The White Sea Biological Station "Kartesh" (WSBS) is a marine research station of the   Zoological Institute of Russian Academy of Sciences (Saint-Petersburg), located in the Chupa Inlet of the Kandalaksha Bay of the White Sea (66В°20.230' N; 33В°38.972' E), near the North Polar Circle.
      WSBS was founded in 1957 as an all-the-year-round station to study seasonal changes and life cycles of the White Sea organisms. Since then the main areas of research at the WSBS have significantly enlarged and the Station has developed into an up-to-date marine laboratory. Currently the WSBS is one of the largest marine research stations in Russian North, and has been home for many excellent world-class researchers. The WSBS performs internationally recognized top-level fundamental research, offers educational programs, tours and excursions for scholars and students, carries out applied ecological studies and provides scientific expertise to the local businesses, industry and aquaculture. The WSBS became an associated member of the Network of Excellence: Marine Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functioning (MarBEF) in 2005 and joined The European Network of Marine Research Institutes and Stations (MARS) in 2008.