May 28, 2025
Russian scientists have confirmed the appearance of a new island in the northern part of the Caspian Sea due to a decrease in its level. The island is being named, the press service of the P. P. Shirshov Institute of Oceanology (IO) of the Russian Academy of Sciences reported.
"During a comprehensive expedition of the IO RAS, the Caspian branch of the IO RAS and the Astrakhan State Nature Reserve to the Northern Caspian, scientists were able to confirm the existence of a new island 30 km southwest of Maly Zhemchuzhny Island. Initially, the emptying of the can was noticed on satellite images by employees of the Caspian branch of IO RAS in November 2024, but the issue of the island's existence remained controversial until recently. The discovered island was formed as a result of a drop in the level of the Caspian Sea and the release of the Srednyaya Zhemchuzhnaya Bank to the surface," the report says.
The expedition managed to approach the northern part of the island, but disembarkation did not take place due to the shallow waters surrounding it and due to weather conditions. Nevertheless, the island is clearly visible in the images from the quadcopter. In the near future, scientists will carry out a primary description of the new island and put forward proposals for its geographical name.
"Currently, during the period of maximum Volga runoff at the peak of the flood, the island is a land slightly rising above the sea surface. Obviously, during the inter-ice period, when the water level will be minimal, the elevation of the island above the water's edge will be more significant. At the time of the survey, the island's surface was a moistened flat plain, complicated by ridges of sand waves," the institute said.
With a further decrease in the level of the Caspian Sea, this island may significantly increase its area in the coming years and gain great potential value as a nesting site for rare bird species and rookeries for the Caspian seal, according to the IO RAS/