The Sea of Okhotsk is one of the largest bodies of water on the entire planet. It is also one of the richest in terms of biological resources. The sea provides about 60% of the entire fishing industry of the Russian Federation. Its waters are inhabited by rare and endangered species, and on the banks there are noisy "bird markets".
The geographical position of the Sea of Okhotsk
“What part of the ocean is the Sea of Okhotsk?” - This is one of the most common questions regarding this reservoir. The answer to this will be the following: the sea is in the northwest of the planet’s largest ocean - the Pacific. The Sea of Okhotsk is included in the category of marginal seas. In its northern part, it washes the shores of Asia. In the southeast, the ridge of the Kuril Islands, as well as the Kamchatka Peninsula , does not allow him to reunite with ocean waters .
The western border of the Sea of Okhotsk is drawn along the eastern coast of two islands: Sakhalin and Hokkaido. According to its physical and geographical characteristics, it is an inland sea. The Sea of Okhotsk also belongs to the seas of the so-called mixed continental-marginal species. Its area is 1603 thousand square meters. km And the average depth is 821 m. The maximum depth of the Sea of Okhotsk is 3916 m.
Strait of the Sea of Okhotsk
The Amur estuary, the Nevelsky Strait, as well as the Laperouse Strait are the channels through which the Sea of Okhotsk is connected to the Sea of Japan. Which ocean gives rise to the Sea of Japan? It, like Okhotsk, belongs to the Pacific Ocean. With the help of a huge number of the Kuril Straits, the sea also connects to the Pacific Ocean. The deepest are the straits of the islands of Bussol and Kruzenshtern. In accordance with the classification of the geographer N. Zubov, the Sea of Okhotsk belongs to the category of basin seas. The depth of its straits is much less than the depth of the basin.
Islands of the Sea of Okhotsk
The part of which ocean is the Sea of Okhotsk determines its shape. In this part of the Pacific Ocean there are a large number of islands of various genesis. But the coastline itself is considered relatively flat. The islands of the sea differ in their shape. There are also those that are located in waters in compactly compressed groups. There are also loners. The map of the Sea of Okhotsk is dotted with many islands, including those located in the zone of seismic activity (for example, the Kuril Islands). Scientists also distinguish mainland islands and the so-called islands of the transition zone. The first group includes those that are formed by a lithospheric plate united with the mainland.
And to the second geographers include those that have the shape of elongated archipelagos. The first group includes small islands located near East Sakhalin. These are Seals and Danger Stone. The seal island has a flat surface and steep coast. And the Hazard Stone, in fact, is a group of bare stones located in the Laperouse Strait. Two hundred km. from about. Sakhalin is about. Jonahs with rocky shores. Its height is about 150 m. And in the north-west is the Shantar archipelago, which includes about 15 islands, whose territory is 2.5 km 2 . The islands of the so-called Big Kuril Ridge are included in the South Kuril Islands.
Salinity and temperature
The salinity of the waters is determined by the part of which ocean the Sea of Okhotsk is. The salinity of the sea is very similar to that of the Pacific Ocean. The surface waters of the Sea of Okhotsk have a salinity of 32.8-33.8 ppm. The intermediate layer has a salinity of 34.5 ppm. It is known that in the Pacific Ocean this indicator is on average 30-35 ppm. The temperature at the water surface in the sea during the cold season is from -1.8 ° C to + 2 ° C. In summer, indicators rise to + 18 ° C. But at a depth of about 50-150 meters, the water temperature remains constant year-round. It amounts to about -1.7 ° C. Through the Kuril Straits, warmer waters with a temperature of about 2-3 ° C enter the territory of the sea.
Belonging to the sea
Since March 2003, Russia has been recognized as an official right to the enclave of the sea. The Sea of Okhotsk, or rather, a significant part of its shelf with an area of about 52 thousand square meters. km Now it is at the disposal of the Russian Federation. This event was especially important for local fishermen. After all, before they could not engage in fishing anywhere in the sea. After the transfer of the Sea of Okhotsk to Russia, they will no longer have competitors from other countries that previously had to give part of the caught fish. In addition, other industrial workers from that time had the opportunity to cross the sea through the most convenient route.
Biological diversity
“Sea of Okhotsk - what ocean basin?” - This question is also often asked in connection with the description of its marine wealth. The fauna of the sea is rich in species that came to these waters from the Pacific territories. Here live crabs, shrimps, sea urchins and stars, seals, whales, fur seals. According to some estimates, it ranks first in the world in the number of crabs. It is in the waters of the Sea of Okhotsk that the giant Kamchatka crab lives, the leg span of which can reach 1.5 m.
About 200 species of fish are also found in the sea - these are herring, cod, saffron cod, pollack, capelin. Also in this area, you can often meet sharks. Their species composition is similar to the Bering Sea: there are katran, polar and salmon sharks.
Other wealth
The Sea of Okhotsk is rich not only in fish stocks, crabs and various mollusks. Geologists say that about 40% of its shelf are sources of black gold - oil. And also there are rich deposits of natural gas. Many experts are inclined to believe that the number of oil deposits at the bottom of the sea exceeds three billion barrels. But the complete transfer of the sea to Russia also means some of Russia's obligations. The state should protect against poachers illegally fishing in the sea.
Bottom features
The bottom of the sea is very diverse. There are hollows, and gutters, and many elevations. The part of which ocean the Sea of Okhotsk is part of determines the nature of its shelf. According to its characteristics, it is related to the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. It is known that in the Pacific Ocean there is the largest number of deep-sea trenches on the planet. The Sea of Okhotsk is located in the transition zone between the Asian continent and the Pacific Ocean. The region of the sea is a huge lithospheric plate, which is located between the Eurasian, North American and Pacific plates. The Pacific Ocean on the world map is separated from the Sea of Okhotsk by the Kuril-Kamchatka deep-sea trench.