Off the coast East Siberian Sea

The East Siberian Sea is located between the New Siberian Islands and about. Wrangel. Its western border is the eastern border of the Laptev Sea, it runs from the point of intersection of the meridian of the northern tip of about. Boiler house with the edge of the continental shoal (79°N, 139°E) to the northern tip of this island (Cape Anisii), then along eastern shores New Siberian Islands to Cape Svyatoy Nos (Dmitry Laptev Strait). The northern boundary runs along the edge of the continental shelf from the point with coordinates 79°N, 139°E. to the point with coordinates 76°N, 180°E, and the eastern border - from the point with these coordinates along the meridian 180° to about. Wrangel, then along its northwestern coast to Cape Blossom and further to Cape Yakan on the mainland. The southern border runs along the mainland coast from Cape Yakan to Cape Svyatoy Nos.

The East Siberian Sea belongs to the type of continental marginal seas. Its area is 913 thousand km 2, its volume is 49 thousand km 3, the average depth is 54 m, the greatest depth is 915 m, i.e. this sea lies entirely on the continental shelf.

The coastline of the East Siberian Sea forms rather large bends, in some places going into the land, in some places protruding into the sea, but there are also areas with a flat coastline. Small meanders are usually confined to the mouths of small rivers.

The landscapes of the western part of the coast of the East Siberian Sea differ sharply from the eastern part. In the section from the New Siberian Islands to the mouth of the Kolyma, the coasts are very low and monotonous. Here the swampy tundra approaches the sea. To the east of the mouth of the Kolyma, beyond Cape Bolshoy Baranov, the coast becomes mountainous. From the mouth of the Kolyma to about. Aion directly to the water approach low hills, abruptly breaking off in some places. The Chaun Bay is framed by low, but steep, even banks. Different in relief and structure, the coast of the sea in different areas refers to different morphological types of coasts.

East-Siberian Sea

Climate

Located in high latitudes, the East Siberian Sea is located in the zone of atmospheric influences of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. The western part of the sea (although rarely) is penetrated by cyclones of Atlantic origin, eastern regions- Pacific. The climate of the East Siberian Sea is polar maritime, but with signs of continentality.

In winter, the main influence on the sea is exerted by the spur of the Siberian High, which goes to the coast, and the crest of the polar anticyclone is weakly expressed. In this regard, south-westerly and southerly winds prevail over the sea at a speed of 6-7 m/s. They bring cold air from the continent, so the average monthly air temperature in January is about -28-30°. In winter, there is calm, clear weather, which on some days is disturbed by cyclonic intrusions. Atlantic cyclones in the west of the sea cause increased winds and some warming, while Pacific cyclones, which have cold continental air in the rear, only increase wind speed, cloudiness and cause snowstorms in the southeastern part of the sea. In mountainous areas of the coast, the passage of Pacific cyclones is associated with the formation of a local wind - foehn. It usually reaches storm strength, causing some increase in temperature and a decrease in air humidity.

In summer, the pressure over the mainland of Asia is lowered, and over the sea it is increased, so the northerly winds prevail. At the beginning of the season they are very weak, but during the summer their speed gradually increases, reaching an average of 6-7 m/s. By the end of summer, the western part of the East Siberian Sea becomes one of the most turbulent sections of the Northern Sea Route. Often the wind blows at a speed of 10-15 m/s. The strengthening of the wind here is associated with hair dryers. The southeastern part of the sea is much calmer. Steady north and northeast winds cause low air temperatures. The average July temperature is 0-1° in the north of the sea and 2-3° in coastal areas. IN summer time over the East Siberian Sea, the weather is mostly cloudy with light drizzling rain, sometimes it is sleet.

In autumn, there are almost no heat returns, which is explained by the remoteness of the sea from the oceanic centers of atmospheric action and their weak influence on atmospheric processes. Relatively cold summers throughout the sea, stormy weather at the end of summer and especially in autumn in the marginal areas of the sea, and calm in its central part are the characteristic climatic features of the sea.

The continental runoff into the East Siberian Sea is relatively small - about 250 km 3 /year, which is only 10% of the total river runoff into all the Arctic seas. The largest of the flowing rivers - Kolyma - gives about 130 km 3 of water per year, and the second largest river - Indigirka - 60 km 3 of water / year. All other rivers pour about 350 km 3 of water into the sea during the same time. All river water enters the southern part of the sea, and approximately 90% of the runoff falls, as in other Arctic seas, during the summer months.

With a very large size of the East Siberian Sea, coastal runoff does not significantly affect its total hydrological regime, but only determines some hydrological features of coastal areas in summer. High latitudes, free communication with the Central Arctic Basin, high ice coverage and low river flow determine the main features of the hydrological conditions of the East Siberian Sea.

Water temperature and salinity

Types of vertical distribution of temperature (1), salinity (2) and density (3) of water in the Arctic seas

Due to the shallow water and the absence of deep trenches extending beyond the northern limits of the East Siberian Sea, the vast majority of its spaces from the surface to the bottom are occupied by surface Arctic waters. Only in relatively limited estuarine areas is a kind of water formed as a result of mixing river and sea ​​waters. It is characterized by high temperature and low salinity.

Surface water temperatures generally decrease from south to north in all seasons. In winter, it is close to the freezing point and near the mouths of the rivers it is -0.2-0.6°, and at the northern borders of the sea -1.7-1.8°. In summer, the distribution of surface temperature is determined by the ice conditions. The water temperature in bays and bays reaches 7-8°, in open, ice-free areas 2-3°, and near the ice edge it is close to 0°.

The change in water temperature with depth in winter and spring is hardly noticeable. Only near the mouths of large rivers does it decrease to -0.5° in the subglacial horizons and to -1.5° near the bottom. In summer, in ice-free spaces, the water temperature drops slightly from the surface to the bottom in the coastal zone in the west of the sea. In its eastern part, surface temperature is observed in the 3-5 m layer, from where it drops sharply to 5-7 m horizons and then gradually decreases to the bottom. In the zones of influence of coastal runoff, a uniform temperature covers a layer up to 7-10 m, between horizons of 10-20 m it sharply, and then gradually decreases to the bottom. The shallow, slightly warm East Siberian Sea is one of the coldest Arctic seas.

Surface salinity generally increases from southwest to northeast. In winter and spring, it is 4-5‰ near the mouths of the Kolyma and Indigirka, reaches 24-26‰ near the Bear Islands, increases to 28-30‰ in central regions sea ​​and rises to 31-32‰ on its northern outskirts. In summer, as a result of the inflow of river waters and the melting of ice, the surface salinity decreases to 18-22‰ in the coastal zone, 20-22‰ near the Bear Islands, to 24-26‰ in the north, at the edge of the melting ice.

In winter, in most of the sea, salinity slightly increases from the surface to the bottom. Only in the northwestern region, where they penetrate ocean waters from the north, salinity increases from 23‰ in the upper layer 10-15 m thick to 30‰ at the bottom. Near the mouth areas, the upper desalinated layer up to horizons of 10-15 m is underlain by more saline waters. From the end of spring and during summer, a desalinated layer 20–25 m thick forms on ice-free spaces, under which salinity increases with depth. Consequently, in shallow areas (down to depths of 10-20 and even up to 25 m), freshening covers the entire water column. In deeper areas in the north and east of the sea, at horizons of 5-10 m, and in some places 10-15 m, salinity increases sharply, and then gradually and slightly rises to the bottom.

In the autumn-winter season, the density of water is higher than in spring and summer. The density is greater in the north and east than in the west of the sea, where desalinated waters from the Laptev Sea penetrate. However, these differences are small. Generally density increases with depth. Its vertical distribution is similar to the course of salinity.

The different degree of water overstratification creates different conditions for the development of mixing in different areas of the East Siberian Sea. In relatively weakly stratified and ice-free spaces, strong winds in summer mix water up to 20-25 m horizons. Consequently, in areas limited by a depth of 25 m, wind mixing extends to the bottom. In places of sharp stratification of waters in density, wind mixing penetrates only to horizons of 10-15 m, where it is limited by significant vertical density gradients.

Autumn-winter convection in the East Siberian Sea at depths of 40-50 m, which occupy more than 70% of its entire area, penetrates to the bottom. By the end of the cold season, the winter vertical circulation extends to horizons of 70-80 m, where it is limited by the great vertical stability of the waters.

Bottom relief

The underwater relief of the shelf that forms the bed of the sea, in general terms, is a plain, very slightly inclined from the southwest to the northeast. The bottom of the sea has no noticeable depressions and hills. Depths up to 20-25 m prevail. To the northeast of the mouths of the Indigirka and Kolyma, shallow trenches are noted on the seabed. It is believed that these are traces of ancient river valleys flooded by the sea. The area of ​​shallow depths in the western part of the sea forms the Novosibirsk shoal. The greatest depths are concentrated in the northeastern part of the sea. A noticeable increase in depth occurs in the horizon from 100 to 200 m.

Bottom relief and currents of the East Siberian Sea

currents

Constant currents on the surface of the East Siberian Sea form a weakly expressed cyclonic circulation. Along the mainland coast, there is a steady transfer of water from west to east. At Cape Billing, part of the waters is directed to the north and northwest and carried to the northern margins of the sea, where it is included in the streams going to the west. In different synoptic situations, the movement of waters also changes. Part of the water from the East Siberian Sea is carried out through the Long Strait into the Chukchi Sea. Permanent currents are often disturbed by wind currents, which are often stronger than permanent currents. Influence tidal currents relatively small.

Regular semidiurnal tides are observed in the East Siberian Sea. They are caused by a tidal wave that enters the sea from the north and moves towards the coast of the mainland. Its front is stretched from the north-north-west to the east-south-east from the New Siberian Islands to about. Wrangel.

The tides are most pronounced in the north and northwest. As they move south, they weaken, as the ocean tidal wave is largely damped in the vast shallow water. Thus, in the section from Indigirka to Cape Shelagsky, tidal level fluctuations are almost not noticeable. To the west and east of this area, the tide is also small - 5-7 cm. At the mouth of the Indigirka, the configuration of the banks and the bottom topography contribute to an increase in tides to 20-25 cm. Level changes caused by meteorological reasons are much more developed on the coast of the mainland.

The annual course of the level is characterized by its highest position in June-July, when there is an abundant inflow of river waters. The decrease in continental runoff in August leads to a decrease in the level by 50-70 cm. As a result of the predominance of surge winds in autumn, in October, the level rises.

In winter, the level drops and in March - April reaches its lowest position.

IN summer season surge phenomena are very pronounced, in which level fluctuations are often 60-70 cm. At the mouth of the Kolyma and in the Dmitry Laptev Strait, they reach maximum values ​​​​for the entire sea - 2.5 m.

A fast and abrupt change in level positions is one of the characteristic features of the coastal regions of the sea.

Significant waves develop in the ice-free areas of the sea. It is strongest during stormy northwestern and southeastern winds, which have the largest accelerations over the surface of clear water. The maximum wave heights reach 5 m, usually their height is 3-4 m. Strong waves are observed mainly in late summer - early autumn (September), when the ice edge recedes to the north. The western part of the sea is more stormy than the eastern one. Its central regions are relatively calm.

ice coverage

The East Siberian Sea is the most arctic of the seas of the Soviet Arctic. From October-November to June-July it is completely covered with ice. At this time, the flow of ice from the Arctic Basin to the sea prevails, in contrast to other seas of the Arctic, where outward ice drift prevails. A characteristic feature of the ice of the East Siberian Sea is the significant development of fast ice in winter. At the same time, it is most widely distributed in the western, shallow part of the sea and occupies a narrow coastal strip in the east of the sea. In the west of the sea, the width of fast ice reaches 400-500 km. Here it joins the fast ice of the Laptev Sea. In the central regions its width is 250-300 km and to the east of Cape Shelagsky - 30-40 km. The fast ice boundary approximately coincides with the 25 km isobath, which runs 50 km north of the New Siberian Islands, then turns southeast, approaching the coast of the mainland near Cape Shelagsky. By the end of winter, the thickness of fast ice reaches 2 m. From west to east, the thickness of fast ice decreases. Drifting ice is located behind the fast ice. Usually this is one-year and two-year ice 2-3 m thick. In the very north of the sea, multi-year Arctic ice is found. The prevailing southerly winds in winter often carry drifting ice away from the northern edge of the fast ice. As a result of this, significant expanses of clear water and young ice appear, forming in the west the Novosibirsk and in the east the Zavrangel stationary ice polynyas.

At the beginning of summer, after the breakup and destruction of fast ice, the position of the ice edge is determined by the action of winds and currents. However, ice is always found north of the band about. Wrangel - New Siberian Islands. In the western part of the sea, on the site of extensive fast ice, the Novosibirsk ice massif is being formed. It consists mainly of first-year ice and usually breaks up by the end of summer. The vast majority of space in the east of the sea is occupied by a spur of the Ayon oceanic ice massif, which largely forms heavy multi-year ice. Its southern periphery during the whole year almost adjoins the coast of the mainland, determining the ice situation in the sea.

Economic importance

The East Siberian Sea is similar in natural and biological conditions to the Laptev Sea. The relative richness of life is observed in the coastal zone, in the areas where large rivers flow. Animals adapted to life in waters with low salinity are common here. Cold-loving brackish-water forms are found in the central regions. Fishing is purely local.

The East Siberian Sea belongs to the Arctic Ocean. It is bounded from the west by the New Siberian Islands, and from the east by Wrangel Island. This reservoir is the least studied in comparison with other northern seas. These places are characterized by a cold climate with poor flora and fauna and low salinity of sea water.

Sea currents are slow, tides reach no more than 25 cm. In summer, frequent fogs are observed, the ice stays almost all year round, it retreats only in August-September. The sea coast was inhabited thousands of years ago by the Chukchi and Yukagirs, and then by the Evenks and Evens. These peoples were engaged in hunting, fishing and reindeer herding. Later, the Yakuts appeared, and then the Russians.

East Siberian Sea on the map

Geography

The area of ​​the water surface of the East Siberian Sea is 942 thousand square meters. km. The volume of water reaches 60.7 thousand cubic meters. km. Average depth is 45 meters, and the maximum is 155 meters. Length coastline equal to 3016 km. The western boundary of the reservoir passes through the New Siberian Islands. The northernmost of these is Henrietta Island, part of the De Long Islands group.

The eastern border passes through Wrangel Island and the Long Strait. North of the northern point Wrangel to Henrietta, Jeannette Island and further to the northern point of Kotelny Island. The southern border runs along the coast of the mainland from Cape Svyatoi Nos in the west to Cape Yakan in the east. The reservoir connects with the Laptev Sea through the Sannikov, Eterikan and Dmitry Laptev straits. And communication with the Chukchi Sea is carried out through the Long Strait.

Rivers and bays

The most important rivers flowing into the reservoir are the Indigirka with a length of 1726 km, the Kolyma with a length of 2129 km, the Chaun with a length of 205 km, the Pegtymel with a length of 345 km, the Bolshaya Chukochya with a length of 758 km, and the Alazeya with a length of 1590 km.

On the coast there are bays such as Chaunskaya Bay, Omulyakhskaya Bay, Goose Bay, Khromskaya Bay, Kolyma Bay. All these bays run deep into the land. There is also the Kolyma Bay, bounded from the north by the Bear Islands: Krestovsky, Pushkareva, Leontiev, Lysova, Andreeva and Chetyrekhstolbovoy.

The river flow is small and amounts to 250 cubic meters. km per year. Of these, the Kolyma River gives 132 cubic meters. km of water. Indigirka discharges 59 cubic meters into the East Siberian Sea. km of water. 90% of the total runoff occurs during the summer period. Fresh water concentrated near the shore due to a weak current and does not have a significant impact on the hydrology of the reservoir. But there is water exchange with neighboring seas and the Arctic Ocean.

The surface temperature of the water decreases from south to north. In winter, in river deltas, it is -0.2 and -0.6 degrees Celsius. And in the northern part of the sea it drops to -1.8 degrees Celsius. In summer, in the bays, the water warms up to 7-8 degrees Celsius, and in ice-free sea areas it is 2-3 degrees Celsius.

The salinity of surface waters increases from the southwest to the northeast. In the area of ​​river deltas in winter and spring it is 4-5 ppm. In open waters it reaches 28-30 ppm, and in the north up to 31-32 ppm. In summer, salinity decreases by 5% due to snowmelt.

The annual fluctuation in the level of the East Siberian Sea is 70 cm due to summer river flows. Winds bring storms with waves 3-5 meters high in the western part of the sea region, and in the east it is relatively calm. Storms usually last 1-2 days in summer and 3-5 days in winter.

The thickness of the ice by the end of winter reaches 2 meters and decreases from west to east. In addition, there are drifting ice floes with a thickness of 2-3 meters. The melting of ice begins in May from the delta of the Kolyma River. And completely the reservoir freezes in October-November.

Climate

The climate is arctic. In winter, southwestern and southern winds blow, carrying cold air from Siberia, therefore average temperature in winter is -30 degrees Celsius. The weather is cloudy with storms and snowstorms.

In summer, northern winds blow, and the air temperature is 0-1 degrees Celsius in the open sea and 2-3 degrees Celsius on the coast. The sky is cloudy with frequent rain and sleet. The coast is covered with fog, it can last up to 70 days. The annual rainfall is 200 mm.

Flora and fauna are scarce, as the climate is harsh. There are a lot of plankton and crustaceans in the water. Ringed seals, bearded seals, walruses, polar bears live in coastal zones. Of the birds there are gulls, cormorants. The East Siberian Sea is frequented by bowhead and gray whales. Belugas and narwhals are found. Of the fish there are grayling, muksun, whitefish, smelt, polar cod, arctic char, saffron cod, flounder.

Shipping

Shipping is practiced to transport goods along north coast Russia in August-September. At the same time, navigation is difficult even in summer due to floating ice floes that bring wind to the shores. Fishing and hunting for marine animals is local.

The main port is Pevek with a population of about 5 thousand people. He is the most northern city Russia and is located in the Chaun Bay. Cargo turnover seaport is 190 thousand tons with bandwidth 330 thousand tons. There are 3 berths with a length of 500 meters. Cargo transportation is carried out mainly between Pevek and Vladivostok.

The reservoir received its modern name in June 1935 in accordance with the decree of the Soviet government. Prior to that, it was called the Indigirsky, then the Northern, then the Kolyma, then the Siberian, then the Arctic Sea.

Due to the harsh climate, life has developed in the East Siberian Sea. Only the most persistent representatives of flora and fauna live here, which have adapted to low temperatures. In its waters, there are the same microscopic algae and organisms that are found in the neighboring Laptev Sea. Mostly diatoms are found, from time to time red and brown algae appear - in the coastal region of the western part of the sea. Compared to neighboring seas, there are few bottom dwellers here. After all, not every species can survive in the condition low temperatures. Therefore, there are only some types of crustaceans, valvular, echinoderm and intestinal mollusks.

Among the mammals of the East Siberian Sea: seals, beluga whales, cetaceans and walruses. Along with all the coastal zones of the northern seas, walruses are harvested on its territory, but only for the needs of the local population. Indeed, since 1956, walruses have been under state protection. Also living on the islands polar bear, which is a semi-marine mammal. For the sake of food, smaller predators come to the shores of the East Siberian Sea, we are talking about sea otters and arctic foxes.

There is no information that sharks live in the waters of this sea. Perhaps here you can meet a polar shark - an inhabitant of the Arctic waters. Such a six-meter shark almost never comes to the sea surface. It feeds on the smallest organisms, animal remains and small fish. The polar shark is lazy, like many other arctic giants, so do not expect an attack on active animals. Scientists say that bathers in this harsh sea may not be afraid of the teeth of man-eating sharks. Therefore, travelers can often be found here.

Already from the name of this natural reservoir it is clear that it is located in the region of the northern coast of Eastern Siberia. The boundaries of the sea are mainly represented by imaginary lines. Only in some parts it is limited to dry land. Previously, until the beginning of the 20th century, the sea had several names, including Indigirskoye and Kolyma. Now it is called East Siberian.

After reading the article, you can learn more detailed information about this body of water: characteristics, climatic conditions. It also describes the resources of the East Siberian Sea and the problems that exist today.

Location

The entire sea is located beyond the Arctic Circle. Its southernmost point is located off the coast of the Chaun Bay. All its shores belong to the territory of Russia. The sea is located in the Arctic Ocean. This is a place where the effect of warm waters is almost not felt. Atlantic Ocean, and the waters of the Pacific still do not reach it.

The East Siberian Sea is marginal. There are the New Siberian Islands (border with the Laptev Sea), Ayon, Medvezhiy and Shalaurova. The sea itself is located between the Novosibirsk Islands and Wrangel Island. It is connected by straits with the Chukchi and Laptev Seas.

Description and characteristics

In the central and western parts of the coast are sloping, and two lowlands adjoin the coast: Nizhne-Kolymskaya and Yano-Indigirskaya. The spurs of the Chukchi Highlands approach the coast of the eastern part (east of the mouth of the Kolyma). In places, rocky cliffs also formed here. On Wrangel Island, on its western coast, they reach up to 400 meters in height. In the section of the New Siberian Islands, the coastline is monotonous and low-lying. The sea bed is formed by a shelf, whose relief is mostly flat, and it is inclined slightly in a northeasterly direction.

Deeper places are typical for the eastern region. The sea here has a depth of up to 54 meters, in the central and western parts - up to 20 meters, and in the northern regions - up to 200 meters (isobath - the boundary of the sea). The greatest depth of the East Siberian Sea is about 915 meters, and the average is 54 meters. In other words, this body of water is completely within the continental shelf.

The water surface area is 944,600 sq. km. The waters of the sea communicate with the waters of the Arctic Ocean, in connection with this, the reservoir belongs to the type of marginal continental seas. The volume is approximately 49 thousand cubic meters. km. Almost all year round the air temperature is below zero, so the waters of the sea are always covered with drifting large ice floes several meters thick.

Salinity

The East Siberian Sea has different salinity values ​​in the eastern and western parts. Due to the river runoff in the eastern part, the salt concentration decreases. This figure here is about 10-15 ppm. At the confluence of large rivers with the sea, salinity practically disappears. Closer to the ice fields, the concentration increases to 30 units. There is also an increase in salinity with depth, where it can reach 32 ppm.

Relief

The coast line has large bends. In this regard, the sea in places pushes the boundaries of the land deep into the mainland, and in places, on the contrary, the land protrudes far into the sea. There are also areas with an almost flat coastline. Small meanders are mainly observed at the mouths of rivers.

Eastern and west coast have very different topography. The coast, washed by the sea from the mouth of the Kolyma to the New Siberian Islands, has an almost monotonous landscape. The reservoir in these places borders on swampy tundra. The coast here is flat and low.

A more diverse landscape is noted on the coast formed east of the Kalyma River, but mountains prevail here. The sea to the island of Aion is bordered by small hills, some of which have rather steep slopes. The region of Chaun Bay is characterized by low steep banks.

A large area of ​​the sea floor is covered with a small sedimentary cover. Islands in the East Siberian Sea are not numerous. Most of them are formed at the expense of the foundation. Based on the results of studies (aeromagnetic surveys), it was determined that the composition of the shelf sediments mainly includes sandy silt, pebbles and crushed boulders. There are suggestions that some of them are fragments of islands. They are scattered throughout the ice. To a greater extent, due to the predominance of flat terrain, the depth of the East Siberian Sea is only 20-25 meters.

Hydrology

Almost the whole year the reservoir is covered with ice. In the eastern areas, even in summer, you can see perennial floating ice. They are driven away from the coast by continental winds to the north. Ice drifts in a northwesterly direction due to the circulation of water, which is affected by anticyclones near the North Pole.

The area of ​​the cyclonic circulation increases, and perennial ice floes from the polar latitudes enter the sea after the weakening of the anticyclone. To date, the system of currents in this reservoir has not been fully studied. But it can be stated with confidence that the water circulation of these places is characterized by a cyclonic character.

This reservoir, in comparison with other representatives of the Arctic Ocean basin, is characterized by not very high river flow. The rivers of the East Siberian Sea are not numerous. The most major river, flowing into the sea - Kolyma. Its stock is approximately 132 cubic meters. km per year. The second in terms of the same characteristic is the Indigirka River, which brings in half the volume of water over the same period. All this has little effect on the general hydrological situation.

The average annual precipitation is from 100 to 200 mm. Due to the absence of trenches with great depths in the sea and due to the fact that a significant area is represented by shallow water, surface waters occupy vast areas.

Climate

In winter, the East Siberian Sea is under the influence of south and southwest winds. Their speed is about 7 meters per second. also in winter time The climate of the sea is greatly influenced by the Siberian High. Pacific cyclones, prevailing in the southeastern parts of the sea, bring snowstorms, strong winds and rather cloudy weather with constantly drizzling rain or sleet.

Flora and fauna

The fauna and flora of the East Siberian Sea is similar to that of the neighboring Laptev Sea, as both are typically arctic. The same mammals and birds, the same fish as in many other northern seas. Seals, narwhals, sea hares and walruses live here. Polar bears settled on the islands. These places are also favored by a huge number of nesting birds. You can meet here geese: white-fronted and goose. There is also a comb eider and a rather rare black goose. Large bird colonies gather: kittiwakes, gulls, guillemots.

Only local residents are engaged in the extraction of sea animals and fishing in coastal waters. It should be noted that large shoals of white fish can be found here in the areas of river mouths. Phytoplankton of the sea is represented by blue-green and diatoms. Sometimes pteropods and tunicates appear. The soil abounds with polychaetes, amphipod crustaceans and isopods. Representatives of mammals are beluga whales, seals, walruses and cetaceans (especially minke whales).

The resources of the East Siberian Sea in terms of flora and fauna are relatively poor. This is primarily due to the rather harsh climate conditions. Only the most frost-resistant representatives took root in these places.

Concluding on the problems

The problems of the East Siberian Sea are similar to those of most northern seas. For several years, the biological resources of the region, especially whales, have been destroyed. To date, this has led to a significant reduction in the number of these mammals, as well as the extinction of some species.

The problem of a global nature is the melting of glaciers, which negatively affects the local fauna. Mention should also be made of the results of human activity (development of hydrocarbon deposits), which had a negative impact on the state of the reservoir.

It is called the most severe among all the northern seas, located at a large distance from the warm waters of the Atlantic Ocean. The East Siberian Sea, washing the northern coast of Russia in the East, with all its shallow water, literally freezes.

The sea, marginal to the Arctic Ocean, is located along the northern coast of Eastern Siberia between the New Siberian Islands and Wrangel Island, conditionally administrative shores belong to Yakutia and Chukotka autonomous region. Most of it is outlined by conditional lines, and only from the side adjacent to Russia, nature has created its own borders. total area The sea is quite large: 944,600 sq. km, provided that you cannot call it deep (the average is 54 m).

The borders are considered to be at the points of intersection of the meridian with the islands of Kotelny, Wrangel and capes Anisy, Blossom, Yakan and Svyatoy Nos. There are practically no islands here, the entire coastline is deeply cut into the land or protrudes from the sea and forms large bends, small meanders lead to the mouths of the rivers.

As for the nature of the coastline, the eastern one is not at all like the western one. So, in the area of ​​the New Siberian Islands and the mouth of the Kolyma, there is a tundra dotted with swamps, the relief is quite gentle and low, but closer to the island of Ayon, the coast takes on a mountainous landscape. Almost low mounds approach the banks of the water, in some places abruptly breaking off.

The underwater relief is flat and uniform throughout the territory. Only in some areas there is a depth of up to 25 m. Experts call them the remains of ancient river valleys.

Often this sea is called an important part of the trade route through which goods are transported to the northern regions of Eastern Siberia. The large port of Pevek operates here, and it carries out transit movements from the West to the East of the country.

(Sea trade and transport port of Pevek)

The East Siberian Sea can hardly be called a fishing hub in Russia. For the most part, sea animals are harvested here in the waters adjacent to land. Locals catch here European smelt, capelin, cod and herring. Near the mouths of the rivers, valuable whitefish, sturgeon and salmon are caught. However, this type of activity does not make a serious economic contribution to the development of the country and the region.