to Lake Baikal in Siberia on her maiden operational voyage later this week.
During the expedition, VNIRO scientists embarked on the vessel will conduct acoustic research and use trawls for catching fish, particularly omul (C. migratorius), in Lake Baikal for later analysis.
The scientists expect that the expedition would help them determine the age structure and the degree of maturity of the fish that are abundant in the lake.
Vikenty Zaitsev was built by Belgorod Shipyard as a Project TSK.550 research vessel. An array of laboratories is available for collected samples to be analysed within minutes, thus eliminating the need for the vessel to sail to the nearest port with dedicated facilities.
Her electronics include an echosounder (for hydroacoustic surveys) and a fish finding sonar. The electronics are configured for constant monitoring of inland waters, allowing as much scientific data as possible to be collected within a given period.