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 twentieth century. But what is special about it and what biological resources are in the Barents Sea?
Geographic location
As mentioned earlier, the Barents Sea is the outskirts of the smallest ocean on Earth, from which the islands separate it (Svalbard, Vaigach, Franz Josef Land, Medvezhy 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 fjord bays, the highest of which are Varyazhsky, Porsanger fjord, Kola and Motovsky. But to the east, the situation is changing: the shores become lower and slightly indented. The bays are shallow, the largest of them are the Khaipudyr, Czech and Pechora lips. The Barents Sea is not very rich in islands. The largest is the island of Kolguev.
Hydrology
The water resources of the Barents Sea are constantly replenished with two large rivers - these are Indiga and Pechora. 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 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 impact 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 the depths of 300-400 m are quite common here, but the average is considered to be 222 m, and the largest is 600 m.The bottom topography is diverse: here you can see the plain (Central Plateau) and troughs (Central, the maximum depth is 386 m), and the elevations (Perseus, the maximum depth is 63 m), and the gutter (Western, 600 m in depth, and Franz Victoria - 430 m). The bottom cover in the southern part is mostly sand, only occasionally can rubble and pebbles be found. Silt and sand are found in the northern and central parts. In all directions, an admixture of debris is also observed, because ancient glacial deposits are widespread here.
Weather
The climate in this area is affected by two temperature-opposite oceans - the Atlantic and the Arctic. Often, warm cyclones are replaced by streams of cold air, which leads to instability of the weather. This also explains 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 south-west 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 a few hours. This climate is a consequence of the high ice cover of the Barents Sea. Only the southwestern part is never occupied by blocks of snow. In April, freezing reaches its peak, namely 75% of the entire reservoir is occupied by floating ice.
Biological resources of the Barents Sea
The diversity of flora and fauna in this pond is very large, all of 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. Zoobenthos can include starfish, stingrays, scallops, crabs, oysters and others. Phytobenthos includes a variety of algae that have adapted to live without sunlight. Plankton - a variety of small organisms that float freely in 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 invertebrate animals. The plant resources of the Barents Sea are generally very poor, as it is located in the Northern Arctic. Rare or endangered species are not found here. Macroalgae of many species (194) live on the Murmansk coast. Scientists have found here 75 red, 39 green and 80 brown subspecies.
Marine life
The fish resources of the Barents Sea are quite large. Therefore, fishing is well developed here. Although scientists 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 these fish make up 80% of the total catch of the local "hunters". To spawn, they go to the shores of Norway, and already grown fry swim in the open sea. Arctic fish also replenish the natural resources of the Barents Sea. These are navaga, herring invertebrate, polar flounder, black halibut, polar shark and smelt. But they do not have special significance in fishing.
Mammals and birds
Mammals also replenish the biological resources of the Barents Sea. They are divided into three orders: pinnipeds, cetaceans and predators. The first includes a bald or harp seal, sea hare, walrus, ringed seal, etc. The second includes beluga whales, white-sided dolphins, narwhals, bowhead whales, killer whales and others. The third includes a polar bear, which is listed in Krasnaya Red in Russia a book. The resources of the Barents Sea among mammals are also interesting for fishing, namely the capture of seals. The coast of this reservoir is filled with bird bazaars, that is, large colonial nests. Here you can come across a seagull, guillemot or guillemot.
Ecology
The resources of the Barents Sea and environmental problems are quite closely related, as excessive human intervention in the environment always leads to adverse consequences. Environmentalists consider this place to be unique, because such a clear sea near Europe can no longer be found. But still there is a rather big problem - poaching. Excessive fishing leads to the extinction of species and the violation of the overall balance. Norway and Russia abruptly suppress such a violation of the law that is yielding results. Another wealth 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" in the water masses, which are very detrimental to all animals.
Also unique is the landscape of this sea. Therefore, the International Fund for the Protection of Nature warns that the slightest mistake in the processes of extraction or transportation of fossil fuels can lead to environmental disaster. If such a disaster occurs, even after 30 years with hard work, it will not be possible to completely eliminate all the consequences. Indeed, the situation is aggravated by the fact that low temperatures prevent bacteria from multiplying, which means that the natural cleaning mechanism simply does not work. It’s worth considering.
Thus, the Barents Sea is a unique water body that should be protected. This place is rich in fish and natural resources, as well as other natural resources, which gives it even greater significance.