Underwater drone to survey water bodies near Monchegorsk
Nornickel helped the Murmansk Salmon Foundation acquire an underwater drone, now being used for the first time to monitor Lake Imandra. Environmental activists are mapping the lakebed, locating trash accumulations, and collecting water and sediment samples. The drone can descend to depths of up to 200 metres, retrieve objects from the bottom using grappling hooks, and operate year‑round. It has already enabled volunteers to assess the effectiveness of conservation measures and examine areas that were previously inaccessible. The foundation plans to map pollution in water bodies around Monchegorsk and clean them up as funding becomes available.
Photo by Grigory Khanzhin