New Island Appears in Caspian Sea As It Slowly Disappears

A new island has appeared in the northern part of the Caspian Sea. Scientists call it further evidence of the body of water’s shallowing.

During a comprehensive expedition by the P.P. Shirshov Institute of Oceanology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Caspian Branch of the Institute, and the Astrakhan State Nature Reserve, researchers confirmed the existence of a new island located 30 km southwest of the island of Malyy Zhemchuzhny.

Initially, the drying was noticed on satellite images by staff of the Caspian Branch of the Institute in November 2024, but the question of the island’s existence remained under debate until recently. The newly discovered island formed as a result of the Caspian Sea level dropping and the emergence of the Srednyaya Zhemchuzhnaya bank above the surface.