Rivers of the Kolyma Mountains are crystal clear, cold and wild. Despite their unstable flow and sediments, lack of nutrients, and low temperatures, these rivers support a diverse flora of diatoms and other algae. Composition of the algal communities changes drastically when rivers are polluted. Unfortunately, some of the rivers in this remote corner of the Russian Far-East are severely polluted by the waste waters from gold-mining enterprises. Algae together with microinvertebrates are perfect indicators of water quality and overall river health, and this is why scientists from Magadan were interested to study these organisms in pristine and polluted rivers. The Kontaktovy creek featured on the left is located here. Download Google-earth to view the file.

Left: Jack London Lake, Upper Kolyma, Russian Far-East. This is ultraoligotrophic glacial lake near Aborigen Mountain, highest point of the Kolyma Mountains.

Right: Remains of Butugychag labour camp which was a part of infamous GULAG system.