Russia in the World Ocean: Interests and Lines of Presence

Abstract

—One of the modern global trends is the accelerated formation of a “blue economy” based on transport and logistics, resource and raw materials, and other opportunities of the seas and oceans, which occupy more than 70% of the Earth’s surface. The article substantiates the growth in the importance of maritime economic activity for the Russian Federation and emphasizes the peculiarities of realizing its interests in the World Ocean, taking into account foreign policy, marketing and economic, technical and technological, financial and investment, infrastructural, and institutional opportunities and limitations. Attention is focused on the factors and features of the dynamics and spatial localization of such important industries for Russia as seaports and logistics, hydrocarbon production on sea shelves, production and processing of marine biological resources, shipbuilding, and coastal industry. It is shown that, on the one hand, Russia’s sphere of potential (declared) interests is the waters of the entire World Ocean and, on the other, the country’s maritime activity has a predominantly Circumeurasian (delimiting the mainland confined to its marginal seas) character, consistently shifting (under the influence of climatic, market, and geopolitical factors) into the Arctic, as well as the coastal zones and water areas of the Far East. The maritime interests of the leading Russian companies (Gazprom, Rosneft, Lukoil, NOVATEK, Rosatom and Rosatomflot, Sovkomflot, Norilsk Nickel, etc.) are emphasized, an inventory of limiting factors and the risks of further maritime orientation of the Russian economy has been compiled, and the most important areas of Russia’s presence in regions of the World Ocean in conditions of growing geopolitical turbulence and geoeconomic competition are identified. As specific results, we should single out the well-substantiated priority directions of Russia’s presence in the World Ocean, as well as the main priorities and directions for building up an effective Russian presence there. The identified limiting factors and limitations of maritime activity in modern Russia are of particular interest.

Geoinformation representation of maritime knowledge flows: new frontiers of coastalization

“…By accounting for maritime knowledge flows in the delimitation of the coastal zone, we deepen our understanding of coastalization and enhance the methods of its registration. The traditional delimitation of the coastal zone (and coastalization) done by measuring the geographical proximity to the sea of human settlements [14,17] or the clustering of economic activity [15,16], could now be combined with an assessment of functions performed by entities. The extended understanding of the coastal economy was previously verified by Morrissey and O'Donoghue [22], who have mapped the inland communication within a maritime economic network.…”

“…Current perspectives on defining the boundaries of the coastal zone are based on an assessment of natural and environmental factors (e.g. land elevation) [13], migration processes and settlement structure [14], the location of port infrastructure [15], industrial facilities [16], etc. The range of propagation of the coastalization effect may vary depending on the country, including both local zones up to 1 km, and coastal areas up to 10, 50, 150 and even 200 km [17].…”

The Marine Component of Human Geography Studies in Post-Soviet Russia: Key Trends and Development Priorities

“…From the mid-2010s, the 'marine branch' of Russian economic (and human) geography received a new impetus, and new facets emerged. Further growth of Russia's marine economic activity and its increasingly visible and purposeful presence in the world ocean [36] provided grounds for the diversification of the sub-discipline; the expansion of its scope to the system of marine pipelines [37], shipbuilding [38], etc. ; a shift of focus to the infrastructure supporting the maritime interests of Russia and its largest corporations [39]; clustering and complex formation [40; 41].…”

Isolation and characterization of a cold‐active, detergent‐stable protease from Serratia sp. TGS1

“…Psychotropics and psychrophilic microbes inhabit almost all of the planet's cold regions, including polar and nonpolar [2,3]. Oceans occupy almost 70% of the Earth's surface, making it a primary environment with a temperature of roughly 4°C [4]. Polar regions cover 15% of the Earth's surface, while 20% of the terrestrial area is permanently frozen.…”