Barents Sea is a marginal sea of the Arctic Ocean.Its shores are washed by the waters of Norway and Russia.The Barents Sea is limited to the Novaya Zemlya archipelago, Svalbard and Franz Josef.It is located on the continental shelf.North Atlantic during warm winter does not allow the southwestern part of the sea.
Water area is of great importance for fishing and navigation.In the Barents Sea there are large ports: Russian Murmansk and Vardo (Norway).Before the Second World had access to the waters of Finland.The only ice-free port of the country was Petsamo.
Environmental problems in the Barents Sea worry many scientists.Main pollution linked to the activities of the Norwegian plants processing radioactive waste.
should be noted that in recent times there is a lot of debate over the territorial sea shelf belonging in the direction of Spitsbergen.
believed that the Barents Willem Barents discovered, even though they knew about it in antiquity.Cartographers and navigators in old days was called the sea differently.Most often it was called Murmansk.In 1853, the year it was renamed into the Barents Sea.
Settles it within the continental shelf.However, unlike other similar seas, most of it has a depth of three to four hundred meters.The average depth - 222 meters, maximum - six hundred meters.
surface layer of water has a salinity in the south-west of 34.7-35% in the north to 33% in the east up to 34%.In the spring and summer in coastal areas this figure falls to 32%, and by the end of the winter season increased to 34-34.5%.
Southwest has a relatively high temperature and salinity.This is due to the arrival of warm Atlantic waters.In February and March, the surface temperature of the water - between three and five degrees.By August, there is an increase to 7-9 degrees.
the east and north of the Arctic Barents Sea is enough.This is due to the harsh conditions created in these areas.Ice-free in all seasons is a south-western part.Ice cover most of its distribution reach by April.At that time, about 75% of the surface is covered with floating ice.In the extremely unfavorable years to the end of the winter, and they can reach the coast of the Kola Peninsula.At the end of August marked the lowest number of ice.
Barents Sea is populated by a variety of fish, plant and animal plankton and benthos.In the waters off the southern coast of the common algae.At sea, one hundred and fourteen species of fish, and twenty of them are of commercial importance.
Among valuable fish species should be called cod, redfish, flounder, catfish, herring, halibut.Among the mammals that inhabit coastal areas, should be called harp seals, seals, polar bears, beluga.A large number of present and seabirds.Very common in the territory of gulls, guillemots.In the 20th century the area was brought crab.He was able to perfectly adapt to the conditions and began an intensive breeding.The bottom of the entire area of the rich variety of echinoderms, starfish and urchins.
