Bering Sea: geographical location, description. Bering Sea: geographical location, description Fish and mammals
The former inland sea of the Russian Empire is now the easternmost possession of our state. The northeastern territories are still waiting for their conquerors. One of the treasures of the natural wealth of this part of the planet is the Bering Sea, the geographical position of which not only plays a significant role in the development of local regions, but also opens up great prospects for Russia's expanding economic activity in the Arctic latitudes.
Bering Sea. Description
The northern margin of the Pacific Basin is the largest of all the seas washing the shores of Russia. Its area is 2,315 thousand km2. For comparison: the surface of the Black Sea is five and a half times smaller. The Bering Sea is the deepest coastal sea and one of the deepest in the world. The lowest mark is at a depth of 4,151 m, and the average depth is 1,640 m. Deep-water areas are located on the southern side of the water area and are called the Aleutian and Commander basins. Surprisingly, with such indicators, about half of the seabed is only half a kilometer away from the sea surface. Relative shallow water allows us to attribute the sea to the continental-oceanic type. The Northern Far Eastern reservoir holds 3.8 million km 3 of water. Most scientists explain the origin of the Bering Sea by cutting off from the rest of the ocean by the Commander-Aleutian ridge, which arose as a result of global tectonic processes in the distant past.
History of discovery and development
The modern hydronym comes from the name of the first European explorer Vitus Bering. A Dane in Russian service organized two expeditions in 1723-1943. The purpose of his travels was to find the border between Eurasia and America. Although the strait between the continents was discovered by topographers Fedorov, Gvozdev and Mashkov, it was later named after a hired navigator. During Bering's second expedition, the territories of the northern part of the Pacific Ocean were explored and Alaska was discovered. On old Russian maps, the northern water area is called the Bobrov, or the Kamchatka Sea. The coast has been explored by Russian explorers since the beginning of the 18th century. So, Timofey Perevalov in the 30s compiled a map of some territories of Kamchatka and Chukotka. Thirty years later, D. Cook visited these places. The tsarist government sent expeditions here under the leadership of Sarychev, Bellingshausen and Kotzebue. The modern name was proposed by the Frenchman Fliorier. This term came into wide use thanks to the Russian navigator Admiral Golovnin.
Description of the geographical position of the Bering Sea
Geomorphological features are defined by natural coastline boundaries to the east and west, a group of islands to the south, and a speculative frontier to the north. The northern border adjoins the waters of the strait of the same name, which connects with the Chukchi Sea. The demarcation runs from Cape Novosilsky in Chukotka to Cape York on the Seward Peninsula. From east to west, the sea stretches for 2,400 km, and from north to south - 1,600 km. The southern border is marked by the archipelagos of the Commander and Aleutian Islands. Pieces of land in the ocean outline a kind of giant arc. Beyond it is the Pacific Ocean. The northernmost edge of the world's largest body of water is the Bering Sea. The geometric pattern of the water area is characterized by the narrowing of the water space towards the Arctic Circle. The Bering Strait separates two continents: Eurasia and North America - and two oceans: the Pacific and the Arctic. The northwestern waters of the sea wash the shores of Chukotka and the Koryak Upland, the northeastern - the west of Alaska. The runoff of continental waters is negligible. From the side of Eurasia, Anadyr flows into the sea, and the legendary Yukon has its mouth on the shores of Alaska. The Kuskokuim River flows into the sea in the bay of the same name.
Coast and islands
Numerous bays, inlets and peninsulas form the indented coastline that characterizes the Bering Sea. The Olyutorsky, Karaginsky and Anadyrsky bays are the largest on the Siberian shores. The vast bays of Bristol, Norton and Cuscoquim are on the coast of Alaska. A few islands are different in origin: mainland islands are small areas of land within the boundaries of continental plateaus, islands of volcanic origin make up the inner, and folded type - the outer belt of the Commander-Aleutian arc. The ridge itself stretches for 2,260 km from Kamchatka to Alaska. The total area of the islands is 37,840 km2. The Commander Islands belong to Russia, all the rest of the USA: Pribylova, St. Laurentia, St. Matvey, Karaginsky, Nunivak and, of course, the Aleuts.
Climate
Significant fluctuations in average daily temperatures, more typical for continental areas of land, distinguish the Bering Sea. Geographic location is a determining factor in the formation of the region's climate. Most of the sea area is subarctic. The north side belongs to the arctic zone, and the south to temperate latitudes. The western side is getting colder. And due to the fact that the Siberian territories adjacent to the sea warm up less, this part of the water area is much colder than the eastern one. Over the central part of the sea in the warm season, the air warms up to +10 °C. In winter, despite the penetration of arctic air masses, it does not fall below -23 °C.
Hydrosphere
In the upper horizons, the water temperature decreases towards northern latitudes. The waters washing the Eurasian coast are colder than the North American zone. In the coldest season off the coast of Kamchatka, the sea temperature on the surface is +1…+3 °C. Off the coast of Alaska, it is one or two degrees higher. In summer, the upper layers warm up to +9 °C. The considerable depth of the straits of the Aleutian ridge (up to 4,500 m) contributes to active water exchange with the Pacific Ocean at all horizons. The influence of the waters of the Chukchi Sea is minimal due to the small depth of the Bering Strait (42 m).
In terms of the degree of wave formation, the first place among the seas of Russia is also occupied by the Bering Sea. Which ocean is the higher water area is reflected in the characteristics of the degree of roughness of the periphery. Significant depths and storm activity are derivatives of heavy seas. For most of the year, waves are observed with a height of water crests up to 2 m. In winter, there are a number of storms with a wave height of up to 8 m. Over the past hundred years of observations, ship logbooks have recorded cases of waves up to 21 m high.
ice conditions
The ice cover is local by type of origin: the massif forms and melts in the water area itself. The Bering Sea in the northern part is covered with ice at the end of September. First of all, the ice shell binds closed bays, gulfs and the coastal zone, and the area reaches its greatest distribution in April. Melting ends only in the middle of summer. Thus, the surface in the zone of high latitudes is covered with ice for more than nine months of the year. In the Gulf of St. Lawrence, off the coast of Chukotka, in some seasons the ice does not melt at all. The south side, on the other hand, does not freeze throughout the year. Warm masses from the ocean come through the Aleutian straits, which squeeze the ice edge closer to the north. The sea strait between the continents is clogged with pack ice for most of the year. Some ice fields reach a thickness of six meters. Off the coast of Kamchatka, drifting massifs are found even in August. Piloting of sea vessels on the Northern Sea Route requires the participation of icebreakers.
Animal and plant world
Gulls, guillemots, puffins and other feathered inhabitants of subpolar latitudes arrange their colonies on coastal rocks. On the gently sloping shores, you can find rookeries of walruses and sea lions. These real monsters of the Bering Sea reach a length of more than three meters. Sea otters are found in large numbers. Marine flora is represented by five dozen coastal plants. In the south, the vegetation is more diverse. Phytoalgae promote the development of zooplankton, which in turn attracts many marine mammals. Humpback whales, representatives of gray and toothy species of cetaceans - killer whales and sperm whales come here to feed. The Bering Sea is extremely rich in fish: the underwater fauna is represented by almost three hundred species. Sharks also live in northern waters. The polar fish keeps at great depths, and the dangerous predator - salmon - does not show aggression towards people. Without a doubt, the depths of the sea have not yet revealed all their secrets.
Between Asia and America
Small groups of animal traders began to explore the northeastern waters from the 40s of the 18th century. The islands of the Aleutian archipelago, like a huge natural bridge, allowed merchants to reach the shores of Alaska. The position of the Bering Sea, namely its non-freezing part, contributed to the establishment of a busy navigation between Petropavlovsk in Kamchatka and the newly built strongholds on the American mainland. True, Russian expansion in America did not last long, only about eighty years.
Territorial disputes
During the reign of M. S. Gorbachev, an agreement was concluded on concessions in favor of the United States of a significant part of the sea and the continental shelf with a total area of almost 78 thousand km 2. In June 1990, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the USSR, E. Shevardnadze, together with the State Secretary, D. Baker, signed an appropriate agreement. The domestic trawl fleet lost the opportunity to fish in the middle part of the sea. In addition, Russia has lost a significant segment of a promising oil-bearing province on the shelf. The bill was approved by the US Congress in the same year. In Russia, the agreement is subject to constant criticism and has not yet been ratified by parliament. The dividing line was named Shevardnadze-Baker.
Economic activity
The economy of the region consists of two components: fishing industry and maritime transport. Inexhaustible fish resources contribute to the vigorous activity of Russian fishing companies. Many processing plants have been built on the coast of Kamchatka. On an industrial scale, fishing for herring, salmon cod and flounder species is carried out. On a small scale, mainly in the interests of the indigenous population, hunting of marine animals and cetaceans is allowed. In recent years, scientific interest in this Far Eastern region has increased. This is mainly due to the search for hydrocarbon deposits on the shelf. Three small oil-bearing basins have been discovered off the coast of Chukotka.
Klondike at the bottom of the ocean
At the depths of the sea, complex studies have not yet been carried out, the purpose of which would be to search for minerals or collect geological data for further promising searches. Mineral deposits are unknown within the boundaries of the water area. And on the coastal areas, deposits of tin and semiprecious stones have been discovered. Hydrocarbon deposits have been discovered in the Anadyr Basin. But on the opposite coast, they have been plowing up the bottom for several years in search of the yellow metal. One hundred years ago, the impetus for the development of the region was gold found on the shores of the Yukon and the gold rush that followed. The Bering Sea at the beginning of the 21st century gives new hopes. Thirst for profit gives rise to ingenious technical devices. An ordinary excavator, a screen for sifting inert materials and an impromptu room resembling a construction trailer, which houses an electric generator, are installed on an old barge. Such technical "monsters" of the Bering Sea are becoming more and more widespread.
Original Discovery Channel Project
For the fifth season in a row, the popular science American TV channel Discovery has been following the fate of the seekers of easy money. As soon as the water area is freed from ice, prospectors from all over the world gather on the coast of Alaska, and the gold rush resumes in the northern latitudes. The Bering Sea off the coast has a shallow depth. This will allow you to use improvised means. A makeshift fleet defies the elements. The treacherous sea tests everyone for stamina and masculinity, and the seabed is reluctant to share its treasures. Only a few lucky ones were enriched by the gold rush. The ice of the Bering Sea allows some enthusiasts to continue working in the winter. For several episodes of the documentary, you can watch three teams of gold miners risking their lives for the treasured handful of yellow metal.
The Bering Sea is a sea that washes the shores of the United States and Russia, located in the north of the largest ocean in the world - the Pacific.
The Bering Strait connects the Bering Sea with the Arctic Ocean and the Chukchi Sea.
Historical events
For the first time, the Bering Sea was mapped only in the 18th century, when it was called the Beaver Sea or the Kamchatka Sea.
In 1725, the navigator and officer of the Russian fleet Viktor Bering, who had Danish roots, equipped his expedition to explore the then Beaver Sea. Bering passed the strait, which was named after him and explored the sea, but did not find the coast of North America.
Bering was convinced that the shores of North America were not too far from the shores of Kamchatka, which, if the theory was confirmed, would make it possible to trade with the American tribes. In 1741, he nevertheless reached the shores of North America, thereby overcoming the Kamchatka Sea.
Later, the sea changed its name in honor of the great navigator and geographer - it became known as the Bering Sea, also as a strait that separates the continents of Eurasia and North America. The sea received its current name only in 1818 - such an idea was proposed by French researchers who appreciated Bering's discoveries. However, on the maps of the thirties of the XIX century, it still bore the name Bobrovoe.
Characteristic
The total area of the Bering Sea reaches 2,315,000 square kilometers, and its volume is 3,800,000 cubic kilometers. The deepest point of the Bering Sea is at a depth of 4150 meters, and the average depth does not exceed 1600 meters. Seas like the Bering Sea are usually called marginal, because it is located on the very edge of the Pacific Ocean. It is this sea that separates two large continents: North America and Asia.
Quite an impressive coastline is mainly capes and small bays - the coast is simply indented by them. Only a couple of large rivers flow into the Bering Sea: the North American Yukon River, which is more than three thousand kilometers long, and the Russian Anadyr River, which is much shorter - only 1,150 km.
The climate is influenced by arctic air masses that collide with southern warm ones coming from tropical and temperate latitudes. As a result, a cold climate is formed - the weather is unstable, there are protracted (about a week) storms. Wave height reaches 7 - 12 meters.
Since the Bering Sea is located in the northern latitudes, from the beginning of September the temperature here drops to minus and the surface of the water is covered with a layer of ice. The ice in the Bering Sea only melts in July, which means that it is not covered with ice for only two months. The Bering Strait is not covered with ice because of the current. The salt level in the water fluctuates from 33 to 34.7%.
Bering Sea. sunset photo
In summer, the water surface temperature reaches approximately 7-10 degrees Celsius. However, in winter the temperature drops seriously and reaches -3 degrees Celsius. The intermediate layer of water is constantly cold - its temperature never rises above -1.7 degrees - this applies to the layer from 50 to 200 meters. And the water at a depth of 1000 meters reaches approximately -3 degrees.
Relief
The bottom relief is very heterogeneous, often transitioning into deep depressions. In the south is the deepest point of the sea at more than four thousand meters. There are also several underwater ridges at the bottom. The seabed is covered mainly with shells, sand, diatomaceous silt and gravel.
Cities
There are few cities on the coast of the Bering Sea, and there are certainly no large ones among them due to the very far location from civilization and severe weather throughout the year. However, attention should be paid to the following cities:
- Provideniya is a small port settlement, which was founded in the middle of the 17th century, as a bay for crafts - mainly whaling ships stood here. Only in the middle of the 20th century did the construction of the port begin here, which led to the construction of the town around it. The official founding date of Providence is 1946. Now the population of the town is only slightly more than 2 thousand people;
- Nome is an American town in the state of Alaska, where, according to the latest census, almost four thousand people live. Nome was founded as a settlement of gold miners in 1898 and already in the next year its population was about 10 thousand - everyone fell ill with the "gold rush". Already in the thirties of the XX century, the boom of the "gold rush" came to naught and a little more than a thousand inhabitants remained in the city;
Anadyr photo
- Anadyr is one of the largest cities on the coast, with a population of over 14,000 and growing steadily. The city is located in a zone of almost permafrost. There is a large port of the same name and a fish factory. In addition, gold and coal are mined in the vicinity of the city. The population also breeds deer, is engaged in fishing and, of course, hunting.
Animal world
Despite the fact that the Bering Sea is quite cold, this does not in the least prevent it from being home to many species of fish, the number of species of which reaches more than four hundred, all of which are widespread, with a few exceptions. These four hundred hundred species of fish include seven species of salmon, about nine species of gobies, five species of eelpouts, and four species of flounder.
Birds over the Bering Sea photo
Of the four hundred species, 50 of them are industrial fish. Also objects for industrial production are four types of crab, two types of cephalopods and four types of shrimp.
Among mammals, a large population of seals can be noted, including seals, bearded seals, common seals, Pacific walruses and lionfish. Walruses and seals form huge rookeries on the coast of Chukotka.
Coastal Sea. Walrus photo
In addition to pinnipeds, cetaceans are also found in the Bering Sea, among which are quite rare species such as narwhal, humpback whales, bowhead whales, southern or Japanese whales, incredibly rare northern blue whales and no less rare fin whales.
- The Gulf of Laurentia, in the Bering Sea, sometimes does not clear ice on its surface for years at all;
- The city of Nome on the coast of the Bering Sea hosts the most prestigious husky races, and a real story took place here, which formed the basis of the Balto cartoon, where a dog saved children from diphtheria.
Geographic Encyclopedia
Bering Sea- so called cap. Golovin in honor of the Russian captain commander V. Bering. B. the sea, limited to the south. about you Aleutian and Commander, to s. gradually narrows and ends with the Bering Strait. The extreme lines of the B. sea: lat. 52° and 66° 30′… … Military Encyclopedia
The BERING SEA, a semi-enclosed sea in the north of the Pacific Ocean, is separated from it by the Aleutian and Commander Islands. 2315 thousand km2. The greatest depth 5500 m, in the north less than 200 m. Large bays: Anadyr and Olyutorsky (off the coast of Russia), Norton, ... ... Russian history
A semi-enclosed sea in the north of the Pacific Ocean, separated from it by the Aleutian and Commander Islands. 2315 thousand km². The greatest depth is 5500 m, in the north it is less than 200 m. Large bays: Anadyr and Olyutorsky (off the coast of the Russian Federation), Norton, ... ... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary
Modern Encyclopedia
Bering Sea- Pacific Ocean, between Eurasia and North America, bounded from the south by the Aleutian and Commander Islands. It is connected to the Chukchi Sea by the Bering Strait. The area is 2315 thousand km2. Depth up to 5500 m. Large islands: St. Lawrence, Nunivak. ... ... Illustrated Encyclopedic Dictionary
- (named after the navigator V. Bering, the semi-enclosed sea of the Pacific Ocean between the continents of Asia in the west (USSR), North America in the east (USA) and the Commander (USSR) and Aleutian (USA) islands in the south. In the north it is closed by the Chukchi Peninsula and… … Great Soviet Encyclopedia
A semi-enclosed sea in the north of the Pacific Ocean, separated from it by the Aleutian and Commander Islands. 2315 thousand km2. The greatest depth is 5500 m, in the north it is less than 200 m. Large bays: Anadyr and Olyutorsky (off the coast of Russia), Norton, Bristol ... encyclopedic Dictionary
Bering Sea- The Pacific Ocean, between Asia (Russia: Chukotsky and Koryaksky Autonomous Regions, Kamchatka Region) and North. America (USA, Alaska). Named in honor of Captain Commander V.I. Bering (1681 1741), under whose command the participants of the First and Second Kamchatka expeditions in ... ... Toponymic Dictionary
Or the Kamchatka Sea is the northeastern part of the Pacific Ocean, bounded from the west by North America, and from the east by Asia and communicating with the Arctic Ocean through the Bering Strait. The narrowest part of this strait is the gap ... ... Encyclopedic Dictionary F.A. Brockhaus and I.A. Efron
Books
- Bering Sea. Encyclopedia. Zonn I.S., Kostyanoy A.G., Kumantsov M.I., Zonn Igor Sergeevich, Kostyanoy Andrey Gennadievich, Kumantsov Mikhail Ivanovich. The publication is dedicated to one of the Russian Far Eastern seas - the Bering Sea, which is part of the Pacific Ocean. The encyclopedia contains over 700 entries on hydrographic and geographic…
- Bering Sea. Encyclopedia, Zonn Igor Sergeevich, Kostyanoy Andrey Gennadievich, Kumantsov Mikhail Ivanovich. The publication is dedicated to one of the Russian Far Eastern seas - the Bering Sea, which enters the Pacific Ocean. The encyclopedia contains over 700 entries on hydrographic and geographic…
The former inland sea of the Russian Empire is now the easternmost possession of our state. The northeastern territories are still waiting for their conquerors. One of the treasures of the natural wealth of this part of the planet is the Bering Sea, the geographical position of which not only plays a significant role in the development of local regions, but also opens up great prospects for Russia's expanding economic activity in the Arctic latitudes.
Bering Sea. Description
The northern margin of the Pacific Basin is the largest of all the seas washing the shores of Russia. Its area is 2,315 thousand km2. For comparison: the surface of the Black Sea is five and a half times smaller. The Bering Sea is the deepest coastal sea and one of the deepest in the world. The lowest mark is at a depth of 4,151 m, and the average depth is 1,640 m. Deep-water areas are located on the southern side of the water area and are called the Aleutian and Commander basins. Surprisingly, with such indicators, about half of the seabed is only half a kilometer away from the sea surface. Relative shallow water allows us to attribute the sea to the continental-oceanic type. The Northern Far Eastern reservoir holds 3.8 million km 3 of water. Most scientists explain the origin of the Bering Sea by cutting off from the rest of the ocean by the Commander-Aleutian ridge, which arose as a result of global tectonic processes in the distant past.
History of discovery and development
The modern hydronym comes from the name of the first European explorer Vitus Bering. A Dane in Russian service organized two expeditions in 1723-1943. The purpose of his travels was to find the border between Eurasia and America. Although the strait between the continents was discovered by topographers Fedorov, Gvozdev and Mashkov, it was later named after a hired navigator. During Bering's second expedition, the territories of the northern part of the Pacific Ocean were explored and Alaska was discovered. On old Russian maps, the northern water area is called the Bobrov, or the Kamchatka Sea. The coast has been explored by Russian explorers since the beginning of the 18th century. So, Timofey Perevalov in the 30s compiled a map of some territories of Kamchatka and Chukotka. Thirty years later, D. Cook visited these places. The tsarist government sent expeditions here under the leadership of Sarychev, Bellingshausen and Kotzebue. The modern name was proposed by the Frenchman Fliorier. This term came into wide use thanks to the Russian navigator Admiral Golovnin.
Description of the geographical position of the Bering Sea
Geomorphological features are defined by natural coastline boundaries to the east and west, a group of islands to the south, and a speculative frontier to the north. The northern border adjoins the waters of the strait of the same name, which connects with the Chukchi Sea. The demarcation runs from Cape Novosilsky in Chukotka to Cape York on the Seward Peninsula. From east to west, the sea stretches for 2,400 km, and from north to south - 1,600 km. The southern border is marked by the archipelagos of the Commander and Aleutian Islands. Pieces of land in the ocean outline a kind of giant arc. Beyond it is the Pacific Ocean. The northernmost edge of the world's largest body of water is the Bering Sea. The geometric pattern of the water area is characterized by the narrowing of the water space towards the Arctic Circle. The Bering Strait separates two continents: Eurasia and North America - and two oceans: the Pacific and the Arctic. The northwestern waters of the sea wash the shores of Chukotka and the Koryak Upland, the northeastern - the west of Alaska. The runoff of continental waters is negligible. From the side of Eurasia, Anadyr flows into the sea, and the legendary Yukon has its mouth on the shores of Alaska. The Kuskokuim River flows into the sea in the bay of the same name.
Coast and islands
Numerous bays, inlets and peninsulas form the indented coastline that characterizes the Bering Sea. The Olyutorsky, Karaginsky and Anadyrsky bays are the largest on the Siberian shores. The vast bays of Bristol, Norton and Cuscoquim are on the coast of Alaska. A few islands are different in origin: mainland islands are small areas of land within the boundaries of continental plateaus, islands of volcanic origin make up the inner, and folded type - the outer belt of the Commander-Aleutian arc. The ridge itself stretches for 2,260 km from Kamchatka to Alaska. The total area of the islands is 37,840 km2. The Commander Islands belong to Russia, all the rest of the USA: Pribylova, St. Laurentia, St. Matvey, Karaginsky, Nunivak and, of course, the Aleuts.
Climate
Significant fluctuations in average daily temperatures, more typical for continental areas of land, distinguish the Bering Sea. Geographic location is a determining factor in the formation of the region's climate. Most of the sea area is subarctic. The north side belongs to the arctic zone, and the south to temperate latitudes. The western side is getting colder. And due to the fact that the Siberian territories adjacent to the sea warm up less, this part of the water area is much colder than the eastern one. Over the central part of the sea in the warm season, the air warms up to +10 °C. In winter, despite the penetration of arctic air masses, it does not fall below -23 °C.
Hydrosphere
In the upper horizons, the water temperature decreases towards northern latitudes. The waters washing the Eurasian coast are colder than the North American zone. In the coldest season off the coast of Kamchatka, the sea temperature on the surface is +1…+3 °C. Off the coast of Alaska, it is one or two degrees higher. In summer, the upper layers warm up to +9 °C. The considerable depth of the straits of the Aleutian ridge (up to 4,500 m) contributes to active water exchange with the Pacific Ocean at all horizons. The influence of the waters of the Chukchi Sea is minimal due to the small depth of the Bering Strait (42 m).
In terms of the degree of wave formation, the first place among the seas of Russia is also occupied by the Bering Sea. Which ocean is the higher water area is reflected in the characteristics of the degree of roughness of the periphery. Significant depths and storm activity are derivatives of heavy seas. For most of the year, waves are observed with a height of water crests up to 2 m. In winter, there are a number of storms with a wave height of up to 8 m. Over the past hundred years of observations, ship logbooks have recorded cases of waves up to 21 m high.
ice conditions
The ice cover is local by type of origin: the massif forms and melts in the water area itself. The Bering Sea in the northern part is covered with ice at the end of September. First of all, the ice shell binds closed bays, gulfs and the coastal zone, and the area reaches its greatest distribution in April. Melting ends only in the middle of summer. Thus, the surface in the zone of high latitudes is covered with ice for more than nine months of the year. In the Gulf of St. Lawrence, off the coast of Chukotka, in some seasons the ice does not melt at all. The south side, on the other hand, does not freeze throughout the year. Warm masses from the ocean come through the Aleutian straits, which squeeze the ice edge closer to the north. The sea strait between the continents is clogged with pack ice for most of the year. Some ice fields reach a thickness of six meters. Off the coast of Kamchatka, drifting massifs are found even in August. Piloting of sea vessels on the Northern Sea Route requires the participation of icebreakers.
Animal and plant world
Gulls, guillemots, puffins and other feathered inhabitants of subpolar latitudes arrange their colonies on coastal rocks. On the gently sloping shores, you can find rookeries of walruses and sea lions. These real monsters of the Bering Sea reach a length of more than three meters. Sea otters are found in large numbers. Marine flora is represented by five dozen coastal plants. In the south, the vegetation is more diverse. Phytoalgae promote the development of zooplankton, which in turn attracts many marine mammals. Humpback whales, representatives of gray and toothy species of cetaceans - killer whales and sperm whales come here to feed. The Bering Sea is extremely rich in fish: the underwater fauna is represented by almost three hundred species. Sharks also live in northern waters. The polar fish keeps at great depths, and the dangerous predator - salmon - does not show aggression towards people. Without a doubt, the depths of the sea have not yet revealed all their secrets.
Between Asia and America
Small groups of animal traders began to explore the northeastern waters from the 40s of the 18th century. The islands of the Aleutian archipelago, like a huge natural bridge, allowed merchants to reach the shores of Alaska. The position of the Bering Sea, namely its non-freezing part, contributed to the establishment of a busy navigation between Petropavlovsk in Kamchatka and the newly built strongholds on the American mainland. True, Russian expansion in America did not last long, only about eighty years.
Territorial disputes
During the reign of M. S. Gorbachev, an agreement was concluded on concessions in favor of the United States of a significant part of the sea and the continental shelf with a total area of almost 78 thousand km 2. In June 1990, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the USSR, E. Shevardnadze, together with the State Secretary, D. Baker, signed an appropriate agreement. The domestic trawl fleet lost the opportunity to fish in the middle part of the sea. In addition, Russia has lost a significant segment of a promising oil-bearing province on the shelf. The bill was approved by the US Congress in the same year. In Russia, the agreement is subject to constant criticism and has not yet been ratified by parliament. The dividing line was named Shevardnadze-Baker.
Economic activity
The economy of the region consists of two components: fishing industry and maritime transport. Inexhaustible fish resources contribute to the vigorous activity of Russian fishing companies. Many processing plants have been built on the coast of Kamchatka. On an industrial scale, fishing for herring, salmon cod and flounder species is carried out. On a small scale, mainly in the interests of the indigenous population, hunting of marine animals and cetaceans is allowed. In recent years, scientific interest in this Far Eastern region has increased. This is mainly due to the search for hydrocarbon deposits on the shelf. Three small oil-bearing basins have been discovered off the coast of Chukotka.
Klondike at the bottom of the ocean
At the depths of the sea, complex studies have not yet been carried out, the purpose of which would be to search for minerals or collect geological data for further promising searches. Mineral deposits are unknown within the boundaries of the water area. And on the coastal areas, deposits of tin and semiprecious stones have been discovered. Hydrocarbon deposits have been discovered in the Anadyr Basin. But on the opposite coast, they have been plowing up the bottom for several years in search of the yellow metal. One hundred years ago, the impetus for the development of the region was gold found on the shores of the Yukon and the gold rush that followed. The Bering Sea at the beginning of the 21st century gives new hopes. Thirst for profit gives rise to ingenious technical devices. An ordinary excavator, a screen for sifting inert materials and an impromptu room resembling a construction trailer, which houses an electric generator, are installed on an old barge. Such technical "monsters" of the Bering Sea are becoming more and more widespread.
Original Discovery Channel Project
For the fifth season in a row, the popular science American TV channel Discovery has been following the fate of the seekers of easy money. As soon as the water area is freed from ice, prospectors from all over the world gather on the coast of Alaska, and the gold rush resumes in the northern latitudes. The Bering Sea off the coast has a shallow depth. This will allow you to use improvised means. A makeshift fleet defies the elements. The treacherous sea tests everyone for stamina and masculinity, and the seabed is reluctant to share its treasures. Only a few lucky ones were enriched by the gold rush. The ice of the Bering Sea allows some enthusiasts to continue working in the winter. For several episodes of the documentary, you can watch three teams of gold miners risking their lives for the treasured handful of yellow metal.
Bering Sea - a sea in the north of the Pacific Ocean, separated from it by the Aleutian and Commander Islands; The Bering Strait connects it with the Chukchi Sea and the Arctic Ocean. The Bering Sea washes the shores of Russia and the United States. The sea coast is indented with bays and capes. Large bays on the Russian coast: Anadyrsky, Karaginsky, Olyutorsky; on the American coast: Norton, Bristol, Korfa Bay (Russia), Cross Bay (Russia), Kuskokwim Bay. The islands are mostly located on the border of the sea. Islands: Pribilof Islands (USA), Aleutian Islands, Commander Islands (Russia), including Bering Island, St. Lawrence Island (USA), Diomede Islands, King Island (Alaska, USA), St. Matthew Island, Karaginsky Island, Nunivak (USA) . The large Yukon and Anadyr rivers flow into the sea.
Every year from the end of September, ice forms, which melts in July. The surface of the sea (except for the Bering Strait) is annually covered with ice for about ten months (about five months half of the sea, about seven months, from November to May, - the northern third of the sea). The Gulf of Laurentia in some years is not cleared of ice at all. In the western part of the Bering Strait, ice brought by the current can occur even in August.
