The expedition is carried out in frames of the project between UNDP in Russia, the Global Environment Facility and the Ministry of Russia. The organizer of the expedition is the Association "Maritime Heritage: Explore and Save" with the support of the Russian Geographical Society, World Ocean Museum, Marine Technical College in St. Petersburg. Research is carried out by the joint program of the UNDP / GEF / Ministry of Natural Resources and the National Park "Russian Arctic".
The main area of the expedition is protected areas in the North-East of the Barents Sea - National Park "Russian Arctic" and reserve "Franz Josef Land". It was designed to conduct biodiversity and ecosystem research in various parts of the Novaya Zemlya and Franz Josef Land archipelagoes. A team of five crewmembers and six researchers (ecologists, biologists and geographers) prepared a special program to mark 100 years since the Krasin icebreaker's first Arctic voyage.
To date, “The Alter Ego” went 3,500 kilometers on the route Murmansk – Novaya Zemlya - Franz Josef Land. There were 16 landings on 14 islands; 40 capes and islands were viewed from the yacht.
Other results of the expedition can be found here (in Russian).
Information about the expedition on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/OpenOcean.ArcticArchipelagos