The Barents Sea is a marginal sea of the Arctic Ocean. Its waters wash the shores of Norway and Russia. The Barents Sea is limited by the Novaya Zemlya, Svalbard and Franz Josef archipelagos. It is located on the continental shelf. The North Atlantic current does not allow the southwestern part of the sea to freeze in winter.
The water area is of great importance for fishing and shipping. Large ports are located on the Barents Sea: Russian Murmansk and Vardø (in Norway). Before World War II, Finland also had access to the water area. The only ice-free port in this country was Petsamo.
Environmental problems of the Barents Sea are of concern to many scientists. The main contamination is associated with the activities of Norwegian factories that process radioactive waste.
It should be said that recently there have been many disputes over the territorial affiliation of the sea shelf towards Svalbard.
It is believed that the Barents Sea was discovered by Willem Barents, although they knew about it in antiquity. Cartographers and sailors in the old days called the sea differently. Most often it was called Murmansk. In 1853 it was renamed the Barents Sea.
It is located within the continental shelf. However, unlike other similar seas, most of it has a depth of three hundred to four hundred meters. The average depth is 222 meters, the maximum is six hundred meters.
The surface layer of water has a salinity of 34.7-35% in the southwest, up to 33% in the north, and up to 34% in the east. In spring and summer, in coastal areas, this figure decreases to 32%, and by the end of the winter season it increases to 34-34.5%.
The southwestern part is characterized by relatively high temperature and salinity. This is due to the inflow of warm Atlantic waters. In February-March, the water surface temperature is from three to five degrees. By August, there is an increase to 7-9 degrees.
In the east and north, the Barents Sea is rather icy. This is due to the harsh conditions that have developed in these areas. Only the southwestern part remains free of ice in all seasons. The ice cover reaches its greatest distribution by April. At this time, about 75% of the surface is covered with floating ice. In extremely unfavorable years, by the end of winter, they can reach the shores of the Kola Peninsula. Late August sees the least amount of ice.
The Barents Sea is inhabited by a variety of fish, animal and plant plankton and benthos. In the water area off the southern coast, algae are common. There are one hundred and fourteen species of fish in the sea, twenty of them are of commercial importance.
Among the valuable species of fish should be namedcod, perch, flounder, catfish, herring, halibut. Among the mammals inhabiting the coastal areas, the harp seal, seal, polar bear, and white whale should be mentioned. Seabirds are also present in large numbers. Gulls and guillemots are very common on the territory. In the 20th century, crab was introduced to the area. He was able to perfectly adapt to the conditions and began intensive reproduction. The bottom of the entire water area is rich in various echinoderms, starfish and urchins.
