The research vessel (RV) "Professor Boyko" (Project 12961 RP) has set off on an expedition. Specialists from the All-Russian Research Institute of Fisheries and Oceanography (VNIRO) will study the red king crab population in the coastal waters of the Barents Sea, as reported by the institute's press service.
Scientists will collect data on crab distribution. They will also assess the total and commercial stock of these valuable crustaceans.
The expedition will also cover related areas: specialists will record oceanographic characteristics of the sea, analyze information on bottom fish and invertebrates.
Red king crabs arrived in the Arctic thanks to the efforts of Soviet scientists. From 1961 to 1969, about 3,000 adult individuals and 10,000 juveniles were relocated to the Barents Sea near Murmansk.
By 1980, their population had increased, and crabs began to spread throughout the Barents Sea. Since 2021, recreational fishing for red king crab has been permitted in the Murmansk region within quotas. In 2026, the quota is 180 tons.
The RV "Professor Boyko" was built in 2002 in Yaroslavl. Its home port is Murmansk.
Characteristics of Project 12961 RP vessels:
- Length — 35.7 m
- Width — 8.8 m
- Side height — 6 m
- Draft — 3 m
- Deadweight — 157 t
- Speed — 11.5 knots
- Ship engine — German-made 6NVD 48 A-2U
- Number of berths — 24
- Navigation area — unlimited
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