An amazing discovery has been made in Kamchatka: scientists have discovered living witnesses of the Ice Age. In the remote mountain lake Avotja, located near the village of Esso, a unique population of Malmo char has been found, isolated from the rest of the world for thousands of years.
The exploration of the unexplored lakes of the Bystrinsky Natural Park became possible thanks to a joint expedition of the Volcanoes of Kamchatka network of natural parks, researchers from the Vitus Bering Kamchatka State University and the Severtsov Moscow Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IPEE RAS).
Lake Avotya, located in a hanging glacial valley 50 kilometers from Esso, on the edge of the Uksichansky volcanic region, remained a “white spot” for science until this spring. Recently, a comprehensive examination was conducted here for the first time.
The work took place in harsh conditions: To get to the lake’s inhabitants, scientists had to drill ice more than a meter thick and set special traps at the bottom.
The catch exceeded expectations: the researchers found an isolated population of char. These fish are direct descendants of those that have lived here since the end of the last ice Age. They are small in size, with a maximum registered weight of 110 grams, but they have a significant lifespan of up to 12 years. Special attention is drawn to their unusual spotted coloration, reminiscent of the Kamchatka rainbow trout.
Daria Panicheva, head of the KamSU laboratory, reports that an endemic and small population of salmonids has been found, that is, it lives only in this particular place. She explains that long isolation in the specific conditions of the lake has formed a unique gene pool. Now scientists are faced with the task of studying in detail the biological features of these fish, developing a system for monitoring their condition and, if necessary, taking measures to preserve this living heritage.
The discovery of an ancient char population in Lake Avotya is an important event that provides a rare opportunity to look into the evolutionary past and highlights the need to protect the unique natural areas of Kamchatka.