R/V “Professor Panov”: 15 Years of Marine Scientific Research

Abstract

The Taganrog Bay of the Azov Sea has attracted attention of scientists for more than 100 years. In different periods intensity of research sometimes increased, sometimes decreased; and in 2003 alone, when the Southern scientific center of RAS (SSC RAS) was formed, it became possible to perform the year-round, large-scale and comprehensive studies of the marine environment and biota both in the Bay and in the river Don which is the most important river-way of the southern Russia. The investigations carried out in course of the past 15 years have permitted to solve many riddles existing in the Taganrog Bay paleo-history, to study formation of its bioproductivity and the features of its hydrological and hydro-biological regimes, to perform large-scale assessment of anthropogenic activity (pollution, fishing, poaching, shipping, etc.). Such a marine scientific research would be impossible but for the research vessel (R/V) "Professor Panov" named in honor of the outstanding Russian marine geologist and geo-morphologist, professor of the Leningrad and the Rostov universities D. G. Panov. During 15 years, due to the R/V "Professor Panov" more than 150 expeditions were performed that permitted to collect a significant amount of modern information which significantly expanded our notions on the Taganrog Bay and the Sea of Azov. The expeditions on board the R/V "Professor Panov" are complex and answer the purposes and problems of modern oceanology in the fields of hydrology, hydro-biology, hydro-chemistry, lithology, paleogeography, ornithology, etc.