Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: Rosneft – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
World Marine Mammal Day is celebrated annually on February 19. This date was established to draw attention to the need to conserve and protect cetaceans, pinnipeds, polar bears, and other marine mammals.
Rosneft places special emphasis on environmental issues and biodiversity conservation. The Company's activities are based on the principle of preserving a healthy environment and biodiversity in all regions where it operates. The study and protection of marine mammals is one of the pillars of Rosneft's environmental program.
A key component of this program is research on the Sea of Okhotsk gray whale population, one of the smallest and most vulnerable marine mammal populations in the world, endangered and listed in the Russian Federation's Red Data Book. Rosneft has been a participant in the Sea of Okhotsk gray whale monitoring program since 1997, which includes annual population censuses, behavioral observations, food sources, photo-identification studies, and acoustic monitoring.
As part of their research, specialists concluded that the annual growth rate of the Okhotsk Sea gray whale population is approximately 5%. By 2025, the total number of whales registered in the program's photo catalog would reach almost 400 individuals.
Until the 1990s, the Okhotsk Sea gray whale population was considered completely exterminated and classified as a critically endangered species. In 2019, the Russian Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment added these animals to its list of rare and endangered species requiring priority restoration and reintroduction measures. In 2020, the Okhotsk Sea gray whale population was listed in the Russian Federation's Red Data Book.
Additionally, with the Company's support, environmental monitoring of the Okhotsk-Korean gray whale population is being conducted on the northeastern shelf of Sakhalin Island. Specialists annually conduct photo-identification, population censuses, and studies of the mammals' prey and behavior. As part of their study of the Okhotsk-Korean gray whale population, unique acoustic monitoring is also being conducted, which includes recording and analyzing the level of natural and anthropogenic underwater noise. This research allows for the study of the nature of sounds and modeling their propagation.
Rosneft is an active member of the Interdepartmental Working Group under the Ministry of Natural Resources of the Russian Federation for the Conservation of the Western Gray Whale Population. The working group develops proposals for legislative developments to manage the population and coordinates interactions between interested federal and regional executive authorities, the business community, and scientific and public organizations.
In 2020, Rosneft, together with the P.P. Shirshov Institute of Oceanology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, implemented a large-scale project to study and monitor Black Sea dolphins. Three years of observations yielded up-to-date data on the abundance and preferred habitats of these Black Sea cetaceans, as well as their seasonal distribution patterns. Recommendations for dolphin research and conservation were prepared.
Rosneft also places significant emphasis on the study and conservation of the polar bear population. The company has been conducting polar bear research expeditions since 2014. In 2024, Rosneft began a new four-year research cycle as part of its corporate program for preserving the biodiversity of Arctic ecosystems, Tamura. In 2025, Rosneft, together with the non-governmental development institute Innopraktika, launched an online course of popular science lectures, "Arctic Wanderer: Polar Bear."
Since 2015, Rosneft has also been conducting research on the abundance and characteristics of the Atlantic walrus population. During this time, work has been conducted in the Nenets State Nature Reserve and in the Kara and Laptev Seas. As part of the national "Ecology" project, large-scale walrus studies have been conducted in the Barents Sea. Thanks to Rosneft, the Franz Josef Land archipelago was surveyed for the first time.
Department of Information and Advertising of PJSC NK Rosneft February 19, 2026
Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.