Bering Sea communication. Bering Sea: geographical location, description. Rich fauna

Every year, from the end of September, ice forms and melts in July. The surface of the sea (except for the Bering Strait) is covered with ice for about ten months annually (about five months, half of the sea, about seven months, from November to May, the northern third of the sea). The Gulf of Lawrence is not clear of ice at all in some years. In the western part of the Bering Strait, ice brought by currents can occur even in August.

Posted Sun, 09/11/2014 - 07:55 by Cap

The Bering Sea is the northernmost of our Far Eastern seas. It is, as it were, wedged between two huge continents of Asia and America and separated from the Pacific Ocean by the islands of the Commander-Aleutian arc.
It has predominantly natural boundaries, but in some places its limits are delineated by conventional lines. The northern border of the sea coincides with the southern and runs along the line of Cape Novosilsky () - Cape York (Seward Peninsula), the eastern - along the coast of the American continent, the southern - from Cape Khabuch (Alaska) through the Aleutian Islands to Cape Kamchatsky, while western - along the coast of the Asian continent. Within these boundaries, the Bering Sea occupies the space between parallels 66°30 and 51°22′ N. w. and meridians 162°20′ E. Longitude and 157°W d. Its general pattern is characterized by a narrowing contour from south to north.

The Bering Sea is the largest and deepest among the seas of the USSR and one of the largest and deepest on Earth.
Its area is 2315 thousand km2, volume 3796 thousand km3, average depth 1640 m, maximum depth 4151 m. With such large average and maximum depths, the area with depths less than 500 m occupies about half of all spaces of the Bering Sea, therefore it belongs to the marginal seas mixed continental-oceanic type.

There are few islands in the vast expanses of the Bering Sea. Not counting its boundary Aleutian island arc and the Commander Islands, in the sea itself there are large Karaginsky islands in the west and several big islands(St. Lawrence, St. Matthew, Nelson, Nunivak, St. Paul, St. George) in the east.

The sea is named after the navigator Vitus Bering, under whose leadership it was explored in 1725-1743.
On Russian maps of the 18th century, the sea is called the Kamchatka, or Beaver Sea. The name Bering Sea was first proposed by the French geographer Sh.
On June 1, 1990, in Washington, Eduard Shevardnadze, then Minister of Foreign Affairs of the USSR, together with US Secretary of State James Baker, signed an agreement on the transfer of the Bering Sea waters to the United States along the Shevardnadze-Baker dividing line.

Physiographic location
Area 2.315 million sq. km. Average depth- 1600 meters, maximum - 4,151 meters. The length of the sea from north to south is 1,600 km, from east to west – 2,400 km. Water volume - 3,795 thousand cubic meters. km.
The Bering Sea is marginal. It is located in the North Pacific Ocean and separates the Asian and North American continents. In the northwest it is limited by the coasts of Northern Kamchatka, the Koryak Highlands and Chukotka; in the northeast - the coast of Western Alaska.

The southern border of the sea is drawn along the chain of the Commander and Aleutian Islands, forming a giant arc curved to the south and separating it from the open waters of the Pacific Ocean. in the north it connects with the Arctic Ocean and numerous straits in the Komandor-Aleutian ridge chain in the south with the Pacific Ocean.
The seashore is indented with bays and capes. Large bays on the Russian coast: Anadyrsky, Karaginsky, Olyutorsky, Korfa, Cresta; on the American coast: Norton, Bristol, Kuskokwim.

The islands are mainly located on the edge of the sea:
US territory (Alaska):
Pribilof Islands, Aleutian Islands, Diomede Islands (eastern - Krusenstern Island), St. Lawrence Island, Nunivak, King Island, St. Matthews Island.
territory of Russia.

Kamchatka Territory: Commander Islands, Karaginsky Island.
The large rivers Yukon and Anadyr flow into the sea.

The air temperature over the water area is up to +7, +10 °C in summer and −1, −23 °C in winter. Salinity 33-34.7‰.
Every year, from the end of September, ice forms and melts in July. The surface of the sea (except for the Bering Strait) is covered with ice for about ten months annually (about five months, half of the sea, about seven months, from November to May, the northern third of the sea). The Gulf of Lawrence is not clear of ice at all in some years. In the western part of the Bering Strait, ice brought by currents can occur even in August.

whale hunting Bering Sea

Bottom relief
The topography of the seabed varies greatly in the northeastern part, shallow (see Beringia), located on a shelf more than 700 km long, and the southwestern, deep-water, with depths of up to 4 km. Conventionally, these zones are divided along an isobath of 200 meters. The transition from the shelf to the ocean floor occurs along a steep continental slope. The maximum sea depth (4151 meters) was recorded at a point with coordinates - 54° N. w. 171° W d. (G) (O) in the south of the sea.
The seabed is covered with terrigenous sediments - sand, gravel, shell rock in the shelf zone and gray or green diatomaceous silt in deep-sea areas.

Temperature and salinity
The surface water mass (up to a depth of 25-50 meters) throughout the sea has a temperature of 7-10 °C in summer; In winter, temperatures drop to −1.7-3 °C. The salinity of this layer is 22-32 ppm.

The intermediate water mass (layer from 50 to 150-200 m) is colder: the temperature, which varies little by season, is approximately −1.7 °C, salinity is 33.7-34.0‰.
Below, at depths of up to 1000 m, there is a warmer water mass with temperatures of 2.5-4.0 °C and salinity of 33.7-34.3 ‰.
The deep water mass occupies all bottom areas of the sea with depths of more than 1000 m and has a temperature of 1.5-3.0 °C and a salinity of 34.3-34.8 ‰.

Ichthyofauna
The Bering Sea is home to 402 species of fish from 65 families, including 9 species of gobies, 7 species of salmon, 5 species of eelpout, 4 species of flounder and others. Of these, 50 species and 14 families are commercial fish. Fishing objects also include 4 types of crabs, 4 types of shrimp, 2 types of cephalopods.
The main marine mammals of the Bering Sea are animals from the order Pinnipeds: ringed seal (akiba), common seal (larga), bearded seal (bearded seal), lionfish and Pacific walrus. Among the cetaceans - narwhal, gray whale, bowhead whale, humpback whale, fin whale, Japanese (southern) whale, sei whale, northern blue whale. Walruses and seals form rookeries along the coast of Chukotka.

Ports:
Provideniya, Anadyr (Russia), Nome (USA).

There is no permanent population on the island, but a base of Russian border guards is located here.
The highest point is Mount Roof, 505 meters.

It is located slightly south of the geographical center of the island.

KRUZENSHTERN ISLAND
Krusenstern Island (English: Little Diomede, translated as “Small Diomede”, Eskimo name Ingalik, or Ignaluk (Inuit Ignaluk) - “opposite”) - east island(7.3 km²) of the Diomede Islands. It belongs to the USA. State - Alaska.

village on Krusenstern Island, USA, Alaska

Located 3.76 km from the island, it belongs to Russia. The state maritime border of Russia and the United States runs through the center of the strait between the islands. From Ratmanov Island to 35.68 km. Bering Sea

The lowest point (316 m below sea level) is the bottom of Kuril Lake.

Climate
The climate is generally humid and cool. Abnormally colder and windier on the low-lying coasts (especially on the western) than in the center, in the Kamchatka River valley, fenced off mountain ranges from the prevailing winds.

Winter - the first snow usually falls in early November, and the last melts only in August. Mountain peaks are covered with new snow already in August-September. Throughout the coastal area, winter is warm, mild, with a lot of snow; in the continental part and in the mountains it is cold, frosty with long, dark nights and very short days.

Calendar spring (March-April) is best time for skiing: the snow is dense, the weather is sunny, the day is long.

The actual spring (May, June) is short and quick. Vegetation quickly takes over the areas freed from snow and covers all available space.

Summer, in the generally accepted concept, in Kamchatka occurs only in the continental part of the peninsula. From June to August the weather is mostly cold, damp, cloudy with rain, fog and low dense clouds.

Autumn (September, October) is usually partly cloudy, dry, and warm. Sometimes warmer than summer.

Large islands:

Bering
Copper
Small islands and rocks:

around Bering Island:
Toporkov
Arius Stone
Aleut stone
Stone Nadvodny (Emelyanovsky)
Half Stone (Half)
Stone Steller
around Medny Island:
Beaver stones
Waxmuth Stone
Kekur Ship Pillar
Steller's Stone
Steller's Stone East

as well as a number of unnamed rocks.

(Chuk. Chukotkaken autonomous district) - subject Russian Federation in the Far East.
It borders on the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), the Magadan region and Kamchatka region. In the east it has a maritime border with the United States.
The entire territory of Chukotka Autonomous Okrug belongs to the regions of the Far North.
The administrative center is the city of Anadyr.

It was formed by the resolution of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee of December 10, 1930 “On the organization of national associations in areas of settlement of small nationalities of the North” as part of the Far Eastern Territory. Included the following areas: Anadyrsky (center Novo-Mariinsk, also known as Anadyr), Eastern tundra (center Ostrovnoye), Western tundra (center Nizhne-Kolymsk), Markovsky (center Markovo), Chaunsky (center in the Chaunskaya Bay area) and Chukotsky (center in the Chukotka cultural base - the Bay of St. Lawrence), transferred a) from the Far Eastern region of the Anadyr and Chukotka regions in full; b) from the Yakut Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic the territory of the Eastern tundra with the border along the right bank of the Alazeya River and the Western tundra, areas of the middle and lower reaches of the Omolon River.

When the region was zoned in October-November 1932, it was left “within its previous borders as an independent national district, directly subordinate to the region.”
On July 22, 1934, the All-Russian Central Executive Committee decided to include the Chukotka and Koryak national districts into the Kamchatka region. However, such subordination was of a rather formal nature, since from 1939-1940 the territory of the district was under the jurisdiction of Dalstroy, which exercised full administrative and economic management in the territories subordinate to it.

On May 28, 1951, by decision of the Presidium of the USSR Armed Forces, the district was allocated to direct subordination to the Khabarovsk Territory.
Since December 3, 1953 it was part of the Magadan region.
In 1980, after the adoption of the RSFSR Law “On Autonomous Okrugs of the RSFSR”, in accordance with the 1977 Constitution of the USSR, the Chukotka National Okrug became autonomous.

July 16, 1992 Chukotka autonomous region left the Magadan region and received the status of a subject of the Russian Federation.
Currently, it is the only autonomous district of the four that is not part of another subject of the Russian Federation.

village Egvekinot Bering Sea

Border Mode
The Chukotka Autonomous Okrug is a territory subject to a border regime.
Entry of citizens of the Russian Federation and for foreign citizens to the part of the territory of the district adjacent to sea ​​coast and the islands are regulated, that is, permission from the authorities is required border service Russian Federation or documents allowing stay in the border zone.
Specific sections of the border zone on the territory of the district are determined by Order of the FSB of the Russian Federation dated April 14, 2006 N 155 “On the limits of the border zone on the territory of the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug.” In addition, the entry of foreign citizens into the entire territory of the district is regulated in accordance with Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation of July 4, 1992 N 470 “On approval of the List of territories of the Russian Federation with regulated visits for foreign citizens,” that is, for them to visit the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug it is necessary FSB permission.

WHERE IS
Chukotka Autonomous Okrug is located in the extreme northeast of Russia. It occupies the entire Chukotka Peninsula, part of the mainland and a number of islands (Wrangel, Ayon, Ratmanova, etc.).
It is washed by the East Siberian and Chukchi seas of the Arctic Ocean and the Bering Sea of ​​the Pacific Ocean.

On the territory of the district there are extreme points Russia: eastern point - , eastern continental point - Cape Dezhnev. Here are located: the most northern city Russia - Pevek and the easternmost - Anadyr, as well as the easternmost permanent settlement - Uelen.

BERINGIA - A LEGENDARY PALEO-COUNTRY
Beringia is a biogeographic region and paleogeographic country that links together northeast Asia and northwestern Asia. North America(Beringian sector of the Holarctic). Currently spreading to the areas surrounding the Bering Strait, Chukchi and Bering Seas. Includes parts of Chukotka and Kamchatka in Russia, as well as Alaska in the USA. In a historical context, it also included the Bering land or Beringian Isthmus, which repeatedly connected Eurasia and North America into a single supercontinent.
A study of ancient sediments on the seafloor and on both sides of the Bering Strait has shown that Beringia has risen and sank again at least six times over the past 3 million years. Every time two continents connected, there was a migration of animals from the Old World to the New and back.

Bering Strait

Strictly speaking, this piece of land was not an isthmus in the traditional sense of the term, since it was a vast area of ​​the continental shelf with a width of up to 2000 km from north to south, protruding above the sea surface or hiding under it due to cyclical changes in the level of the World Ocean. The term Beringia for the isthmus was proposed in 1937 by Swedish botanist and geographer Erik Hulten.
The last time the continents separated was 10-11 thousand years ago, but before that the isthmus existed for 15-18 thousand years.
Modern research shows that during this period the route from Asia to America did not remain open all the time. Two thousand years after the emergence of the last Beringia in Alaska, two giant glaciers merged, erecting an insurmountable barrier.
It is assumed that those primitive people who managed to move from Asia to America became the ancestors of some of the current peoples living on the American continent, in particular the Tlingit and Fuegians.

Shortly before the collapse of Beringia, global climate changes made it possible for the ancestors of today's Indians to penetrate the isthmus.
Then, on the site of the isthmus, the modern Bering Strait was formed, and the inhabitants of America were isolated for a long time. However, the settlement of America occurred later, but by sea or by ice (Eskimos, Aleuts).

Cape Navarin, Bering Sea

DETAILED GEOGRAPHY OF THE BERING SEA
Main physical and geographical features.
The coastline of the Bering Sea is complex and highly indented. It forms many bays, bays, coves, peninsulas, capes and straits. The straits connecting it with the Pacific Ocean are especially important for the nature of this sea. Their total cross-sectional area is approximately 730 km2, and the depths in some of them reach 1000-2000 m, and in Kamchatka - 4000-4500 m, which determines the water exchange through them not only in the surface, but also in the deep horizons and determines the significant influence Pacific Ocean to this sea. The cross-sectional area of ​​the Bering Strait is 3.4 km2, and the depth is only 42 m, so the waters of the Chukchi Sea have virtually no impact on the Bering Sea.

The coast of the Bering Sea, which is different in external shape and structure in different areas, belongs to different geomorphological types of coasts. From Fig. 34 it can be seen that they mainly belong to the type of abrasive shores, but accumulative ones are also found. The sea is surrounded mainly by high and steep shores; only in the middle part of the western and eastern coasts do wide strips of flat, low-lying tundra approach the sea. Narrower strips of low-lying coastline are located near the mouths of small rivers in the form of a deltaic alluvial plain or border the tops of bays and bays.

In the bottom topography of the Bering Sea, the main morphological zones are clearly distinguished: the shelf and island shoals, the continental slope and the deep-sea basin. The relief of each of them has its own character traits. The shelf zone with depths of up to 200 m is mainly located in the northern and eastern parts of the sea, occupying more than 40% of its area. Here it adjoins the geologically ancient regions of Chukotka and Alaska. The bottom in this area of ​​the sea is a vast, very flat underwater plain about 600-1000 km wide, within which there are several islands, hollows and small rises in the bottom. The mainland shelf off the coast of Kamchatka and the islands of the Komandorsko-Aleutian ridge looks different. Here it is narrow and its relief is very complex. It borders the shores of geologically young and very mobile land areas, within which intense and frequent manifestations of volcanism and seismicity are common. The continental slope stretches from northwest to southeast approximately along the line from Cape Navarin to the island. Unimak. Together with the island slope zone, it occupies approximately 13% of the sea area, has depths from 200 to 3000 m and is characterized by a large distance from the coast and complex bottom topography. The angles of inclination are large and often vary from 1-3 to several tens of degrees. The continental slope zone is dissected by underwater valleys, many of which are typical underwater canyons, deeply cut into the seabed and having steep and even steep slopes. Some canyons, especially near the Pribilof Islands, have a complex structure.

The deep-water zone (3000-4000 m) is located in the southwestern and central parts of the sea and is bordered by a relatively narrow strip of coastal shallows. Its area exceeds 40% of the sea area: The bottom topography is very calm. It is characterized by an almost complete absence of isolated depressions. Several existing depressions differ very little from the depth of the bed; their slopes are very gentle, i.e., the isolation of these bottom depressions is weakly expressed. At the bottom of the bed there are no ridges blocking the sea from shore to shore. Although the Shirshov Ridge approaches this type, it has a relatively small depth on the ridge (mostly 500-600 m with a saddle of 2500 m) and does not come close to the base of the island arc: it is limited in front of the narrow but deep (about 3500 m) Ratmanov Trench. The greatest depths of the Bering Sea (more than 4000 m) are located in the Kamchatka Strait and near the Aleutian Islands, but they occupy a small area. Thus, the bottom topography makes it possible for water exchange between individual parts of the sea: without any restrictions within the depths of 2000-2500 m, with some limitation determined by the cross-section of the Ratmanov Trench, up to depths of 3500 m and with an even greater limitation at greater depths. However, the weak isolation of the depressions does not allow the formation of waters in them that differ significantly in their properties from the main mass.

Geographical location and large spaces determine the main features of the climate of the Bering Sea. It is almost entirely located in the subarctic climate zone, and only its extreme northern part (north of 64° N) belongs to the Arctic zone, and the southernmost part (south of 55° N) belongs to the temperate latitude zone. In accordance with this, there are certain climatic differences between different areas of the sea. North of 55-56° N. w. in the climate of the sea, especially its coastal areas, continental features are noticeably expressed, but in areas far from the coast they are much less pronounced. To the south of these parallels (55-56° N) the climate is mild, typically maritime. It is characterized by small daily and annual air temperature amplitudes, large clouds and significant amounts of precipitation. As you approach the coast, the influence of the ocean on the climate decreases. Due to stronger cooling and less significant heating of the part of the Asian continent adjacent to the sea than the American one, the western areas of the sea are colder than the eastern ones. Throughout the year, the Bering Sea is under the influence of constant centers of atmospheric action - the Polar and Honolulu maxima, the position and intensity of which are variable from season to season and the degree of their influence on the sea changes accordingly. In addition, it is influenced by seasonal large-scale pressure formations: the Aleutian minimum, the Siberian maximum, the Asian and Low American depressions. Their complex interaction determines certain seasonal characteristics of atmospheric processes.

In the cold season, especially in winter, the sea is influenced mainly by the Aleutian minimum, as well as the Polar maximum and the Yakut spur of the Siberian anticyclone. The influence of the Honolulu High, which occupies the extreme southeastern position at this time of year, is sometimes felt. This synoptic situation leads to a wide variety of winds over the sea. At this time, winds of almost all directions are observed here with greater or lesser frequency. However, northwest, north and northeast winds predominate. Their total repeatability is 50-70%. Only in the eastern part of the sea south of 50° N. w. Quite often (30-50% of cases) southern and southwestern winds are observed, and in some places even southeastern. Wind speed in the coastal zone averages 6-8 m/s, and in open areas it varies from 6 to 12 m/s, and increases from north to south.

Winds from the northern, western and eastern directions carry with them cold sea arctic air from the Arctic Ocean, and cold and dry continental polar and continental arctic air from the Asian and American continents. With winds from the south, cloudy polar and, at times, tropical sea air comes here. Over the sea, masses of continental Arctic and marine polar air predominantly interact, at the junction of which an Arctic front is formed. It is located slightly north of the Aleutian arc and generally stretches from southwest to northeast. At the frontal section of these air masses, cyclones are formed, moving approximately from southwest to northeast. The movement of these cyclones increases northern winds in the west and their weakening or even change to the southern and eastern seas.

Large pressure gradients caused by the Yakut spur of the Siberian anticyclone and the Aleutian low cause very strong winds in the western part of the sea. During storms, wind speeds often reach 30-40 m/s. Usually storms last about a day, but sometimes they last 7-9 days with some weakening. The number of days with storms in the cold season is 5-10, in some places up to 15-20 per month.
Air temperature in winter decreases from south to north. Its average monthly values ​​for the coldest months (January and February) are equal to +1 −4° in the southwestern and southern parts of the sea and −15–20° in its northern and northeastern regions, and in the open sea the air temperature is higher than in the coastal zone, where it (off the coast of Alaska) can reach −40–48°. In open spaces, temperatures below −24° are not observed.

In the warm season, a restructuring of pressure systems occurs. Starting in spring, the intensity of the Aleutian minimum decreases; in summer it is very weakly expressed. The Yakut spur of the Siberian anticyclone disappears, the Polar Maximum shifts to the north, and the Honolulu Maximum takes its extreme northwestern position. As a result of the current synoptic situation in warm seasons, southwestern, southern and southeastern winds predominate, the frequency of which is 30-60%. Their speed in the western part open sea- 4-5 m/s, and in its eastern regions - 4-7 m/s. In the coastal zone, wind speed is lower. The decrease in wind speed compared to winter values ​​is explained by a decrease in atmospheric pressure gradients over the sea. In summer, the Arctic front is located slightly south of the Aleutian Islands. Cyclones originate here, the passage of which is associated with a significant increase in winds. IN summer time The frequency of storms and wind speeds is less than in winter. Only in the southern part of the sea, where tropical cyclones (locally called typhoons) penetrate, do they cause severe storms with hurricane-force winds. Typhoons in the Bering Sea are most likely from June to October, usually occurring no more than once a month and lasting several days.

The air temperature in summer generally decreases from south to north and is slightly higher in the eastern part of the sea than in the western. Average monthly air temperatures in the warmest months (July and August) within the sea vary from approximately 4 to 13°, and they are higher near the coast than in the open sea. Relatively mild winters in the south and cold winters in the north and cool, cloudy summers everywhere are the main seasonal weather features in the Bering Sea.
Given the enormous volume of water in the Bering Sea, the continental flow into it is small and equal to approximately 400 km3 per year. The vast majority of river water flows into its northernmost part, where the largest rivers flow: Yukon (176 km3), Kuskokwim (50 km3) and Anadyr (41 km3). About 85% of the total annual flow comes from summer months. Influence river waters on the sea, it is felt mainly in the coastal zone on the northern edge of the sea in the summer.

Geographical location, vast spaces, relatively good communication with the Pacific Ocean through the straits of the Aleutian ridge in the south and extremely limited communication with the Arctic Ocean through the Bering Strait in the north are the determining factors in the formation of the hydrological conditions of the Bering Sea. The components of its heat budget depend mainly on climatic indicators and, to a much lesser extent, on the inflow and outflow of heat by currents. In this regard, different climatic conditions in the northern and southern parts of the sea entail differences in the thermal balance of each of them, which accordingly affects the water temperature in the sea.
For its water balance, water exchange through the Aleutian Straits is crucial, through which very large quantities surface and deep Pacific waters and waters flowing out of the Bering Sea. Precipitation (about 0.1% of the sea volume) and river runoff (about 0.02%) are small in relation to the huge area of ​​the sea, so they are significantly less significant in the inflow and outflow of moisture than water exchange through the Aleutian Straits.
However, water exchange through these straits has not yet been sufficiently studied. It is known that large masses of surface water exit the sea into the ocean through the Kamchatka Strait. The overwhelming amount of deep ocean water enters the sea in three areas: through the eastern half of the Near Strait, through almost all the straits of the Fox Islands, through the Amchitka, Tanaga and others straits between the Rat and Andreyanovsky Islands. It is possible that deeper waters penetrate into the sea through the Kamchatka Strait, if not constantly, then periodically or sporadically. Water exchange between the sea and the ocean affects the distribution of temperature, salinity, formation of the structure and general circulation of the waters of the Bering Sea.

Cape Lesovsky

Hydrological characteristics.
The surface water temperature generally decreases from south to north, with water in the western part of the sea being somewhat colder than in the eastern part. In winter, in the south of the western part of the sea the surface water temperature is usually 1-3°, and in the eastern part it is 2-3°. In the north throughout the sea, water temperatures range from 0° to −1.5°. In spring, the waters begin to warm up and the ice begins to melt, but the increase in water temperature is relatively small. In summer, the surface water temperature is 9-11° in the south of the western part and 8-10° in the south of the eastern part. In the northern regions of the sea it is 4-8° in the west and 4-6° in the east. In coastal shallow areas, the surface water temperature is slightly higher than the given values ​​typical for open areas of the Bering Sea (Fig. 35).

The vertical distribution of water temperature in the open part of the sea is characterized by its seasonal changes up to horizons of 250-300 m, deeper than which they are practically absent. In winter, the surface temperature, equal to approximately 2°, extends to horizons of 140–150 m, from which it rises to approximately 3.5° at horizons of 200–250 m, then its value remains almost unchanged with depth. Spring warming increases the surface water temperature to approximately 3.8°. This value is maintained up to horizons of 40-50 m, from which it initially (to horizons of 75-80 m) sharply, and then (up to 150 m) very smoothly decreases with depth, then (up to 200 m) the temperature noticeably (up to 3° ), and deeper it rises slightly towards the bottom.

In summer, the surface water temperature reaches 7-8°, but it drops very sharply (to +2.5°) with depth to a horizon of 50 m, from where its vertical course is almost the same as in spring. Autumn cooling lowers surface water temperatures. However, the general nature of its distribution at the beginning of the season resembles spring and summer, and towards the end it changes to a winter appearance. In general, water temperature in the open part of the Bering Sea is characterized by a relative homogeneity of spatial distribution in the surface and deep layers and relatively small amplitudes of seasonal fluctuations, which appear only to horizons of 200-300 m.

The salinity of the surface waters of the sea varies from 33.0–33.5‰ in the south to 31.0‰ in the east and northeast and 28.6‰ in the Bering Strait (Fig. 36). The most significant desalination occurs in spring and summer in the confluence areas of the Anadyr, Yukon and Kuskokwim rivers. However, the direction of the main currents along the coasts limits the influence of continental runoff on the deep sea areas. The vertical distribution of salinity is almost the same in all seasons of the year. From the surface to horizons of 100–125 m, it is approximately equal to 33.2–33.3‰. Its slight increase occurs from horizons of 125-150 to 200-250 m; deeper it remains almost unchanged to the bottom.

walrus rookery on the Chukchi coast

In accordance with the small spatiotemporal changes in temperature and salinity, the variation in density is also small. The distribution of oceanological characteristics by depth indicates a relatively weak vertical stratification of the waters of the Bering Sea. In combination with strong winds, this creates favorable conditions for the development of wind mixing in it. In the cold season, it covers the upper layers up to horizons of 100-125 m; in the warm season, when the waters are stratified more sharply and the winds are weaker than in autumn and winter, wind mixing penetrates to horizons of 75-100 m in the deep and up to 50-60 m in coastal areas.
Significant cooling of waters, and in the northern regions, intensive ice formation, contribute to the good development of autumn-winter convection in the sea. During October - November it captures a surface layer of 35-50 m and continues to penetrate deeper; In this case, heat is transferred to the atmosphere by the sea. The temperature of the entire layer captured by convection at this time of year decreases, as calculations show, by 0.08-0.10° per day. Further, due to a decrease in the temperature differences between water and air and an increase in the thickness of the convection layer, the water temperature drops somewhat more slowly. Thus, in December - January, when a completely homogeneous surface layer of considerable thickness (to a depth of 120-180 m) is created in the Bering Sea, cooled (in the open sea) to approximately 2.5°C, the temperature of the entire layer captured by convection decreases by 0 per day .04—0.06°.
The penetration boundary of winter convection deepens as it approaches the coast, due to increased cooling near the continental slope and shallows. In the southwestern part of the sea this decrease is especially large. This is associated with the observed lowering of cold waters along the coastal slope. Due to the low air temperature due to the high latitude of the northwestern region, winter convection develops here very intensively and, probably, already in mid-January due to the shallowness of the region reaches the bottom.

The bulk of the waters of the Bering Sea are characterized by a subarctic structure, main feature which is the existence of a cold intermediate layer in summer, as well as a warm intermediate layer located underneath it. Only in the southernmost part of the sea, in areas immediately adjacent to the Aleutian ridge, waters of a different structure were discovered, where both intermediate layers are absent.
The bulk of the waters of the sea, which occupies its deep-sea part, is clearly divided into four layers in summer: surface, cold intermediate, warm intermediate and deep. This stratification is determined mainly by differences in temperature, and the change in salinity with depth is small.

The surface water mass in summer is the most heated upper layer from the surface to a depth of 25-50 m, characterized by a temperature of 7-10° at the surface and 4-6° at the lower boundary and a salinity of about 33.0‰. The greatest thickness of this water mass is observed in the open part of the sea. The lower boundary of the surface water mass is the temperature jump layer. The cold intermediate layer is formed as a result of winter convective mixing and subsequent summer heating of the upper layer of water. This layer has insignificant thickness in the southeastern part of the sea, but as it approaches the western shores it reaches 200 m or more. There is a noticeable minimum temperature in it, located on average at horizons of about 150-170 m. In the eastern part, the minimum temperature is 2.5-3.5 °, and in the western part of the sea it drops to 2 ° in the area of ​​​​the Koryak coast and to 1 ° and lower in the Karaginsky Bay area. The salinity of the cold intermediate layer is 33.2–33.5‰. At the lower boundary of the layer, salinity quickly increases to 34‰. In warm years in the south of the deep-sea part of the sea, the cold intermediate layer in summer may be absent, then the vertical distribution of temperature is characterized by a relatively smooth decrease in temperature with depth with a general warming of the entire water column. The origin of the warm intermediate layer is associated with the transformation of Pacific water. Relatively warm water comes from the Pacific Ocean, which is cooled from above as a result of winter convection. Convection here reaches horizons of the order of 150–250 m, and under its lower boundary an increased temperature is observed—a warm intermediate layer. The maximum temperature varies from 3.4-3.5 to 3.7-3.9°. The depth of the core of the warm intermediate layer in the central regions of the sea is approximately 300 m; to the south it decreases to approximately 200 m, and to the north and west it increases to 400 m or more. The lower boundary of the warm intermediate layer is blurred; it is approximately visible in the 650–900 m layer.

The deep water mass, which occupies most of the volume of the sea, both in depth and from area to area, does not show significant differences in its characteristics. Over a depth of more than 3000 m, the temperature varies from approximately 2.7-3.0 to 1.5-1.8° at the bottom. Salinity is 34.3-34.8‰.

As you move south and approach the straits of the Aleutian ridge, the stratification of waters is gradually erased, the temperature of the core of the cold intermediate layer, increasing in value, approaches the temperature of the warm intermediate layer. The waters gradually transform into a qualitatively different structure of Pacific water.
In some areas, especially in shallow waters, some modifications of the main water masses are observed and new masses appear with local significance. For example, in the Gulf of Anadyr, in the western part, a desalinated water mass is formed under the influence of large continental runoff, and in the northern and eastern parts, a cold water mass of the Arctic type is formed. There is no warm intermediate layer here. In some shallow areas of the sea in the summer, “cold spots” of water characteristic of the sea are observed, which owe their existence to eddy water cycles. In these areas, cold waters are observed in the bottom layer and persist throughout the summer. The temperature in this layer of water is −0.5–3.0°.

Due to autumn-winter cooling, summer warming and mixing, the surface water mass, as well as the cold intermediate layer, is most strongly transformed in the Bering Sea, which is manifested in the annual course of hydrological characteristics. Intermediate Pacific water changes its characteristics very slightly throughout the year and only in a thin upper layer. Deep waters do not change their characteristics noticeably throughout the year. The complex interaction of winds, the influx of water through the straits of the Aleutian ridge, tides and other factors create the basic picture of constant currents in the sea (Fig. 37).

The predominant mass of water from the ocean enters the Bering Sea through the eastern part of the Blizhny Strait, as well as through other significant straits of the Aleutian ridge. Waters entering through the Blizhny Strait and spreading first into east direction, then turn north. At a latitude of about 55° they merge with the waters coming from the Amchitka Strait, forming the main flow of the central part of the sea. This flow supports the existence of two stable gyres here - a large, cyclonic one, covering the deep-water part of the sea, and a smaller, anticyclonic one. The waters of the main flow are directed to the northwest and reach almost the Asian shores. Here, most of the water turns along the coast to the south, giving rise to the cold Kamchatka Current, and enters the ocean through the Kamchatka Strait. Some of this water is discharged into the ocean through the western part of the Near Strait and very little is included in the main circulation.

Waters entering through eastern straits The Aleutian ridge also crosses the central basin and moves to the north-northwest. At approximately latitude 60° these waters split into two branches: the northwest, moving toward Anadyr Bay and then northeast into the Bering Strait, and the northeast, moving toward Norton Bay and then north into the Bering Strait. It should be noted that in Bering Sea currents there can be both significant changes in water transport throughout the year and noticeable deviations from the average annual pattern in individual years. The speeds of constant currents in the sea are generally low. The highest values ​​(up to 25-51 cm/s) relate to the strait areas. Most often, a speed of 10 cm/s is observed, and in the open sea 6 cm/s, and the speeds are especially low in the zone of the central cyclonic circulation.
Tides in the Bering Sea are mainly caused by the propagation of tidal waves from the Pacific Ocean. The Arctic tide has almost no significance. The area where the Pacific and Arctic tidal waves merge is located north of the island. St. Lawrence. There are several types of tides in the Bering Sea. In the Aleutian Straits, the tides have irregular diurnal and irregular semidiurnal patterns. Off the coast of Kamchatka, during intermediate phases of the Moon, the tide changes from semidiurnal to daily; at high declinations of the Moon it becomes almost purely diurnal, and at low declinations it becomes semidiurnal. On the Koryak coast, from Olyutorsky Bay to the mouth of the river. Anadyr, the tide is irregularly semidiurnal, but off the coast of Chukotka it takes on a regular semidiurnal nature. In the area of ​​Provideniya Bay, the tide again becomes irregularly semidiurnal. In the eastern part of the sea, from Cape Prince of Wales to Cape Nome, the tides have both regular and irregular semidiurnal character. South of the mouth of the Yukon, the tide becomes irregularly semidiurnal. Tidal currents in the open sea have a rotating nature, their speed is 15-60 cm/s. Near the coast and in the straits, tidal currents are reversible and their speed reaches 1-2 m/s.

Cyclonic activity developing over the Bering Sea causes the occurrence of very strong and sometimes prolonged storms. Particularly strong excitement develops in winter time- from November to May. At this time of year, the northern part of the sea is covered with ice and therefore the strongest waves are observed in the southern part. Here in May the frequency of waves of more than 5 points reaches 20-30%, but in the northern part of the sea it is absent. In August, due to the predominance of southwestern winds, swell waves of over 5 points reach their greatest development in the eastern half of the sea, where the frequency of such waves reaches 20%. In autumn, in the southeastern part of the sea, the frequency of strong waves increases to 40%.
With prolonged winds of average strength and significant acceleration of waves, their height reaches 6.8 m, with winds of 20-30 m/s or more - 10 m, and in some cases 12 and even 14 m. Storm periods are 9-11 s , and with moderate waves - 5-7 s. In addition to wind waves, a swell is observed in the Bering Sea, the greatest frequency of which (40%) occurs in autumn. In the coastal zone, the nature and parameters of waves are very different depending on the physical and geographical conditions of the area.

For most of the year, much of the Bering Sea is covered in ice. Almost the entire mass of ice in the Bering Sea is of local origin, that is, it is formed, as well as destroyed and melted, in the sea itself. A small amount of ice from the Arctic basin, which usually does not penetrate south of the island, is brought into the northern part of the sea through the Bering Strait by winds and currents. St. Lawrence.

In terms of ice conditions, the northern and southern parts of the sea differ markedly from each other. The approximate boundary between them is the extreme southern position of the ice edge in April. This month it goes from Bristol Bay through the Pribilof Islands and further west along 57-58° N. sh., and then descends to the south, to the Commander Islands and runs along the coast to the southern tip of Kamchatka. South part the sea does not freeze all year round. Warm Pacific waters entering the Bering Sea through the Aleutian Straits push floating ice to the north, and the edge of the ice in the central part of the sea is always curved to the north. The process of ice formation in the Bering Sea begins first in its northwestern part, where ice appears in October, after which it gradually moves south. Ice appears in the Bering Strait in September; In winter, the strait is filled with solid broken ice, drifting north.
In Anadyrsky and Norton bays, ice can be found as early as September. In early November, ice appears in the area of ​​Cape Navarin, and in mid-November it spreads to Cape Olyutorsky. Near the Kamchatsky Peninsula and the Commander Islands, floating ice usually appears in December and only as an exception in November. During winter, the entire northern part of the sea, up to approximately 60° N. sh., is filled with heavy, impassable ice, the thickness of which reaches 6 m. To the south of the parallel of the Pribilof Islands there are broken ice and individual ice fields.

However, even during the peak of ice formation, the open part of the Bering Sea is never covered with ice. In the open sea, under the influence of winds and currents, ice is in constant motion, and strong compression often occurs. This leads to the formation of hummocks, the maximum height of which can be about 20 m. Periodic compression and rarefaction of the ice causes tides, resulting in the formation of piles of ice, numerous polynyas and clearings.
Fixed ice, which forms in closed bays and bays in winter, can be broken up and carried out to sea during stormy winds. In the eastern part of the sea, under the influence of the North Pacific Current, ice is carried north into the Chukchi Sea. In April the border floating ice reaches its greatest distribution to the south. In May, the process of gradual destruction of the ice and the retreat of its edge to the north begins. During July and August the sea is completely clear of ice and during these months ice can only be found in the Bering Strait. Strong winds contribute to the destruction of the ice cover and the clearing of ice from the sea in summer.
In bays and bays, where the desalinating influence of river runoff occurs, conditions for ice formation are more favorable than in the open sea. Winds have a great influence on the location of ice. Surge winds often clog individual bays, bays and straits heavy ice brought from the open sea. On the contrary, driving winds carry ice out to sea, at times clearing the entire coastal area.

Hydrochemical conditions.
The peculiarities of the hydrochemical conditions of the sea are largely determined by its close connection with the Pacific Ocean and the characteristics of the hydrological and biological processes occurring in the sea itself. Due to the large influx of Pacific waters, the salt composition of the waters of the Bering Sea is practically no different from the oceanic one.
The amount and distribution of dissolved oxygen and nutrients varies across seasons and sea area. In general, the water of the Bering Sea is rich in oxygen. In winter, its distribution is characterized by uniformity. During this season, in the shallow part of the sea its content averages 8.0 ml/l from surface to bottom. Approximately the same content is observed in deep areas of the sea up to horizons of 200 m. In the warm season, the distribution of oxygen varies from place to place. Due to an increase in water temperature and the development of phytoplankton, its amount decreases in the upper (20-30 m) horizons and is approximately 6.7-7.6 ml/l. Near the continental slope, there is a slight increase in the oxygen content in the surface layer. The vertical distribution of the content of this gas in deep areas of the sea is characterized by its greatest number in surface water and the smallest in intermediate water. In subsurface water, the amount of oxygen is transitional, that is, it decreases with depth, and in deep water it increases towards the bottom. Seasonal changes oxygen content can be traced up to 800–1000 m near the continental slope, up to 600–800 m at the peripheries of cyclonic gyres, and up to 500 m in the central parts of these gyres.

The Bering Sea is typically characterized by high concentrations of nutrients in the upper layer. The development of phytoplankton does not reduce their number to a minimum.
The distribution of phosphates in winter is quite uniform. Their amount in the surface layers at this time, depending on the region, varies from 58 to 72 μg/l. In summer, the lowest amount of phosphates is observed in the most productive areas of the sea: Anadyr and Olyutorsky bays, in the eastern part of the Kamchatka Strait, in the Bering Strait area. The vertical distribution of phosphates is characterized by their lowest content in the photosynthetic layer, a sharp increase in their concentration in subsurface water, a maximum amount in intermediate water and a slight decrease towards the bottom.
The distribution of nitrites in the upper layers in winter is quite uniform throughout the sea. Their content is 0.2-0.4 N µg/l in shallow waters and 0.8-1.7 N µg/l in deep areas. In summer, the distribution of nitrites is quite diverse in space. The vertical variation of nitrite content is characterized by a rather uniform content in the upper layers in winter. In summer, two maxima are observed: one in the density jump layer, the second at the bottom. In some areas, only a bottom maximum is observed.

Economic use. Located in the extreme northeast of our country, the Bering Sea is exploited very intensively. Its economy is represented by two important sectors: marine fisheries and maritime transport. Currently, a significant amount of fish is caught in the sea, including the most valuable species - salmon. In addition, fishing for cod, pollock, herring, and flounder is carried out here. There is fishing for whales and sea animals. However, the latter is of local importance. The Bering Sea is the area where the Northern Sea Route and the Far Eastern sea basin meet. The Eastern sector of the Soviet Arctic is supplied through this sea. In addition, inland transport is developed within the sea, in which supply cargo predominates. Mainly fish and fish products are produced.
Over the past 30 years, the Bering Sea has been systematically studied and continues to be studied. The main features of its nature became known. However, there are still important problems in its research. The most important of them include the following: the study of quantitative characteristics [of water exchange] through the straits of the Aleutian Arc; clarification of the details of currents, in particular the origin and duration of existence of small gyres in different areas of the sea; clarification of the characteristics of currents in the area of ​​the Anadyr Bay and in the bay itself; research into applied issues related to fishing and navigation. Solving these and other problems will increase the efficiency of economic use of the sea.

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SOURCE OF INFORMATION AND PHOTO:
Team Nomads
http://tapemark.narod.ru/more/18.html
Melnikov A.V. Geographical names Far East Russia: Toponymic Dictionary. - Blagoveshchensk: Interra-Plus (Interra+), 2009. - 55 p.
Shlyamin B. A. Bering Sea. - M.: Gosgeografgiz, 1958. - 96 p.: ill.
Shamraev Yu. I., Shishkina L. A. Oceanology. - L.: Gidrometeoizdat, 1980.
Bering Sea in the book: A. D. Dobrovolsky, B. S. Zalogin. Seas of the USSR. Publishing house Moscow. University, 1982.
Leontiev V.V., Novikova K.A. Toponymic dictionary of the north-east of the USSR. - Magadan: Magadan Book Publishing House, 1989, page 86
Leonov A.K. Regional oceanography. - Leningrad, Gidrometeoizdat, 1960. - T. 1. - P. 164.
Wikipedia website.
Magidovich I. P., Magidovich V. I. Essays on history geographical discoveries. - Enlightenment, 1985. - T. 4.
http://www.photosight.ru/
photo: A. Kutsky, V. Lisovsky, A. Gill, E. Gusev.

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Our planet is a beautiful blue ball, on which there are many natural and artificial reservoirs. They support the life of all living things on earth, providing shelter for many fish, shellfish and other organisms.

One of the natural bodies of water on our planet is the Bering Sea, the depth, bottom topography and fauna of which are of great interest to many naturalists, tourists and naturalists around the world. It is these indicators that will be discussed in this article.

Between two continents

What is the average depth of the Bering Sea? Before answering this question, let's find out where the reservoir is located.

The Bering Sea, which belongs to the Pacific basin, is a conventional border between two continents - Asia and North America. On the northwestern side, the reservoir washes the coasts of Kamchatka and Chukotka, and on the northeastern side - the shores of Western Alaska.

From the south, the sea is closed by a series of islands (Aleutian and Komandorsky), and from the north it is connected by the strait of the same name with the Arctic Ocean.

Here are the islands located along the border of the Bering Sea (the depth of which we will talk about below):

1. On the side of the United States of America (more precisely, the Alaska Peninsula) are territories such as Krusenstern Island, Nunivak, the Pribilof Islands, the Aleutian Islands, King Island, St. Matthew Island and others.
2. On the part of the Russian Federation, the Bering Sea washes only three island territories. This (from the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug), as well as the Commander Islands and Karaginsky Island (the latter are part of the Kamchatka Territory).

A little about geographical discoveries

What is the history of the discovery of the Bering Sea, the depth and remoteness of which at all times has brought many sailors into indescribable awe?

It is known that the reservoir received its name in honor of the first explorer who went on an expedition to Kamchatka back in the 1730s. This man was a Dane by nationality, a Russian officer by vocation - Vitus Ianassen Bering. By order of Emperor Peter I, the fleet captain was instructed to study in detail northern places and determine the border between the two continents.

The first expedition was devoted to the inspection and development eastern shore Kamchatka and the southern coast, as well as the study of the strait that serves as the border between America and Eurasia. Bering is considered the first representative of Europe to roam these places.

After his return to St. Petersburg, the brave navigator petitioned for the equipment of the second expedition, which took place quite soon and became the largest in history. Six thousand people, led by the fearless Bering, scrupulously studied the waters all the way to Japan. Alaska, the Aleutian archipelago and many other unexplored lands were discovered.

The captain himself reached the American coast and carefully examined the island of Kayak, studying its flora and fauna.

The conditions of the Far North negatively affected the journey of a large expedition. Sailors and explorers faced incredible cold and snow drifts, and endured storms and storms several times.

Unfortunately, returning to Russia, Bering died during a forced winter on one of the islands.

Statistical Facts

What is the depth of the Bering Sea? This reservoir is considered the largest and deepest in the Russian Federation and one of the largest in the world. Why can you say this?

The fact is that total area sea ​​- 2.315 million sq. km. This is due to the fact that the length of the reservoir from north to south covers one thousand six hundred kilometers, and from east to west - two thousand four hundred kilometers. Scientists even calculated the volume of sea water. It reaches 3,795,000 cubic kilometers. It is not surprising that the average depth of the Bering Sea is impressive in its numbers and values.

Briefly about the main thing

The average and maximum depth of the Bering Sea reaches one thousand six hundred meters and four thousand fifty-one meters, respectively. As you can see, the difference between the indicators is very large. This is due to the fact that most of the water space of the reservoir is occupied by an area with depth indicators of less than five hundred meters. According to the calculations of some scientists, this figure is the minimum depth of the Bering Sea. That is why it is considered a marginal reservoir of the continental-oceanic type.

Location of the most important points

Where is the average and maximum depth of the Bering Sea? As mentioned above, the average indicators of a reservoir cover about half of its entire area. As for the maximum indicators (or the maximum depth of the Bering Sea), they were recorded in the southern part of the reservoir. Here is the specific coordinate: fifty-four degrees north latitude and one hundred seventy-one degrees west longitude. This part of the sea is called deep sea. It was divided by the underwater Bowers and Shirshov ridges into three basins, whose names are: Aleutian, Komandorskaya and Bowers.

However, this also applies to the maximum depth of the Bering Sea. The minimum depth was recorded in its northeastern region. Its length, according to many researchers, reaches about seven hundred kilometers.

Bottom and its characteristics

Scientists have long determined that the structure of the seabed is very interconnected with its depth. The bottom topography of the Bering Sea has clear divisions:

1. Shelf. This zone, located in the northern and eastern sides of the sea, has depths of up to two hundred meters and occupies more than forty percent of the entire territory of the reservoir. It is a gently sloping plain with several islands, hollows and low hills.
2. Island Shoal. This area is located off the coast of Kamchatka and the Komandorsko-Aleutian island ridge. The surface topography is very complex and may undergo some changes due to the proximity of volcanic and seismic manifestations.
3. Continental slope. It is located between Cape Navarin and Unimak Island and is characterized by depth indicators from two hundred to three thousand meters. This area also has a complex sloping topography, the angle of inclination of which ranges from one to three degrees to twenty degrees and above. Here you can see beautiful underwater valleys and canyons with steep steep slopes.
4. Deep-sea basin. This zone is located in the center and southwest of the reservoir. It is characterized by small underwater ridges. Due to the complexity of its relief, the deep-sea basin ensures constant water exchange between different parts of the sea.

Temperature

What can you say about the temperature of the air and water? In summer, the water area is quite cool (about seven to ten degrees Celsius). In winter, the temperature can fluctuate from minus one to minus thirty.

The average temperature of water masses in many cases depends on the depth of the Bering Sea. The maximum depth has a temperature of one to three degrees Celsius (plus), while the minimum depth has warmer readings (from seven to ten degrees). At medium depths, temperatures vary between two and four degrees Celsius.

Salinity information

With regard to water salinity, the same principle applies: the greater the depth, the higher the indicators.

At minimum depths, water salinity ranges between twenty-two and thirty-two ppm. The middle zone is characterized by levels of thirty-three to thirty-four ppm, while the salinity of deep-sea waters almost reaches thirty-five ppm.

Freezing water

It is interesting that the surface of the Bering Sea is covered with ice annually in the following ratio: freezing of half of the reservoir is observed within five months, while its northern part can be under the influence of glaciers for seven months or longer.

It is noteworthy that the Gulf of Lawrence, located off the eastern shore of the Bering Sea, may not be cleared of ice masses all year round, while the waters of the Bering Strait are almost never subject to severe freezing.

Rich fauna

Despite low temperatures and deep waters, the body of water between America and Eurasia is actively inhabited. Here you can find four hundred and two types of fish, four types of crabs, four types of shrimp, two types of shellfish, and a large number of mammals, especially pinnipeds.

Let's talk more about the living creatures that inhabit the cold and deep waters of the Bering Sea.

Fish

In the reservoir, different varieties of gobies are most often found. The goby family belongs to bottom-dwelling fish that live in coastal areas.

The body of an adult individual, slightly flattened at the back, can reach forty centimeters in length. It contains dorsal fins (usually two in number) and a suction cup on the belly, with which the fish attaches to the stones. Goby spawning occurs in March-August.

Among the salmonids in the Bering Sea, whitefish and nelma stand out, as well as Pacific salmon, which are valuable commercial fish.

This family is diverse with numerous species and representatives. The body length of salmon can vary from three centimeters to two meters, and the weight of adult and large individuals can reach seven to ten kilograms.

The body of the fish is elongated, compressed at the sides. It has multi-rayed ventral and pectoral fins. There are two pectoral fins (one is normal, and the second is a leathery outgrowth of adipose tissue - a characteristic feature of all salmonids).

Spawning of this fish species occurs only in fresh waters.

Pinnipeds

The most common mammals in the Bering Sea are seals and walruses, which set up real rookeries on the shores of the reservoir.

Seals are very massive sea creatures. For example, an adult can reach about two meters in length, while its weight exceeds one hundred and thirty kilograms. Bearing offspring in this family can last about a year.

The Pacific walrus is another inhabitant of the northern reservoir. Its weight can vary from eight hundred to one thousand seven hundred kilograms. This family is highly prized for its long tusks, which can weigh about five kilograms each.

The skin of walruses is wrinkled and very thick (in some places it can reach ten centimeters in thickness). The subcutaneous layer of fat is also large - about fifteen centimeters.

Quite often, a variety of large cetaceans are found in the Bering Sea - narwhals, humpback whales, sei whales and other mammals, the length of which is measured at several tens of meters, and the weight can reach a hundred tons or more.

Yes, it is impossible to describe in detail all the inhabitants of the underwater depths of the Bering Sea. However, this body of water is famous not only for its rich underwater world, but also a fascinating history of development, a beautiful bottom topography, and an important strategic location. After all, the Bering Sea is the border of two continents, two continents, two states.

The Bering Sea is located in the north of the Pacific Ocean, from the waters of which it is fenced off by the islands of the Commander-Aleutian chain. It occupies a leading position in terms of area and depth among Russian seas. The world map clearly shows that its waters wash the shores of two continents: Asia and America.

Scientists believe that the reason for the formation of the reservoir was the action of tectonic processes, through which the Komandor-Aleutian ridge was cut off from the Pacific Ocean. At the beginning of the 18th century, the coastal zone was studied by Russian explorers. In the 30s, Timofey Perevalov developed a map of the area of ​​Kamchatka and Chukotka, which D. Cook visited several decades later.

The sea is named after Vitus Bering, who explored it in 1725–1743; before that it was called Bobrov or Kamchatka. The reservoir washes the shores of the Russian Federation and the United States of America. You can get to it by air travel to the port cities of Anadyr and Nome.

Basic indicators:

The sea is located in three climatic zones:

• Arctic (northern part);
• temperate marine (southern zone);
• subarctic (central part).

About 80% of the reservoir is covered with ice for ten months of the year; in the southern region, the warm Aleutian Current prevents freezing of the water surface. Strong storms in the west, with wind gusts reaching 40 m/s, arise under the influence of the Siberian anticyclone.

Famous sea explorers

Large-scale exploration of the world's oceans, with the aim of finding new territories, began at the end of the 15th century. In 1648, S.I. Dezhnev passed through the Strait, later called the Bering Strait. In the 18th century, expeditions under the command of V.I. Bering and A.I. Chirikov reached the shores of North America.

Oceanographic work in the North Pacific Ocean was carried out by I.F. Krusenstern, Yu.F. Lisyansky, O.E. Kotzebue, F.F. Bellingshausen, M.P. Lazarev and other sailors.

Vitus Bering

IN AND. Bering in 1724 was appointed commander of the First Kamchatka expedition, her task was to explore the seas of the northern Pacific Ocean and search for a strait between the two continents.

As a result of the journey of 1725-1730. The following were included on the world map:

• Karaginsky, Anadyrsky, Kamchatka bays.
• Providence Bay.
• Island of St. Lawrence.
• Bering Strait.
• Avacha Bay.

The result of the second expedition (1733-1743), during which V. Bering died, was the discovery of the Shumaginsky, Evdokeevsky, St. Stephen's, Kodiak, St. Marciana Islands.

I.F. Krusenstern and Yu.F. Lisyansky

I.F. Krusenstern and Yu.F. Lisyansky accomplished the first circumnavigation under the flag of the Russian navy. In the period 1803-1806. they collected data on climate, atmospheric pressure, specific gravity, density and other indicators sea ​​water.

F.P. Litke

F.P. Litke was a Russian admiral who conducted research in the Arctic and Pacific Oceans.

In 1826 - 1829 under his leadership, the Pribilof Islands were discovered and the Karaginsky archipelago was explored, and a description of the western coast of the Bering Sea was compiled.

S.O. Makarov

In 1887-1888 S.O. Makarov conducted research concerning the distribution of water density. He noted that warm water, which has a high specific gravity, is located closer to the surface near the Commander Islands than off the coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula.

K.M. Deryugin, P. Schmidt, G.A. Ushakov

In the 20s of the 20th century, K.M., Deryugin, together with P. Schmidt and G.A. Ushakov compiled maps of the distribution of temperature and salinity in the waters of the Bering Sea.

P.A. Moiseev

The Bering Sea on the world map is located in the northern zone of the Pacific Ocean, where in 1958-1963. ichthyologist P.A. conducted his research. Moiseev. The achievement of the Bering Sea scientific and fishing expedition was the discovery of habitat areas for halibut, sea bass, and grenadiers.

A little earlier, under his leadership, large concentrations of flounder were discovered off the coast of Sakhalin. These fish have become the object of fishing in the seas of the Far East.

G.E. Ratmanov

In 1935 G.E. Ratmanov took part in the study of the Bering Sea; during the expedition, traces of intermediate Atlantic waters, the oceanologist managed to obtain confirmation of their existence and collect accurate data in 1940.

Flowing rivers

About 120 rivers flow into the Bering Sea, 2 of which are the largest:

Currents in the sea

Constant currents in the sea are formed under the influence of tides, winds and the influx of water from the straits of the Aleutian chain. The main flow passes at longitude 170°, it goes around the Rat Ridge, after which it heads east, forming a circulation above the depression of the reservoir.

In the north of the sea it diverges in two directions: towards the Bering Strait and along the coast of Kamchatka. Surface currents include: Kuroshio (-1.7 °C) and Kamchatka (1.7 °C).

Representatives of flora and fauna

IN flora The Bering Sea is dominated by:

• diatoms floating freely in the water layer;
• bottom plants are common in coastal areas;
• kelp and fucus are used by the population as food raw materials.

In addition to commercial fish: salmon, chum salmon, sockeye salmon, pink salmon, the reservoir is also inhabited by whales, seals, and walruses. Hunting for these mammals is carried out exclusively for the needs of local residents. There are katrans and polar sharks in the sea, which do not pose a danger to people.

Bird markets are organized on the rocks: gulls, puffins, guillemots, terns, loons. For 1 sq. km can accommodate 200 thousand individuals.

Fur seal rookeries are located on the Pribilof and Commander Islands. Despite the limited production, their numbers are decreasing. According to scientists, the decline in population is facilitated by garbage pushed by the sea to the coast.

Main port cities

The Bering Sea on the world map is limited by Chukotka and Kamchatka with the western, northern zone of Alaska - with the eastern and Aleutian Islands - with the southern side. On the shore of the reservoir there are two port cities.

Anadyr is the easternmost city of Russia The population of the capital of the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug is 15 thousand people, the area is 20 square meters. km. Winter in the settlement lasts seven months, during which blizzards and snow storms are observed. The average summer temperature is + 11 °C, in January it reaches -22 °C.

Nom – small town State of Alaska with a population of about 4 thousand people, the average temperature reaches – 45 °C, which prevents the dense settlement of the region. It was founded as locality for gold miners, the number of inhabitants then was 20 thousand people, in the 30s. In the 20th century, the “gold rush” passed, and about a thousand people remained in the settlement.

Large bays

TO large bays seas include:

Large islands of the sea

The largest islands in the Bering Sea are:

Use of the sea

The Bering Sea is actively exploited in two directions: fisheries and maritime transport. It catches various types of fish (mainly salmon) and whales. Marine transportation of fish products is developed within the water area.

Fisheries

The fauna of the reservoir includes 315 species of fish, 25 of which are used for fishing by three countries: the Russian Federation, the USA and Japan. Russia's annual catch is about 600 thousand tons. The main catches are: pollock, pink salmon, flounder, halibut, herring, and grenadiers. The most valuable fishing object is salmon, which live in the west of the sea and near east coast Kamchatka Peninsula.

Cod fishing occurs in the Anadyr-Navarinsky region, Karaginsky Bay, as well as in the west and east of Kamchatka. Pollock is caught in the West Bering Sea, Chukotka zones and Karaginsk subzone. Flounder stocks are located in Bristol Bay, and sea bass, halibut and sablefish are caught in the area.

The Bering Sea is one of the productive regions of the World Ocean (1500 kg/sq. km). Due to active fishing, stocks of salmon, Kamchatka crabs, and cod are depleted.

Sea transport

The Bering Sea on the world map is a semi-enclosed body of water in the Pacific Ocean between the continents of Asia and North America. In its western part there is a road that connects the Far Eastern ports with the Northern Route. The predominant cargoes are oil products, fish, and timber, which are transported to the eastern regions of the continent.

Fishing in the sea

The main prey in the Bering Sea are: flounder, mackerel, char, halibut, pink salmon, and gobies. Salmon can be caught off the eastern coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula. The abundance of zooplankton attracts gray whales, killer whales, and sperm whales; quotas are introduced for the catch of cetaceans, which prevents a decline in the populations of these mammals.

Fishing without a permit to catch aquatic biological resources is prohibited, with the exception of species that can be caught freely in accordance with Russian legislation. In Russia, due to inaccessibility, tourist and fishing tours are not conducted in the region. Sea fishing is popular among the population of America and Canada.

The sea is fraught with many mysteries, for example, there are interesting information regarding depth, discoverer, strong winds and icebergs in the waters of the Bering Sea.

The deepest sea washing Russia

The Bering Sea is the deepest in the Russian Federation. The maximum elevation reaches 4151 m below sea level.

Who actually discovered

In 1740, the ships “St. Peter” under the command of V. Bering and “St. Paul”, captained by A.I. Chirikov went on the Second Kamchatka Expedition. At the end of June 1741, due to bad weather conditions, the ships lost sight of each other.

V. Bering's package reached the shores of America on July 20, and a few months later suffered a severe shipwreck; the commander himself died in December of the same year on the island, which was later named in his honor. A.I. Chirikov approached the coast of North America on July 15.

In 1818, the Beaver (or Kamchatka) Sea was renamed the Bering Sea at the suggestion of the head of two around the world expeditions V.M. Golovin.

Lingering storms

A feature of the Bering Sea is frequent and prolonged storms. The cause of strong winds is the seasonal variability of circulation processes. The reservoir is influenced by the Aleutian depression, which includes cyclones from Japan.

Storm activity intensifies in September and reaches its climax in November-December; hurricanes may not subside for 7 days in a row.

Icebergs in summer

The northern part of the Bering Sea is covered with ice for more than half the year. In mid-April, the process of clearing the reservoir of ice begins; in the event of a severe winter, currents can bring icebergs to the west even in summer. Wandering icebergs can accumulate and pile on top of each other, but thanks to strong winds, they are quickly destroyed.

Nevertheless, sea vessels traveling along the Northern Sea Route need icebreakers.

The region's economy includes two components: fishing and shipping. Despite its northern location on the world map, which explains the low water temperatures (in winter they reach -23 ° C), the Bering Sea is not lifeless; it contains 28 species of macrophyte algae, about 300 species of fish, as well as sharks and whales , seals.

On the coast of the reservoir there is the Tymlat fish processing plant. The Northern Sea Route runs through the reservoir, thanks to which East End The mainland is supplied with fish products, timber, and oil.

Article format: Lozinsky Oleg

Video about the Bering Sea

Bering Sea - features, location, flora and fauna:

The Bering Sea is the easternmost Russian sea, stretching between Kamchatka and America. Area - 2304 thousand square meters. km. Volume - 3683 thousand cubic meters. km. The average depth is 1598 meters.

In the north, the Bering Sea connects with the Chukchi Sea, in the south it borders the Aleutian Islands and the open ocean.

Many rivers flow into the Bering Sea, the largest: Anadyr, Yukon, Apuka. The sea is named after Vitus Jonassen Bering, leader of the Great Northern Expedition.

The history of the discovery and development of the Bering Sea goes back to the distant past and is associated with the names of great pioneers who left their names in history forever.

After the conquest of Siberia by Ermak, Cossack bands, and with them many Russian merchants and hunters, began to penetrate further east, to the very coast of the Pacific Ocean. From them the Russian rulers and boyars learned about the untold riches Eastern Siberia. Furs, red caviar, valuable fish, skins, gold and the riches of unknown China became the reason for the rapid development of this region. Since the delivery of these goods by land was fraught with enormous difficulties, they began to think about opening a sea route along the northern coast in order to reach America, Japan and China by sea.

Peter the Great paid special attention to this and contributed in every possible way to this. Even in his last days, he gave instructions to Admiral General Apraksin in which he wrote his orders:

1 . It is necessary to make one or two boats with decks in Kamchatka or another customs place.
2 . On these boats near the land that goes north, and according to hope (they don’t know the end) it seems that that land is part of America.
3 . And in order to look for where it came together with America; and in order to get to which city of the European dominions, or if they see which European ship, check from it, as they call it, and take it in writing, and visit the shore yourself, and take the original statement, and putting it on the map, come here.

Peter did not live to see these plans realized, although in January 1725, just three weeks before his death, he appointed one of the best sailors of that time, Vitus Bering, a Dane who served in the Russian fleet, as head of the first Kamchatka expedition. After his death, Vitus Bering led an expedition that traveled overland through all of Siberia to Okhotsk. In winter, the expedition crossed to Kamchatka on dogs and there, in Nizhnekamchatsk, a ship was built for a sea voyage. It was a packet boat 18 meters long, 6.1 m wide with a draft of 2.3 m. It was made according to the drawings of the St. Petersburg Admiralty and at that time was considered one of the best warships. On June 9, 1728, during the launch of the boat, the day of St. Archangel Gabriel was celebrated and the boat was given the name “Saint Gabriel.”

July 13, 1728 on the boat “St. Gabriel" expedition moved north. During the voyage it was composed detailed map coasts and islands. The weather cooperated, and the ship sailed through the strait between Chukotka and America and reached latitude 67°19′ on August 16. Since the coast on the left went to the west, and land was not visible on the right, and a storm was beginning, Bering turned back and returned to Kamchatka on September 3.

After wintering, on June 5, 1729, Bering and his crew set sail a second time with the goal of reaching the land in the east, which the inhabitants of Kamchatka were talking about. They almost reached the Commander Islands, but as the weather worsened, they were forced to return back and, fulfilling the requirements of the Admiralty Board, were engaged in surveying and describing the eastern coast of Kamchatka. The result of the voyage was a detailed map and description, which Bering presented to the Admiralty Board in St. Petersburg. The materials of the expedition were highly appreciated, and Bering was awarded the rank of captain-commander.

Under the power of Anna Ioanovna, passions about the northern and eastern seas subsided somewhat. But after Vitus Bering presented his report and a new project for an expedition to the shores of America and Japan and exploration of the northern coast of Siberia with the promise of profits to the Admiralty Board, interest in new sea routes was renewed. The project was expanded and the task became the study of the northern seas and coast of Russia. It was planned to compile a complete description of the North in geographical, geological, botanical, zoological and ethnographic aspects. For this purpose, seven independent detachments were created, five of which were to work along the entire coast of the Arctic Ocean from Pechora to Chukotka, and two in the Far East.

Bering was the commander of a detachment that had to find a way to North America and the islands in the North Pacific Ocean. In 1734, Bering went to Yakutsk, where it was necessary to prepare equipment and food for the campaign. But the times of Peter the Great passed and the local authorities were not particularly zealous in organizing; on the contrary, much of what was intended for the expedition was stolen or was of poor quality. Bering was forced to stay in training camp in Yakutsk for three years. Only in 1737 did he get to Okhotsk. The local authorities of Okhotsk were also not very helpful in organizing the expedition and building the ships. Only by the end of the summer of 1740 were two packet boats, St. Peter and St. Paul, intended for the expedition, built.

And only in September, Vitus Bering on the “St. Peter” and Alexy Chirikov on the “St. Paul” were able to reach Avachinskaya Bay in Kamchatka. There they were forced to stop for the winter. The ships' crews founded a fort, which became the capital of Kamchatka, named after the ships Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky.

After a difficult winter, only on June 4, 1741, Bering on the “St. Peter” and Chirikov on the “St. Paul” set out on a campaign to the shores of America. But on June 20, in thick fog, the ships missed each other. After futile attempts to find each other, the ships continued separately.

Bering, moving east, reached the shores of North America on July 16, 1741 at latitude 58°14′. Having landed on Kayak Island and replenished with fresh water, the expedition moved on. The landing on the American coast was very short-lived and, of course, did not yield anything in terms of research. Either Bering was afraid of meeting the local population, or he did not want to stay there for the winter. But without consulting anyone, he gave the command to turn back.

I follow along the coast of Alaska and further along the Aleutian Islands, making descriptions of them and putting them on the map: the islands of St. John, the Shumaginsky and Evdokeevsky islands, St. Stephen, St. Marcian and Kodiak Island, St. Peter was almost approaching the shores of Kamchatka. But on November 5, just 200 km short of Kamchatka, the ship stopped at one of the islands to replenish water supplies. A storm broke out, a sharp cold snap, and snow did not allow us to continue sailing and the team was forced to stay for the winter. On November 28, during a storm, the packet boat was thrown ashore.

Not everyone survived the difficult wintering conditions; out of 75 team members, 19 people died of scurvy; on December 8, Vitus Bering, who was already 60 years old at that time, also died. The navigator, Lieutenant Sven Waxel, took command of the expedition. Vitus Beging was buried there on the island, which was named Bering Island in his honor, and the archipelago was named the Commander Islands.

During the summer of the following year, the 46 surviving crew members built a small vessel from the wreckage of the packet boat - a gukor, which was also called "St. Peter" and only in August 1742 were they able to reach Kamchatka.

The St. Paul's voyage was also full of adventures. Alexy Chirikov, after they missed Bering, continued sailing to the east and on July 15, at latitude 55°21′, he approached land on which mountains covered with forest could be seen. The boat sent to the shore did not find a suitable place to place the ship and disembark, and they continued to move along the coast to the east. A second landing attempt was made two days later. A boat was sent to the shore, but it disappeared without a trace. On July 23, seeing light on the shore, they sent a second boat, but it did not return. So 15 crew members disappeared, either they became victims of the Indians, or drowned during the tide, history is silent about this.

After waiting 10 days, Chirikov gave the command to move on. After traveling another 230 miles along the coast, the team was still unable to land. It was impossible to get close to the shore without damaging the ship, and there were no more boats. Fresh water was running out, food was running out. And yet, they tried to land on rafts again, but within two days a bay suitable for landing was not found. At the council convened by Chirikov, it was decided to go back.

On the way home, near the Aleutian Islands, they met twice on boats local residents. Attempts to stock up on water and provisions led to nothing; the Aleuts asked for weapons in exchange for water, which the Russian sailors refused. And so, without a supply of water and food, they continued on their way to the house. On the way, many, including Chirikov, fell ill; midshipman Elagin took command of the ship, who on October 12, 1741 brought the packet boat St. Paul to Kamchatka. Of the 68 crew members, 49 people returned from the trip.

The next year, 1742, Chirikov tried to find Bering's missing ship. On May 25, he went to sea again, but due to headwinds he was only able to reach the Attu Islands. On the islands he came across along the way, he did not find anyone. As it turned out later, they passed very close to the island where the Bering expedition wintered, but the coast was invisible in the thick fog and on July 1 Chirikov returned to Kamchatka. This is what the route of the packet boats St. Peter and St. Paul looks like on the map.

In August 1742, while in Yakutsk, Chirikov sent a report on the expedition to St. Petersburg. And in 1746 he himself was summoned to St. Petersburg, where he personally reported on the campaign. While on the Admiralty Board, he proposed founding a city at the mouth of the Amur, in order to build a ship pier there and establish a fortress, which could be reached from the depths of Russia along the Amur. But no one took his opinion into account, although later it was considered very far-sighted and in 1856 the port city of Nikolaevsk-on-Amur was built there.

Subsequently, Chirikov worked for a long time in Yeniseisk, compiled maps of Russian discoveries in the east, which were long considered lost and only in Soviet time were discovered and used to compile maps of the Soviet Union. A brilliant officer of the Russian fleet who reached the shores of North-West America, Alexei Chirikov, died in poverty in 1748 at the age of only 45, and his family was left forgotten and without a livelihood.

And yet, the work of Russian sailors, although many years later, yielded results. Large buildings were built on the coast of the Far East and Kamchatka. sea ​​ports, turned into modern cities. The Russian Pacific Fleet, despite numerous wars, became the most powerful in that region, and since 1818, the Kamchatka Sea itself, at the suggestion of the Russian navigator and the leader of two round-the-world expeditions, Vice Admiral V. M. Golovnin, began to be called the Bering Sea.

Due to its geographical location, the Bering Sea has its own characteristics. In the Bering Strait, the two continents that come closest to each other are Asia and America. The distance between them is about 90 kilometers. In the middle of the strait lie the Diomede Islands, separated by only a five-kilometer space. West Island- Ratmanov - belongs to Russia, the eastern island - Kruzenshtern - to the USA. Our state border with America runs between the islands.

Residents of Ratmanov Island are the first in the country to greet the coming day. Their time is 10 hours ahead of Moscow. Here, starting between the islands of the Bering Strait and following to the passage between the Commander and Aleutian Islands, a boundary of the change of day is drawn, which continues further south along the 180° meridian in the Pacific Ocean and is called the date line, or demarcation line. When crossing this line, sailors going east to America rearrange the calendar a day and count the same day of the week twice. Sailors going west to Russia add a day ahead to the calendar date and skip one day of the week.

Strictly speaking, this operation should have been carried out not in the Bering Strait, but to the west of it, on the 180° meridian. But this meridian passes through the Chukotka Peninsula. Having two calendars in the same area would be extremely inconvenient. Therefore, we agreed to move the day boundary line to the east, to the Bering Strait. And in the southern part of the Bering Sea, this line is shifted, on the contrary, to the west from the 180° meridian to the Commander Islands. This is done in order not to change the calendar day in the Aleutian Islands.

Thus, the Bering Strait plays an important role both in political relations and in the modern calendar system.

Of all the fourteen seas of Russia, the Bering Sea is the deepest. Depths greater than this lie only in the open ocean beyond the Kuril and Aleutian Islands and east of Kamchatka. However, the northern part of the sea does not resemble the southern part in terms of bottom topography. The depths in it, over a huge area of ​​​​about 1 million square kilometers, do not exceed several tens of meters.

The rise of the bottom in the northern part of the sea between the Koryak coast and the tip of the Alaska Peninsula is quite steep. The transition of the relief from the southern to the northern half of the sea can be compared with a sharp transition to a high mountainous country, on the top of which there is a large plateau, indented by a number of hollows. This plateau is the bottom of the northern part of the sea. And the hollows are reminiscent of that geological era when the entire plateau stood above sea level and was crossed by numerous rivers. Geologists have established that the rise and fall of land in this area occurred several times.

During the last glaciation, the land stood above its current level. In place of the northern part of the Bering Sea and the Bering Strait, a wide plain then spread. As with previous land uplifts, then Pacific Ocean had no connection with the Arctic Ocean. Asia and America were connected to each other by a dry isthmus. This explains why now in Asia and America, despite being separated by the sea, there are the same land animals and plants.

They spread across two continents at a time when there was a “land bridge” between them. Mammoths, in particular, crossed this “bridge.” People—the distant ancestors of today’s North American tribes—could also use it to cross from Asia to North America. This is reminiscent of the similarities in appearance and culture of some tribes in Asia and America.

Then the land sank, the lowland was covered with water, and the sea again lay between the two continents, as if no communication by land had ever existed. It took a long development of mankind and the growth of science to restore the history of the development of the oceans and land.

The sinking of the “land bridge” occurred not so long ago, only a few tens of thousands of years ago. This means, from a geological point of view, the northern part of the Bering Sea should be considered young.

The Bering Sea is now one of the most developed in the world, despite the harsh climatic conditions. The surface water temperature in summer is +7-8°, in winter +2°. Water salinity is from 28-33‰. Tides in the Bering Sea are diurnal and semidiurnal. The average height of water level fluctuation is 1.5-2 m, in the Bering Strait it is only about 0.5 m, and in Bristol Bay it is sometimes 8 meters or more, the tidal speed is 1-2 m/s. In the sea area, cyclones with winds of up to 20-30 m/s are quite frequent, which cause strong and prolonged storms, wave heights can be up to 14 m. For a long time of the year, most of the Bering Sea is covered with ice.

The Bering Sea has long been considered one of the most commercial seas. There are more than 400 species of underwater inhabitants alone. About 35 species are commercially available, mainly salmon, cod and flounder. Red caviar, obtained from salmon fish, has been the most expensive delicacy for many years, which was and is being exported from here in tons, destroying millions of valuable species of fish. Some order is being established in this regard, but poaching still flourishes.

Crab fishing occupies a special place. Crab meat was once a food product only for Asians: Chinese, Japanese, etc. Over time, it gained popularity in many countries of the world. The Bering Sea is the place where the largest population of Kamchatka crab is located, and during the crab fishing season, thousands of ships from many countries sail to the Bering Sea. Although the crab fishing season is only a few days, during this time more than 30 thousand tons of crab are caught from the waters. Moreover, foreigners constantly violate the allocated quotas. But for many it is the main income and often a family business.

The fauna of the Bering Sea is very diverse. The waters are home to a huge number of walruses, sea lions, seals, and fur seals. They can often be seen in the open sea on ice floes.

On the Aleutian and Commander Islands, on the coast of Alaska and Chukotka, these marine animals establish numerous rookeries where they breed their offspring.

Quite a lot of whales live in the waters of the Bering Sea. Once there were more of them here than anywhere else on the globe, but for many years they were actively hunted. Special whaling fleets were created here, including the Russian “Slava” and “Aleut”, which killed hundreds of whales and their population fell sharply. In recent years, the number of whales has been gradually increasing.

It is not uncommon to see polar bears swimming on the open sea. Sometimes they stay for a long time on the shores, where there is more food than in the neighboring Chukchi Sea.

Very rich and varied animal world coast of the Berengov Sea. The forests are home to a large number of different animals: bears, moose, wolves, foxes, sable, marten, squirrel, arctic fox, ermine, etc. On the Chukotka Peninsula, numerous herds of reindeer have become one of the main wealth of this region.

Created a few years ago national park Beringia, located between Chukotka and Kamchatka, thanks to its protected status, has now become so populated with rare animals that it is becoming one of the most popular tourist destinations.

The number and diversity of birds in the Bering Sea is simply incredible. They arrange for rocky shores huge bird colonies where they raise their chicks. The bird population density on some islands exceeds 200,000 birds per 1 sq. km.

This sea is the easternmost border of our country and therefore it is reliably guarded. Border ships serve around the clock in the eastern sea ​​border our homeland.

Climatic conditions in the Berengov Sea region: Kamchatka, Kuril Islands and on the Chukotka Peninsula are quite severe. The temperature is below zero for almost 9 months of the year. Severe snowy winters and cold winds are common here. And still, few of the people living on the coast of this very eastern sea agrees to move to the mainland.