While the Caspian sea level has continued to decrease for more than a decade, scientists observed its concrete effects on the landscape. In May 2025, a team of researchers from the PP Shirshov Institute of Oceanology of the Academy of Sciences in Russia, in collaboration with the Caspian Branch and the Astrakhan Natural Reserve, confirmed the appearance of a new island in its northern part.
Located 30 kilometers southwest of Maly Zhemchuzhny Island, this still named relief testifies to the deep environmental modifications which affect the largest closed sea of the globe. The phenomenon, initially spotted on satellite images in November 2024, marks a visible signal of the accelerated transformation of the Caspian basin under the combined effect of climate change and tectonic dynamics. This discovery raises concrete scientific, ecological and geographic issues.
A continuously related appearance of sea level
The phenomenon observed in the Caspian Sea is part of a well -known geophysical dynamic but today amplified by unpublished climatic imbalances. As a closed sea, the Caspian has no direct connection with the oceans. Its level therefore depends on a complex balance between fresh water intake – mainly via Volga – and evaporation. However, the latter has been intensifying for several years under the effect of the increase in regional temperatures. Added to this is a reduction in the flow of rivers supplying the basin, due to faster ice melting and increased management of upstream water resources. The seasonal cycle is also disrupted: spring floods are brighter and less abundant, which reduces fresh water supply during critical months.
The withdrawal of waters leads to the progressive exposure of the seabed, a process which, in certain raised areas of the continental plateau, gives birth to what is called “exundration islands” or “Awash Islands”. These training courses appear when sand, vase or sediment benches reach the surface under the combination of the drop in sea level and the uprising of the underwater relief.
In this case, the island has formed on a structure known as “Srednyaya Zhemchuzhnaya bench”, a naughty now emerged. This mechanism is not only the fruit of a natural marine regression. It translates a broader trend: the rapid transformation of continental hydrological systems.
An island still inaccessible but a very real terrain
Despite the impossibility of physically reaching the island, the data collected at a distance already make it possible to draw up a first geomorphological portrait. Drone overflights have highlighted a barely noticeable elevation, flush on the surface. We observe a flat topography, structured by regular sandy undulations. These ridges are typical of recent coastal deposits subject to the action of wind and low currents, suggesting progressive and non -brutal formation.
This type of configuration, characterized by low soil cohesion, installation of real research challenges. The uncertain lift makes any risky landing operation, especially since the shallow waters around the island prevent the approach of even light ships. Scientists at PP Shirshov Institute of Oceanology must therefore adapt their observation protocols to extremely limited conditions of access. They then combine high resolution aerial imaging, remote sensing and bathymetric modeling.
© © Yu. Shulgina, Videostudio Io Ras
Unable to land on the island due to the bad weather and the shallow depth of the waters. © Yu. Shulgina, Videostudio Io Ras
The expected shipment in the second half of 2025 will be the main mission of confirming the stability of the emerged structure. In particular, it will be a question of assessing whether the island's morphology evolves quickly – by sagging, erosion or extension – or if it tends to stabilize, which would imply an ecological development. The site could then become a natural laboratory to observe in real time the birth of an island ecosystem. At this stage, no plant or wildlife colonization has been detected. But more detailed statements will be necessary to judge.
Decrease levels: what field data reveals
Beyond occasional observations, the hydrological surveys carried out over the past fifteen years show a clear trend. The Caspian Sea has lost an average of more than 6 centimeters per year since 2010. This regular decline is documented by Russian and Kazakhes measurement stations. It prioritizes the shallow areas of the North, where the new island appeared.
The phenomenon is not homogeneous throughout the basin. Experts note faster regression in sectors whose substrate is furniture or deltaic, such as around the mouth of the Volga. In these regions, even a modest drop in the level is enough to expose significant surfaces of sediment. The newly identified island illustrates this mechanism. It was formed on an already unstable top, rendered by a relatively low elevation.
What researchers are now monitoring are the cascade effects of this evolution. Let us cite increased salinization, destabilization of coastal ecosystems, changes in internal currents and winter ice regimes. As the level drops, the whole internal dynamics of the sea reconfigure. The presence of this island is therefore not a local anomaly, but one of the visible markers of a broader and lasting regional upheaval.
An island, natural laboratory in the making for fauna of the Caspian Sea
The appearance of this territory also opens up prospects for the study and preservation of biodiversity in the North of the Caspian. Although its soil remains unstable and still inhospitable, researchers envisage that it can, in the medium term, offer a natural refuge for certain endangered species. In particular, the Caspian seal (Pusa Caspica), unique in the basin, could find a new temporary rest site. A site away from human disturbances. Similarly, several species of migratory birds, whose breeding areas are becoming scarce, could take advantage of this isolated place. But provided that the conditions of morphological stability are met.
However, any ecological development project of the island remains suspended from the results of the next observations. Monitoring its morphological evolution will be decisive to assess its capacity for wildlife. At this stage, no vegetation or animal presence has yet been noted. Experts highlight the need for follow -up on several seasons to judge its real ecological potential.
Finally, the island's name process will be an opportunity to strengthen its scientific recognition. If no distinctive trait is essential, the Institute of Oceanology plans to attribute a name to it in connection with a regional scientific or cultural figure, in accordance with the practices in force.
Far from an anecdotal event, this discreet emergence underlines, with clarity, the slow but measurable modifications which affect the great hydrological balances of the Eurasian continent. And this under the combined pressure of climatic disturbances and accumulated impacts of human activities.
With an unwavering passion for local news, Christopher leads our editorial team with integrity and dedication. With over 20 years’ experience, he is the backbone of Wouldsayso, ensuring that we stay true to our mission to inform.
