Interesting facts about the Sea of ​​Okhotsk. Sea of ​​Okhotsk

The area is 1603 thousand km². Average depth- 821 m, maximum depth - 3916 m. The western part of the sea is located above a gentle continuation of the continent and has a shallow depth. In the center of the sea are the Deryugin depressions (in the south) and the TINRO depression. In the eastern part is located Kuril basin, in which the depth is maximum. From October to May - June, the northern part of the sea is covered with ice. southeastern part practically does not freeze. The coast in the north is heavily indented, in the northeast Sea of ​​Okhotsk its largest bay is located - Shelikhov Bay. Of the smaller bays of the northern part, the most famous are the Eiriney Bay and the bays of Shelting, Zabiyaka, Babushkina, Kekurny. In the east, the coastline of the Kamchatka Peninsula is practically devoid of bays. To the west, the coastline is heavily indented, forming the Sakhalin Bay and the Shantar Sea. In the south, the largest are Aniva and Patience bays, Odessa Bay on Iturup Island. The rivers Amur, Okhota, Kukhtui flow into it.

hydronym

The Sea of ​​Okhotsk is named after the Okhota River, which in turn comes from Evensk. okat - "river". Previously it was called Lamsky (from the Evensk lam - “sea”), as well as the Kamchatka Sea. The Japanese traditionally called this sea the Hokkai (北海), literally "North Sea". But since now this name refers to the North Sea of ​​the Atlantic Ocean, they changed the name of the Sea of ​​\u200b\u200bOkhotsk to Ohotsuku-kai (オホーツク海), which is an adaptation of the Russian name to the norms of Japanese phonetics.

Related videos

Legal regime

Western sector of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk from a height of 5100 m, from the board of the An-26-100, flight Khabarovsk - Okhotsk

The water area of ​​the Sea of ​​Okhotsk consists of internal waters, the territorial sea and the exclusive economic zone of two coastal states - Russia and Japan. According to its international legal status, the Sea of ​​Okhotsk is closest to a semi-enclosed sea (Article 122 of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea), since it is surrounded by two or more states and mainly consists of a territorial sea and an exclusive economic zone of two states, but it is not one, since connected to the rest of the world's oceans not by a single narrow passage, but by a series of passages. In the central part of the sea, at a distance of 200 nautical miles from the baselines, there is an area elongated in the meridional direction, traditionally referred to in the English literature as Peanut Hole, which is not included in the exclusive economic zone and is an open sea outside the jurisdiction of Russia; in particular, any country in the world has the right to fish here and conduct other activities permitted by the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, excluding activities on the shelf. Since this region is an important element for the reproduction of the population of some species commercial fish, the governments of some countries expressly prohibit their vessels from fishing in this part of the sea.

On November 13-14, 2013, a subcommittee established within the framework of the UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf agreed with the arguments of the Russian delegation as part of the consideration of the application of the Russian Federation to recognize the bottom of the above section of the high seas as a continuation of the Russian continental shelf. On March 15, 2014, the 33rd session of the Commission in 2014 adopted a positive decision on the Russian application, first filed in 2001, and filed in a new edition in early 2013, and the central part of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk outside the exclusive economic zone of the Russian Federation was recognized as the continental shelf Russia. Consequently, in the central part, other states are prohibited from mining "sedentary" biological resources(e.g. crab, shellfish) and subsoil development. Catching other biological resources, such as fish, is not subject to the restrictions of the continental shelf. Consideration of the application on the merits became possible due to the position of Japan, which, by an official note dated May 23, 2013, confirmed its consent to the consideration by the Commission of the essence of the application without regard to resolving the issue of the Kuril Islands.

temperature and salinity

15 ships, on which there were about 700 people, were captured by ice.

The operation was carried out by the forces of the icebreaking flotilla: the icebreakers "Admiral Makarov" and "Krasin", the icebreaker "Magadan" and the tanker "Victoria" worked as auxiliary vessels. The coordination headquarters of the rescue operation was in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, the work was carried out under the leadership of the Deputy Minister of Transport of the Russian Federation Viktor Olersky.

Most of the ships got out on their own, the icebreakers rescued four ships: the trawler "Cape Elizabeth", the research vessel "Professor Kizevetter" (first half of January, "Admiral Makarov"), the refrigerator "Coast of Hope" and the mother ship "Commonwealth".

The second liberated ship was the Professor Kizevetter, whose captain, as a result of the investigation, was deprived of his diploma for six months.

In the area of ​​January 14, the icebreakers gathered together the remaining ships in distress, after which the icebreakers escorted both ships of the caravan on a coupler.

After the “mustache” of the “Commonwealth” was broken, it was decided to first pass through heavy ice refrigerator .

Wiring was suspended around January 20 due to weather conditions, but on January 24 it was possible to bring the refrigerator "Coast of Hope" to clean water.

On January 26, the towing "whiskers" broke again, we had to lose time for the delivery of new ones by helicopter.

On January 31, the Sodruzhestvo floating base was also taken out of ice captivity, the operation ended at 11:00 Vladivostok time.

In culture

  • Two-part Australian documentary"Wild Sea of ​​Russia" (eng. Russia's Wild Sea,) is dedicated to the Sea of ​​Okhotsk.

Notes

  1. Old maps of Russian cities - from ancient times to the present day. www.retromap.ru Retrieved 15 January 2016.
  2. Dobrovolsky A. D., Zalogin B. S. Seas of the USSR. M.: Publishing House of Moscow State University, 1982. With ill., 192 p.
  3. The Sea of ​​Okhotsk is our everything. // rg.ru. Retrieved November 22, 2015.
  4. FAO: World review of highly migratory species and straddling stocks…
  5. Diagram of Peanut Hole
  6. http://www.un.org/depts/los/clcs_new/submissions_files/rus01_rev13/part_1_Rezume_MID.pdf
  7. http://www.un.org/depts/los/clcs_new/submissions_files/eng01_rev13/2013_05_23_JPN_NV_UN_001.pdf
  8. ESIMO. Archived from the original on August 22, 2011.
  9. Bondarenko, Anna. The captain of the "Professor Kizevetter" stuck in the ice is deprived of a diploma, Rossiyskaya Gazeta (February 2, 2011). Retrieved February 10, 2011. "for violating labor discipline which created a threat to the safety of navigation, life and health of people at sea.
  10. Shadrina, Tatiana. Rescue at public expense The state will partially pay for the withdrawal of fishing vessels from ice captivity, We are monitoring the situation, Rossiyskaya Gazeta (January 31, 2011). Retrieved February 10, 2011. “The state, together with the fishermen, will pay for the rescue operation to remove ships from the ice of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk. It lasted a month and ended on January 30.”

The Sea of ​​Okhotsk is part of the Pacific Ocean, separated from it by the Kamchatka Peninsula, the Kuril Islands and the island of Hokkaido. The sea washes the shores of Russia and Japan. The Sea of ​​Okhotsk is named after the Okhota River, which in turn comes from Evensk. okat - "river". Previously it was called Lamsky (from the Evensk lam - “sea”), as well as the Kamchatka Sea. The western part of the sea is located on the continental shelf and has a shallow depth. In the center of the sea are the Deryugin depressions (in the south) and the TINRO depression. In the eastern part there is the Kuril basin, in which the depth is maximum. The coast in the north is strongly indented, in the northeast of the Sea of ​​​​Okhotsk there is its largest bay - Shelikhov Bay. Of the smaller bays of the northern part, the most famous are the Eyriney Bay and the bays of Shelting, Zabiyaka, Babushkin, Kekurny. In the east, the coastline of the Kamchatka Peninsula is practically devoid of bays. In the southwest, the largest are Aniva and Patience bays, Odessa Bay on Iturup Island.

Territorial regime The Sea of ​​Okhotsk, although it is surrounded on almost all sides by the territory Russian Federation, her inland sea is not; its water area consists of internal sea waters, the territorial sea and the exclusive economic zone. In the central part of the sea there is a meridional stretch, traditionally referred to in the English literature as Peanut Hole, which is not included in the exclusive economic zone of Russia and is legally an open sea; in particular, any country in the world has the right to fish here and conduct other activities permitted by the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. Since this region is an important element for the reproduction of the population of some species of commercial fish, the governments of some countries expressly prohibit their vessels from fishing in this area of ​​the sea.

temperature and salinity In winter, the water temperature at the sea surface ranges from -1.8 to 2.0 °C, in summer the temperature rises to 10-18 °C. Below the surface layer, at a depth of about 50-150 meters, there is an intermediate cold layer of water, the temperature of which does not change during the year and is about -1.7 °C. The waters of the Pacific Ocean entering the sea through the Kuril Straits form deep water masses with a temperature of 2.5 - 2.7 ° C (at the very bottom - 1.5-1.8 ° C). In coastal areas with significant river runoff, the water temperature is around 0 °C in winter and 8-15 °C in summer. Salinity of surface sea ​​waters- 32.8-33.8 ppm. The salinity of the intermediate layer is 34.5‰. deep waters have a salinity of 34.3 - 34.4 ‰. Coastal waters have a salinity of less than 30 ‰.

Bottom relief The Sea of ​​Okhotsk is located in the transition zone of the mainland to the ocean floor. The basin of the sea is divided into two parts: northern and southern. The first is a submerged (up to 1000 m) continental shelf; within it are distinguished: the heights of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR and the Institute of Oceanology, occupying central part seas, the Deryugin depression (near Sakhalin) and Tinro (near Kamchatka). southern part The Sea of ​​Okhotsk is occupied by the deep-water Kuril Basin, which is separated from the ocean by the Kuril Islands. Coastal sediments are coarse-grained terrigenous; in the central part of the sea, diatomaceous oozes. The earth's crust under the sea is represented by continental and subcontinental types in the northern part and suboceanic type in the southern part. The formation of the basin in the northern part occurred in the Anthropogenic time, due to the subsidence of large blocks of the continental crust. The deep-water Kuril Basin is much older; it was formed either as a result of the subsidence of the continental block, or as a result of the isolation of part of the ocean floor.

Flora and fauna According to the species composition of organisms living in the Sea of ​​Okhotsk, it has an arctic character. The species of the temperate (boreal) zone, due to the thermal effect of oceanic waters, are predominantly inhabited by the southern and southeastern parts of the sea. The phytoplankton of the sea is dominated by diatoms, while the zooplankton is dominated by copepods and jellyfish, larvae of mollusks and worms. Numerous settlements of mussels, littorinas and other mollusks, barnacles of balanus, sea ​​urchins, from crustaceans there are a lot of amphinodes and crabs. At great depths, a rich fauna of invertebrates (glass sponges, holothurians, deep-sea eight-ray corals, decapod crustaceans) and fish has been found. The richest and most widespread group of plant organisms in the littoral zone are brown algae. Red algae are also widespread in the sea, and green algae are also widespread in the northwestern part. Of the fish, the most valuable are salmon: chum salmon, pink salmon, coho salmon, chinook, sockeye salmon. Commercial accumulations of herring, pollock, flounder, cod, navaga, capelin, smelt are known. Mammals live - whales, seals, sea lions, fur seals. big economic importance have Kamchatka and blue, or flat-footed, crabs (the Sea of ​​Okhotsk ranks first in the world in terms of stocks of commercial crab), salmon fish.

Sea of ​​Okhotsk, whose resources have great importance for states, it is one of the largest seas belonging to the Pacific Ocean. Located off the coast of Asia. It is separated from the ocean by the islands - Hokkaido, the eastern coast of Sakhalin and the chain of the Kuril lands.

It is worth noting that this sea is considered the coldest of all located in the Far East. Even in summer, the temperature above it does not exceed 18 degrees on the south side, and in the northeast, thermometers show 10 degrees - this is the maximum figure.

Brief description of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk

It is cold and powerful. The Sea of ​​Okhotsk washes the shores of Japan and Russia. According to its outlines, the reservoir resembles an ordinary trapezoid. The sea stretches from the southwest to the northeast. The maximum length is 2.463 km and the maximum width is 1.500 km. The coastline is over 10,000 km long. The depth of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk (indicator of the maximum depression) is almost 4,000 km. The type of reservoir adjacent to the outskirts of the mainland is mixed.

Volcanic activity extends both to the surface and to the bottom of the sea. When a seismic movement or an explosion of an underwater volcano occurs underwater, it can cause huge tsunami waves.

hydronym

The Sea of ​​Okhotsk, whose resources are used in the national economic spheres of the two countries (Russia and Japan), got its name from the name of the Okhota River. By official sources earlier it was called Lamsky and Kamchatsky. In Japan for a long time the sea was called "Northern". But due to confusion with another body of the same name, the hydronym was adapted and now the sea is called the Sea of ​​Okhotsk.

Importance of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk for Russia

It cannot be overestimated. Since 2014, the Sea of ​​Okhotsk belongs to inland waters Russian Federation. The state makes full use of its resources. First of all, it is the main supplier of salmon fish species. These are chum salmon, sockeye salmon, chinook salmon and other members of the family. The extraction of caviar is organized here, which is highly valued. No wonder Russia is considered one of the largest suppliers of this product.

The problems of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk, however, as well as other water bodies, have led to a significant decrease in populations. It was for this state that it was necessary to limit the catch of fish. And this applies not only to the salmon family, but also to other species, such as herring, flounder, cod.

Industry

Russia has achieved great results in the development of industry on the shores of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk. First of all, these are ship repair enterprises and, of course, fish processing factories. These two areas were modernized in the 90s and are now of great importance for economic development states. Nowadays, many commercial enterprises have appeared here.

Industry is also developing quite well on about. Sakhalin. Earlier, in tsarist times, it was perceived negatively, as it served as a place for exile of people objectionable to the rule. Now the picture has changed radically. The industry is flourishing, people themselves tend to come here in order to earn big money.

Kamchatka seafood processing enterprises entered the world market. Their products are highly appreciated abroad. It meets the standards and is quite popular in many countries.

Thanks to oil and gas deposits, Russia is a monopoly in this area. There is not a single state that could supply the same volumes of oil and gas to Europe. That is why a lot of money from the sovereign treasury is invested in these enterprises.

Islands

There are few islands in the Sea of ​​Okhotsk, the largest of them is Sakhalin. Its coastline is heterogeneous: lowlands are observed in the northeast, the southeast is slightly elevated above sea level, and there is a shallow in the west.

The Kuril Islands are of particular interest. They are small in size, there are about 30 large ones, but there are also smaller ones. Together they form a seismic belt - the largest on the planet. On the Kuril Islands there are about 100 volcanoes. Moreover, 30 of them are operational: they can constantly “excite” the Sea of ​​Okhotsk.

The resources of the Shantar Islands are fur seals. The largest concentration of this species is observed here. However, recently their production has been regulated in order to avoid complete extermination.

gulfs

The coastline of the reservoir is slightly indented, although it has a large length. There are practically no bays and bays in this area. The basin of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk is divided into three basins: the Kuril, TINRO and Deryugin basins.

The largest bays: Sakhalin, Tugursky, Shelikhov, etc. There are also several bays here - sea bays deeply cutting into the land, which form a depression major rivers. Among them are Penzhinskaya, Gizhiginskaya, Udskaya, Tauyskaya. Thanks to the bays, water exchange in the seas also occurs. And on this moment scientists call this question rather problematic.

Straits

They are part of the Okhotsk basin. This is the one important element, which connects the reservoir with and also with Pacific Ocean. In addition, there are low and shallow and Nevelsk. They do not play a special role, since they are quite small. But the Krusenstern and Bussol straits are distinguished by a large area, while their maximum depth reaches 500 meters. In many ways, they regulate the salinity of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk.

Bottom and coastline

The depths of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk are not uniform. From the side of Sakhalin and the mainland, the bottom is represented by a shoal - a continuation of the Asian part of the mainland. Its width is approximately 100 km. The rest of the bottom (about 70%) is represented by the continental slope. Near the Kuril Islands, next to about. Iturup is a sore cavity. In this place, the depth of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk reaches 2,500 meters. At the bottom of the reservoir, two large towering sections of relief are distinguished with rather original names: the hill of the Institute of Oceanology and the USSR Academy of Sciences.

The coastline of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk belongs to different geomorphological forms. Most of them are high and steep slopes. Only the western territory of Kamchatka and the east of about. Sakhalin have a low-lying character. But the northern coast is significantly indented.

Water exchange

The continental runoff is small. This is due to the fact that all the rivers flowing into the Sea of ​​Okhotsk are not full-flowing, and cannot play a significant role. The most important is r. Cupid, it is on it that more than half of the total indicator of effluents falls. There are other relatively large rivers. This is Hunt, Uda, Bolshaya, Penzhina.

Hydrological characteristic

The reservoir is completely because the salinity of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk is quite high. It is 32-34 ppm. It decreases closer to the coast, reaching a mark of 30 ‰, and in the intermediate layer - 34 ‰.

Most of the territory is covered in winter floating ice. Maximum low temperature water in the cold season ranges from -1 to +2 degrees. Summer sea ​​depths warm up to 10-18ºC.

An interesting fact: at a depth of 100 meters there is an intermediate layer of water, the temperature of which does not change throughout the year and is 1.7 ° C below zero.

Climate features

The Sea of ​​Okhotsk is located in temperate latitudes Oh. This fact renders big influence on the mainland, providing the Aleutian minimum dominates in the cold part of the year on the territory of the reservoir. It largely influences the northern winds that cause storms that continue throughout the winter.

In the warm season, weak southeasterly winds come from the mainland. Thanks to them, the air temperature rises to a large extent. However, cyclones come along with them, which can later form typhoons. The duration of such a typhoon can be from 5 to 8 days.

Sea of ​​Okhotsk: resources

They will be discussed further. It is known that the natural resources of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk are still poorly explored. greatest value represents the sea shelf with its hydrocarbon reserves. Today, 7 are open on Sakhalin, Kamchatka, in the Khabarovsk Territory and the Magadan administrative center. The development of these deposits began in the 70s. However, in addition to oil, the main wealth of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk is flora and fauna. They are of great variety. Therefore, the industry is highly developed here. The Sea of ​​Okhotsk is home to the most valuable species salmon fish. In the depths, squids are mined, and in terms of catching crabs, the reservoir is in first place in the world. Recently, mining conditions have become more strict and harsh. And there are restrictions on the catch of some fish.

Fur seals, whales, seals live in the northern waters of the sea. Catching these representatives of the animal world is strictly prohibited. AT recent times fishing is gaining popularity - catching sea urchins and shellfish. From the plant world are important different types seaweed. Speaking about the use of the sea, it is worth noting its importance in the transport sector. She is a priority. There are important maritime trade routes that connect big cities Korsakov (Sakhalin), Magadan, Okhotsk and others.

Environmental problems

The Sea of ​​Okhotsk, like other waters of the World Ocean, suffers from human activities. Here are fixed environmental problems in the form of a drain of oil products and residues of gas compounds. Waste from industrial and household enterprises is also quite problematic.

The coastal zone began to be polluted from the time of the development of the first offshore fields, but until the end of the 80s it did not have such large-scale dimensions. Now human anthropogenic activity has reached a critical point and requires immediate resolution. The largest concentration of waste and pollution is concentrated off the coast of Sakhalin. This is mainly due to rich oil deposits.

This sea has several names - the Evenks called it the Lamsky Sea (Lam in Evenki - the sea), sometimes it is called the Kamchatka. The Japanese call the sea "Hakkai" - the northern sea. The name Okhotskoye is connected with the name of the river Okhota, which flows into it.

The Sea of ​​Okhotsk is located near the Eurasian continent between the Kamchatka Peninsula and the mainland. In the south it is delimited from the Pacific Ocean by the Kuril Islands, Sakhalin and Hokkaido, with Sea of ​​Japan connected through the La Perouse and Nevelskoy straits. The sea occupies an area of ​​1583 thousand sq. km, its average depth is 177 m, the largest is 3372 m (in the area of ​​the Kuril basin).

Location of the sea on a complete map of the Pacific Ocean -.

There are many bays along the coastline, the largest are: Shelikhov, Sakhalin, Udskaya Bay, Tauyskaya Bay, etc. The coast is mostly rocky, only the coast of Hokkaido, the mouths of the rivers flowing in, and the northern coast of Sakhalin is flat. Large rivers flowing into the Sea of ​​Okhotsk: Amur, Okhota, Uda, Gizhiga, Penzhina.
There are many islands in the shelf zone: Shantar, Zavyalova, Spafareva, etc.

The bottom relief is evener than that of the neighbor - the Bering Sea. Only in the south is the deep-water Kuril basin. The northern shelf part of the sea bottom is shallow. In the zone of the continental shelf, sandy, pebbly-sandy, rocky and silty-sandy soils predominate, in the deep-water zone - silty soils.

The climate of the area where the sea is located is temperate. Most cold dry winds blow from the Eurasian side, cooling the sea, especially its northern regions. In winter, in some places the air temperature drops below 20 degrees C, in summer it warms up to + 12- + 18 degrees C. The upper layers of water have a temperature slightly above zero in winter, in summer they can warm up to 15 degrees C (in the south).
The currents are directed counterclockwise (cyclonic). The tides in different areas are very different.
The maximum height of the tides (more than 12 meters) is noted in the Penzhina Bay.
The northern part of the sea has been covered with ice since November, the southern and central ones remain open, but severe and prolonged storms often rage here.

Animal and vegetable world Sea of ​​Okhotsk has an arctic character, but to the south everything more representatives temperate flora and fauna.

The phytoplankton of the sea is dominated by diatoms. Thanks to good conditions for the development of phytoplankton (water temperature, good mixing of surface layers with deeper ones), phytoalgae develop rapidly. Zooplankton, the main consumer of phytoalgae, is represented by small organisms - copepods, jellyfish, larvae of mollusks and worms, etc.
The richest and most widespread group of plant organisms in the coastal zone are brown algae, including such a valuable representative as sea kale (or kelp). This algae is widely used in Food Industry, and in medicine. Red algae are also common in the Sea of ​​Okhotsk, and green algae in the northwestern part.


Coastal and shelf areas of the sea are inhabited by various molluscs (mussels, littorinas, cephalopods, etc.), crustaceans (crabs, shrimps, etc.), echinoderms (sea urchins, sea ​​stars) and other invertebrates. There are also many different bottom fish species (gobies, flounders, etc.)

The Sea of ​​Okhotsk is especially rich in crabs - in terms of the reserves of commercial species of these crustaceans, it ranks first in the world. More than 80% of the famous king crab, which is found in the Sea of ​​Japan and in the south of the Bering Sea. This huge crab (however, not even a crab, but a sea crayfish - it has ten legs, like crayfish), reaches a leg span of 1.5 meters! True, the body itself (cephalothorax) is not so impressive - up to a quarter of a meter in diameter. The Kamchatka crustacean miracle weighs up to 7 kg.


live here and marine mammals: whales (humpback whales, gray whales, sperm whales, killer whales), seals (seals), fur seals.

Coastal cliffs, as in many northern seas, often become places for the construction of bird rookeries by sea birds.

The fish world of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk is represented by more than 200 species of fish, including many valuable commercial ones. Herring, cod, flounder, navaga, pollock, capelin are caught here. The most valuable species of commercial fish are salmon (pink salmon, chum, chinook, sockeye salmon, coho salmon).

The Sea of ​​Okhotsk is one of the largest and deep seas Russia. There are important sea routes connecting Vladivostok with northern regions Far East and the Kuril Islands. Major ports on the coast of the mainland - Magadan and Okhotsk; on Sakhalin Island - Korsakov; on the Kuril Islands - Severo-Kurilsk.

The Sea of ​​Okhotsk was discovered by Russian explorers I. Yu. Moskvitin and V. D. Poyarkov in the first half of the 17th century. From 1733, work began on the Second Kamchatka Expedition, whose members made up detailed maps almost all of its coasts.


The Sea of ​​Okhotsk, also called the Lamsky or Kamchatka Sea, is a semi-enclosed sea in the northwestern part of the Pacific Ocean. It washes the shores of Russia and Japan (Hokkaido Island).

From the west, it is bounded by the mainland Asia from Cape Lazarev to the mouth of the Penzhina River; from the north - the Kamchatka Peninsula; from the east by the islands of the Kuril chain and from the south by the islands of Hokkaido and Sakhalin.

The Sea of ​​Okhotsk is connected to the Pacific Ocean through the Kuril Straits. There are more than 30 such straits and their total width is more than 500 kilometers. It has communication with the Sea of ​​Japan through the Nevelskoy and La Perouse straits.

Characteristics of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk

The sea is named after the river Okhota, which flows into it. The area of ​​the Sea of ​​Okhotsk is 1,603,000 square kilometers. Its average depth is 1780 meters, with a maximum depth of 3916 meters. From north to south, the sea stretches for 2445 kilometers, and from east to west for 1407 kilometers. The approximate volume of water enclosed in it is 1365 thousand cubic kilometers.

The coastline of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk is slightly indented. Its length is 10460 kilometers. Its largest bays are: Shelikhov Bay, Sakhalin Bay, Udskaya Bay, Tauyskaya Bay and Academy Bay. The northern, northwestern and northeastern shores are high and rocky. At the confluence of large rivers (Amur, Uda, Okhota, Gizhiga, Penzhina), as well as in the west of Kamchatka, in the northern part of Sakhalin and Hokkaido, the coasts are predominantly low.

From October to May-June, the northern part of the sea is covered with ice. The southeastern part practically does not freeze. In winter, the water temperature near the sea surface ranges from -1.8 °C to 2.0 °C, in summer the temperature rises to 10-18 °C.

The salinity of the surface waters of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk is 32.8–33.8 ppm, and the salinity coastal waters usually does not exceed 30 ppm.

Climate of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk

The Sea of ​​Okhotsk is located in the zone monsoon climate temperate latitudes. For most of the year, cold dry winds blow from the mainland, cooling the northern half of the sea. From October to April, negative air temperatures and a stable ice cover are observed here.

In the northeastern part of the sea average temperature in January - February it fluctuates from - 14 to - 20 ° C. In the northern and western regions, the temperature varies from - 20 to - 24 ° C. In the southern and eastern parts of the sea, it is much warmer in winter from - 5 to - 7 ° C.

Average temperatures in July and August, respectively, wound 10-12 ° C; 11-14°C; 11-18 ° C. Annual rainfall in different places Sea of ​​Okhotsk is also different. So in the north, 300-500 mm of precipitation falls annually; in the west up to 600-800 mm; in the southern and southeastern parts of the sea - over 1000 mm.

According to the composition of organisms living in the Sea of ​​Okhotsk, it is more of an arctic character. Due to the thermal effect of oceanic waters, species of the temperate zone are predominantly inhabited by the southern and southeastern parts of the sea.

Numerous settlements of mussels, littorinas and other mollusks, barnacles, sea urchins, and many crabs are noted in coastal zones.

A rich fauna of invertebrates has been discovered at great depths of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk. Glass sponges, holothurians, deep-sea corals, decapods live here.

The Sea of ​​Okhotsk is rich in fish. The most valuable are salmon species: chum salmon, pink salmon, coho salmon, chinook salmon and sockeye salmon. There is an industrial catch of herring, pollock, flounder, cod, navaga, capelin and smelt.

Large mammals live in the Sea of ​​Okhotsk - whales, seals, sea lions and fur seals. A lot of sea ​​birds who arrange noisy "bazaars" on the coasts.

The UN recognized the enclave of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk as part of the Russian shelf

Inessa Dotsenko

The UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf recognized the enclave of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk with an area of ​​52,000 square kilometers as part of the Russian continental shelf.

According to ITAR-TASS, this was stated by the Minister natural resources and Ecology of the Russian Federation Sergey Donskoy.

We have officially received a document from the UN Commission on the Continental Shelf on the satisfaction of our application to recognize the enclave in the Sea of ​​Okhotsk as the Russian shelf. This is an event that has actually taken place, so I would like to congratulate everyone on this,” he said.

The commission's decision, according to the minister, is unconditional and has no retroactive effect. Now the enclave is fully subject to Russian jurisdiction.

According to ITAR-TASS, Donskoy also said that Russia's application for the expansion of the continental shelf in the Arctic will be ready this fall.

All resources that will be found there - everything will be mined exclusively within the framework of Russian legislation, - said Donskoy. He said that, according to geologists, the total volume of hydrocarbons discovered in this area exceeds one billion tons.

Magadan Governor Vladimir Pecheny believes that the recognition of the enclave in the middle of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk as part of the Russian continental shelf opens up new prospects for the economy of Kolyma and the entire Far East. First of all, it will relieve the fishermen of the region from numerous administrative barriers.

Firstly, fishing for fish, crabs, shellfish can be carried out freely anywhere in the Sea of ​​Okhotsk. Special permits from the border service will not be required both when going to sea and upon returning. Secondly, when not only the 200-mile zone, but the whole sea becomes Russian territory, we will get rid of poaching by foreign fishermen in our waters. It will be easier to keep the unique environment, - the press service of the government of the region quotes the words of Baked.

Reference

In the center of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk there is an elongated enclave of considerable size. Previously, all of it was considered "open sea". Vessels of any state could freely move and fish on its territory. In November 2013, Russia managed to prove the rights to 52,000 square kilometers of water in the center of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk. For comparison, this is more than the area of ​​Holland, Switzerland or Belgium. The center of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk ceased to be part of the World Ocean and became completely Russian. After approval at the UN session, the process of legally classifying the enclave as part of the Russian continental shelf can be considered fully completed.