IBSS Scientists Investigate Marine Biodiversity in Vietnam

A team of researchers from the A.O. Kovalevsky Institute of Biology of the Southern Seas of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IBSS) has arrived at the Coastal Branch of the Joint Russian-Vietnamese Tropical Research and Technology Centre in Nha Trang to commence the first phase of the project “Study and Assessment of Biodiversity in Selected Marine Communities of Central and Southern Vietnamese Waters.”

The objective of the Sevastopol-based scientists is to conduct a comprehensive assessment of hydrobiont community diversity in the coastal waters of Central and Southern Vietnam, with the aim of developing recommendations for the conservation and sustainable use of the country’s marine biodiversity.

“Since 2018, specialists from the Department of Ecological Parasitology have successfully conducted research on the parasite fauna of Vietnamese marine fish. Our new project, spanning five years, will be implemented through the collaborative efforts of researchers from multiple IBSS departments—the Ichthyology Department, Ecological Parasitology Department, Benthic Ecology Department, Aquaculture and Marine Pharmacology Department, and Chemoecology Laboratory—alongside Russian and Vietnamese colleagues at the Tropical Centre,” stated Dr. Ekaterina Skuratovskaya, project lead and Deputy Director for Research at IBSS, Candidate of Biological Sciences.

The first assignment under the project is scheduled for two months, including a two-week expedition to Da Nang and Dong Hoi, as well as laboratory work at the Tropical Centre. Until 28 May, the scientists will study the population status of mass and commercial fish species in the coastal zone of Nha Trang Bay and along the coastline (Nha Trang – Quy Nhon – Da Nang – Hue – Dong Hoi), focusing on their morpho-biological and genetic diversity, parasite infestation, and reproductive conditions. They will also analyse the state of ichthyoplankton and zooplankton communities, and conduct research on the molecular-genetic, biochemical, and histopathologic indicators of molluscs in various biocenoses of Nha Trang Bay.

Background:

• The first phase of the project “Study and Assessment of Biodiversity in Selected Marine Communities of Central and Southern Vietnamese Waters” involves eight IBSS researchers:
  

  • Dr. Ekaterina Skuratovskaya, Deputy Director for Research and Head of the Ichthyology Department, Candidate of Biological Sciences;
    
  • Dr. Evgenia Dmitrieva, Head of the Ecological Parasitology Department, Candidate of Biological Sciences;
    
  • Dr. Dmitry Kutsyn, Senior Researcher at the Ichthyology Department, Candidate of Biological Sciences;
    
  • Dr. Ekaterina Vodyasova and Tatiana Polyakova, Senior Researchers at the Ecological Parasitology Department, Candidates of Biological Sciences;
    
  • Artem Serbin, Leading Engineer at the Ichthyology Department;
    
  • Victoria Uppe, Junior Researcher at the Ecological Parasitology Department;
    
  • Pavel Donchik, Junior Researcher at the Ichthyology Department.

• The 2025–2029 Tropical Centre Research Programme also includes two additional IBSS projects:
  

  • “Study of the Functioning and Dynamics of Landscapes in Central and Southern Vietnam under Anthropogenic Pressure and Climate Change to Develop Scientific Foundations for Their Rational Use,”
    
  • “Current State of Ecosystems and Diversity of Hydrobionts in the Dong Nai River Basin.”