In Search of Seals. Family Educational Programme

The programme In Search of Seals combines science and adventure. You will chase seals and take pictures of these extremely cute animals, learn interesting facts from biology and geology, travel widely in a boat and on foot along the picturesque coasts and islands of the White Sea, have lively evening debates and seminars, and just enjoy a good outdoor experience!

The themes of the excursions and open-air discussions:

• The White Sea today. High tides and low tides and their effects on the evolution of the sea's inhabitants. Introducing the littoral, or the nearshore zone.
• Meeting the plants and animals of the White Sea, both those from the littoral zone and the sea depths.
• Taiga, the forest of the North. How plants survive in the harsh climate of the North.
• Observing the birds of the sea and of the taiga.
• Geological excursions. Studying sections of the Earth's crust in rock walls. Learning about a variety of rocks and minerals.
• Trips to the lake and the river. Meeting fresh-water animals.
• Meeting reindeer and sledge dogs.
• The history of the Russian North, the lives of the people on the coast of the White Sea today and in the past.

Suggested topics for evening lectures and discussions:

• Marine mammals: the paths to evolutionary success.
• Animal intelligence: modern research and approaches.
• Symbiosis in nature and how it contributes to the evolution of life on Earth.
• Evolution of altruism and cooperation from the viewpoint of modern biology.
• Global warming or extreme cooling? Ice ages of the past and the future.
• Invasion of the land. How marine species evolved to conquer the earth.
• Is there life under the ice? Survival strategies in the Arctic.
• Why cold seas are so densely populated while their biodiversity remains quite low? Ecosystems of cold seas compared to those of tropical seas.