The Barents Sea is located in the coastal part of the Arctic Ocean and washes Norway and Russia. It got its name in 1853 from Willem Barents, who was a Dutch navigator. The study of this water body began in 1821, but the first complete description was compiled only at the beginning of the 20th century. But what is special about it and what biological resources are found in the Barents Sea?
Geographic location
As mentioned earlier, the Barents Sea is the edge of the smallest ocean on Earth, from which it is separated by islands (Svalbard, Vaygach, Franz Josef Land, Bear and Novaya Zemlya). In addition, it borders on two other seas - the White and Kara. The southwestern coastline is heavily indented, has many high cliffs and fiord bays, the highest of which are Varyazhsky, Porsangerfjord, Kola and Motovsky. But to the east, the situation changes dramatically: the coasts become lower and slightly indented. The bays are shallow, the largest of them are Khaipudyrskaya, Cheskaya and Pechora bays. The Barents Sea is not very rich in islands. The largest island isKolguev.
Hydrology
The water resources of the Barents Sea are constantly replenished by two large rivers - the Indiga and the Pechora. The water in the sea itself, namely its surface, is constantly in motion. It flows in a circle counterclockwise. In the central part of this sea, scientists have discovered a system of currents. Changes in these waves can occur under the influence of water exchange with other seas and from changes in the direction of the winds. The tidal currents have the greatest influence on the coastal part. The balance in the Barents Sea is also maintained thanks to the waters from the surrounding seas. The total volume of water that is transferred between them per year is equal to ¼ of all the liquid in this reservoir.
Geological data
The Barents Sea lies on the mainland. It differs from similar reservoirs in that depths of 300-400 m are quite common here, but the average is considered to be 222 m, and the largest is 600 m. maximum depth - 386 m), and highlands (Perseus, maximum depth - 63 m), and trenches (Western, 600 m deep, and Franz Victoria - 430 m). The bottom cover in the southern part is predominantly sandy, only occasionally you can find crushed stone and pebbles. Silt and sand are found in the northern and central parts. In all directions, there is also an admixture of debris, because ancient glacial deposits are common here.
Weather conditions
On the climatein this area, two oceans opposite in temperature regimes influence - the Atlantic and the Arctic. Often, warm cyclones are replaced by cold air currents, which leads to weather instability. This also explains the fact that storms are not uncommon here. The average temperature is very different in different parts of the sea, for example, in February in the north it can drop to -25, and in the southwest it can be only -4 degrees. The same situation occurs in August - in the north - from 0 to +1 degrees, in the southeast - up to 10. The weather is almost always cloudy, the sun can come out only occasionally, and then for several hours. This climate is a consequence of the high ice cover of the Barents Sea. Only the southwestern part is never occupied by snow blocks. In April, freezing reaches its peak, namely, 75% of the entire reservoir is occupied by floating ice.
Biological resources of the Barents Sea
The variety of flora and fauna in this reservoir is very large, all this gives life to benthos and plankton. Benthos are the smallest organisms that live in the sand at the bottom of the sea. It includes both animals and plants. The zoobenthos include starfish, rays, scallops, crabs, oysters and others. Phytobenthos include a variety of algae that have adapted to live without sunlight. Plankton are a variety of small organisms that swim freely in the water and are not able to show at least some resistance to the flow. It includes bacteria, small species of algae, mollusks, fish larvae and invertebrates. The plant resources of the Barents Sea are generally very poor, as it is located in the Northern Arctic. No rare or endangered species have been found here. Macroalgae of many species (194) live on the Murmansk coast. Scientists have found 75 red, 39 green and 80 brown subspecies here.
Sea life
The fish resources of the Barents Sea are quite large. Therefore, fishing is quite well developed here. Although scientists have counted 114 species, 20 of them are considered the most important in relation to fishing. These are herring, haddock, catfish, halibut, cod, sea bass, flounder and others, but it is these fish that make up 80% of the total catch of the local "hunters". For spawning, they go to the shores of Norway, and already grown fry swim into the sea. Arctic fish also contribute to the natural resources of the Barents Sea. These are navaga, low-vertebral herring, polar flounder, black halibut, polar shark and smelt. But they do not have much importance in fishing.
Mammals and Birds
The biological resources of the Barents Sea are also supplemented by mammals. They are divided into three orders: Pinnipeds, Cetaceans and Carnivores. The former include the bald, or harp seal, sea hare, walrus, ringed seal, etc. The second includes the beluga whale, white-sided dolphin, narwhal, bowhead whale, killer whale, etc. The third is the polar bear, which in Russia is listed in the Red book. The resources of the Barents Sea are amongmammals are also interesting for fishing, namely seal trapping. The coast of this reservoir is filled with bird colonies, that is, large colonial nests. Here you can meet kittiwake, guillemot or guillemot.
Ecology
The resources of the Barents Sea and environmental problems are quite closely linked, as excessive human intervention in the environment always leads to adverse consequences. Ecologists consider this place unique, because you will not find such a clean sea near Europe anymore. But still there is a rather big problem - poaching. Overfishing leads to the extinction of species and disruption of the overall balance. Norway and Russia sharply suppress such violation of the laws, which gives its results. Another we alth of the Barents Sea is oil and natural gas. And people could not take advantage of this. Therefore, quite often there are emissions of "black gold" into the water masses, which have a very detrimental effect on all animals.
The landscape of this sea is also unique. Therefore, the International Fund for Nature Protection warns that the slightest mistake in the extraction or transportation of fossil fuels can lead to an environmental disaster. If such a disaster occurs, then even in 30 years, with hard work, it will not be possible to completely eliminate all the consequences. After all, the situation is aggravated by the fact that low temperatures do not allow bacteria to multiply, which means that the natural cleaning mechanism simply does not work. It's worth considering.
SoThe Barents Sea is a unique body of water that should be protected. This place is rich in fish and natural resources, as well as other natural resources, which makes it even more significant.
