Is it possible to determine the cleanliness of a pond or stream near your home in just a few hours? Can this be done without expensive chemical reagents and complex equipment? The answer is yes, and all we need is a net, a magnifying glass, and a keen eye. Instead of analyzing water in test tubes, we’ll turn to those for whom this water is home. We’re talking about aquatic organisms—insect larvae, crustaceans, mollusks, and worms—living at the bottom of the pond.

Scientists call this bioindication. The method is simple: different benthic invertebrates react differently to pollution.

Project tutors:
Evgeny Popov was born and raised in Yakutsk and graduated from Yakutsk State University with a degree in Biology, Ecology, and Environmental Protection, qualifying as a biology and chemistry teacher. He worked as a teacher at Secondary School No. 1, and in 2011, he transferred to NEFU as the head of the molecular genetic technologies laboratory. He completed an internship at the Institute of General Genetics of the Russian Academy of Sciences in Moscow and participated in state research projects on the genetic certification of rare plant and animal species in Yakutia.

In 2025, Serafima Markova graduated from the Faculty of Soil Science at Lomonosov Moscow State University with a degree in Ecology and Nature Management. She is currently pursuing a master’s degree in the Department of Analytical Chemistry at the Faculty of Chemistry.

Learn more on the project page! https://yisg2026.ru/news-ru/proekty-mish-2026-issledovanie-ozer-sela-chapaevo-metodom-bioindikacii/