Kandalaksha State Nature Reserve
г. Кандалакша, ул. Линейная, д. 35.Where long and dark polar winter gives way to short summer with not touching the sun, where the harsh shores are washed by the waters of the two seas, the Barents and White, on more than 550 islands located Kandalaksha State Nature Reserve. It was founded September 7, 1932 for the protection of the common eider – sea duck, long famous for valuable breeding qualities of down.
Where long and dark polar winter gives way to short summer with not touching the sun, where the harsh shores are washed by the waters of the two seas, the Barents and White, on more than 550 islands located Kandalaksha State Nature Reserve. It was founded September 7, 1932 for the protection of the common eider – sea duck, long famous for valuable breeding qualities of down.
The territory of the reserve consists of 13 sections. Most of the sites are offshore archipelagos with the adjacent water area. Therefore, from 78,608 hectares of its area, 74.2% is marine area, and the inhabitants are massive sea colonial birds. Thus, Kandalaksha Reserve can be considered as the first marine reserve, formed in Russia.
The waters of the Barents Sea off the coast of Murman fueled by the warm Gulf Stream and ice cover is not winter, but summer temperatures are low and vegetation is tundra. On the rocky shores of islands form the famous bird colonies.
Kandalaksha Bay of the White Sea is under the ice in winter and summer, though short, but quite warm. Relatively large islands and the mainland coast north-covered taiga forests. But sea birds prefer to nest on treeless islands (ludas).
In 1975, the Kandalaksha Bay of the White Sea within the Murmansk region is included in the list of Wetlands of International Importance as Waterfowl Habitat. Responsibility for maintaining the reserve and monitoring of animal and plant waters, islands and coastal areas has increased significantly.
To date, the protected area identified more than 10,000 species, including about 1,100 species of plants, more than 5,000 invertebrates, 400 species of vertebrates. Among them are 272 specially protected species included in the regional Red Data Book. This is 42% of the endangered species of the Murmansk region. The biological significance of any area depends not only on the biological diversity of species, but also the richness of its rare species.
Kandalaksha Reserve is one of the cultural and educational centers of the Russian north ornithological science. It began its work by many experts on marine birds and Hydrobiology.
Address: Kandalaksha, ul. Linear, d. 35.
Phone: +7 (81533) 9-23-19.
Fax: +7 (81533) 9-32-50
E-mail: kand_reserve@mail.ru
Website: kandalaksha-reserve.ru