Egor Zadereev, a Leading Researcher of the Institute of Biophysics of SB RAS, has been elected as President of the International Society for Salt Lake Research. The Society brings together several hundred scientists and practitioners interested in the study, use, and protection of salt lakes.

Saline lakes are common on every continent and are of considerable economic, ecological, and scientific value. Since 1979, an informal international association of salt lake researchers from a variety of disciplines has sponsored a series of triennial conferences to encourage scientific exchange and further our understanding of saline lakes. The International Society for Salt Lake Research (ISSLR) was founded in 1994  to establish effective liaison between persons interested in any aspect of inland saline waters, to encourage these interests, and to educate the public in the scientific use, management, and conservation of salt lakes

The society is governed by the board of directors elected every three years, which includes a president and vice president, an editor, a secretary, a representative of early-career scientists, and six voting members. Over the years, scientists from the USA, Australia, Israel, and China have been presidents of the society. During the following conference, which was held online in October last year in Spain, Egor Zadereev, a leading researcher at the Institute of Biophysics of the Krasnoyarsk Science Center of SB RAS, was recommended and later approved for the position of the President of ISSLR. He will hold this post, along with members of the new governing board, for the next three years, until 2024.

We asked Yegor Zadereev to answer a few questions about the life of international scientific societies.

What does the International Society for Salt Lake Research deal with?

This is a small association of scientists and practitioners, which for many years worked according to a fairly standard model. Every three years, the society held international conferences in different countries of the world. The results of the best reports were usually published in a special issue of a scientific journal. A little later, the society had its own awards. At first, these were prizes for the best plenary and poster presentations of young researchers at the conference. These awards bear the name of Professor Bill Williams, a prominent Australian limnologist, who can be considered to inspire the association of salt lake researchers.

Later, on my initiative among other things, when I was already a member of the board of directors of the society, the second award appeared. This is an award for early-career scientists for the best articles on salt lake research. The jury evaluates articles published over a three-year period. The winners receive not only a cash prize but also the opportunity to present the results of their research in the form of a plenary report. The plenary report at the conference is a rather significant milestone in the life of a scientist.

At one time, the society began to publish its own scientific journal, but this initiative was not developed. For a small organization, such a task was beyond their forces. From time to time members of the society participate in various expert reviews of projects for the use of salt lakes, and they are involved in activities to protect unique ecosystems.

For example, literally at the end of last year in Argentina, work was completed on the creation of a large reserve on the salt lake Mar Chiquita. It is a large water body supporting a wide variety of waterfowl, in particular several endemic flamingo species. One of the driving forces behind the creation of the protected area was Lucila Castro, who represented young scientists on the ISSLR board for the past six years. For her personally, participation in society has become crucial. In 2011, the 11th conference of the society was held in Argentina. Lucila was a volunteer there as a schoolgirl. Being a resident of a small resort town on the lake in the center of Argentina, she was so inspired by communication with scientists that she decided to devote herself to this activity. As a result, she is now speaking at the national level, presenting plans for the protection of unique ecosystems to the highest-ranking officials. This is an excellent example of the meaningful results of an international scientific organization.