LYN SB RAS hosted an excursion for Irkutsk college students

The excursion was organized on April 23 within the Spring Student Ecological Week - one of the events of the long-term project of Irkutsk branch of the All-Russian Society for Nature Conservation “Ecology in my future profession.” The program was focused on the acquaintance of students with the research strands of the Institute and the nowadays scientific infrastructure involved in the study of Lake Baikal and neighboring territories.

The first point of the route was the Ultramicroanalysis Collective Use Center. The center staff presented the instrument base and showed how microscopy methods are used in the study of the Lake Baikal inhabitants and freshwater ecosystems in general. Students were shown a variety of techniques, such as light microscopy observations and electron microscope research, which provide access to the subtle details of the structure of cells and tissues of biological objects.

Further, the participants got acquainted with the unique scientific installation “Experimental freshwater aquarium complex of Baikal hydrobionts.” The students were told about experimental work with aquatic organisms, including tasks related to the study of their adaptation to changing environmental conditions - temperature, light and other conditions.

The final point of the program was the Center for Interactive Monitoring of the Baikal Natural Territory and Lake Baikal. The students were presented with a large-scale system of observations of the hydrochemical and hydrophysical parameters of water bodies in Baikal region, as well as tools for monitoring the state of the atmospheric environment within the Baikal natural territory.

Participants were able to observe the institute`s work of the institute “from the inside”, get acquainted with the nowadays research infrastructure and get a clearer idea of how fundamental research is transformed into results that are significant for preserving the Baikal ecosystem.