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 Russian Federation. Its waters are home to rare and endangered species, and its banks are home to bustling bird colonies.

The western border of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk is drawn along east coast 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-margin type. Its area is 1603 thousand square meters. km. And the average depth is 821 m. The maximum depth Sea of ​​Okhotsk- 3916 m.

Straits of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk

The Amur Estuary, as well as those canals through which the Sea of ​​Okhotsk is connected to the Sea of ​​Japan. Which ocean gives rise to Sea of ​​Japan? It, like Okhotsk, belongs to the waters Pacific Ocean. With the help of a huge number of Kuril straits, the sea is also connected to the Pacific Ocean. The deepest are the straits of the Bussol and Krusenstern islands. In accordance with the classification of 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

Which ocean the Sea of ​​Okhotsk is part of determines its outline. In this part of the Pacific Ocean there are a large number of islands of various origins. But she herself coastline considered relatively flat. The islands of the sea differ in their shape. There are also those located in the waters in compactly compressed groups. There are also loners. The map of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk is dotted with many islands, including those that are located in a zone of seismic activity (for example, the Kuril Islands). Scientists also identify the so-called islands of the transition zone. The first group includes those formed by a single lithospheric plate with the continent.

And to the second, geographers include those that have the shape of elongated archipelagos. The first group includes small islands located near Eastern Sakhalin. This is the Seal and the Danger Stone. Seal Island has a flat surface and steep banks. And the Danger Stone is essentially a group of bare rocks located in the La Perouse Strait. Two hundred km. from Fr. Sakhalin is located on. Iona with rocky shores. Its height is about 150 m. And in the north-west is the Shantar archipelago, which includes about 15 islands, the territory of which is 2.5 km 2. IN Southern Kuriles included the islands of the so-called Great Kuril Ridge.

Salinity and temperature

The salinity of the waters is determined by which ocean the Sea of ​​Okhotsk is part of. The salinity indicators of the sea are in many ways similar to those 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 figure averages 30-35 ppm. The temperature at the surface of the sea water in the cold season ranges from -1.8°C to +2°C. In summer, the readings rise to +18°C. But at a depth of about 50-150 meters, the water temperature remains constant all year round. It is about -1.7°C. Through the Kuril Straits, warmer waters with a temperature of about 2-3°C enter the sea.

Belonging to the sea

Since March 2003, Russia has been recognized as the official right to the sea enclave. The Sea of ​​Okhotsk, or more precisely, a significant part of its shelf with an area of ​​​​about 52 thousand square meters. km. is now at the disposal of the Russian Federation. This event was especially important for local fishermen. After all, they couldn’t study before fishing anywhere in the sea. After the transfer of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk to Russia, they will no longer have competitors from other countries, which previously had to give away part of the fish they caught. In addition, other industrial workers have since had the opportunity to cross the maritime territory along the most convenient route.

Biological diversity

“The Sea of ​​Okhotsk is the basin of which ocean?” - this question is also often asked in connection with the description of its marine riches. The fauna of the sea is rich in species that came to these waters from the Pacific territories. Crabs, shrimps live here, sea ​​urchins and stars, seals, whales, fur seals. According to some estimates, it ranks first in the world in terms of the number of crabs. It is in the waters of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk that the giant Kamchatka crab lives, whose leg span can reach 1.5 m.

There are also about 200 species of fish in the sea - herring, cod, navaga, pollock, and capelin. Sharks can also often be seen in this area. Their species composition is similar Bering Sea: Katran, polar and salmon sharks are found here.

Other wealth

The Sea of ​​Okhotsk is rich not only in fish stocks, crabs and various shellfish. Geologists claim that about 40% of its shelf area is a source of black gold - oil. There are also rich natural gas deposits here. 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 obligations of Russia. The state must protect against poachers illegally fishing in the sea.

Bottom Features

The seabed is very diverse. There are depressions, troughs, and many hills. The type of 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. The Pacific Ocean is known to contain 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 sea region is a huge lithospheric plate that lies 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.

The Sea of ​​Okhotsk is a semi-enclosed sea located in the northern hemisphere, part of the Pacific Ocean, washing the shores of Russia and Japan.

Previously, this sea was called “Kamchatka”. The Japanese called this sea "Hokkai", which literally translates as "North Sea", but the traditional name eventually changed to the Sea of ​​Okhotsk.

What rivers flow into

The following flow into the Sea of ​​Okhotsk: big rivers:

• Kukhtui (a river whose length reaches 384 kilometers, it is located in the Khabarovsk Territory, just like the Okhota River);
  
• Okhota (a small river in the Khabarovsk Territory, the length of which reaches almost 400 kilometers);
• Amur (the length of the river reaches almost 2900 km, which makes this waterway quite large and important in Eastern Russia and China for infrastructure).

Relief of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk

The western part of the bottom is a flat slab and is located at a fairly shallow depth. In the very center there are large depressions. However, the maximum depth was recorded in the so-called Kuril Basin, which is located in the eastern part of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk. The bottom can be sandy, rocky, muddy-sandy.

The seashores are mostly high and rocky. In the southwest of Kamchatka the shores have low relief. There are volcanoes at the bottom of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk, and there are also on the islands. 70 are considered extinct, 30 are considered active.

South East End The sea almost never freezes - even in winter, which cannot be said about the northern part of the sea, where ice persists from October to June. North coast The sea is heavily indented, which is why many natural bays have been created here, the largest of which is called Sherikhov Bay. In the west of the sea there are also many bays, the largest of which are the Shantar Sea and Sakhalin Bay.

Cities

On the shores of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk there is a small town called Okhotsk, which became the first Russian settlement built on the shores of the Pacific Ocean. One of the most big cities Magadan is considered to be on the shores of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk with a population of more than 90 thousand inhabitants.

Kholmsk photo

On the seashore there is also a relatively small town of Kholmsk with a population of 28 thousand inhabitants. Well, the last one " big city» on the Sea of ​​Okhotsk can be called Korsakov with a population of 33 thousand people. The city is actively involved in fishing and fish processing.

Flora and fauna of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk

The number of fish species in the Sea of ​​Okhotsk is large; there has always been a fair amount of it, which is why the sea has become an important industrial site. IN the greatest number The Sea of ​​Okhotsk is home to herring, capelin, salmon, pollock and navaga. Among other valuable seafood, one can also highlight Kamchatka crab - they reach truly enormous sizes and are a delicacy for humans.

Beluga whale in the Sea of ​​Okhotsk photo

Sea urchins, starfish, shrimp and crabs, mussels, jellyfish, and corals live here. The Kamchatka crab is one of the largest representatives of crustaceans in the Far Eastern waters.

As in many northern waters, the Sea of ​​Okhotsk is home to several species of whales, including the rare fin whale, as well as the largest creatures on the planet to ever exist, blue whales. The waters of the sea are inhabited by beluga whales, seals and seals.

depths of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk photo

The world of birds is diverse and numerous. On the islands of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk, large colonies of gulls, cormorants, guillemots, guillemots, mottled guillemots, petrels, geese, etc. nest in large colonies.

birds on the Sea of ​​Okhotsk photo

Sea vegetation: brown and green algae, red algae, kelp, in some places there are abundant thickets of sea grass - zoster.

Characteristics of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk

The area of ​​the Sea of ​​Okhotsk reaches 1,603,000 square kilometers, and its volume exceeds 1,300,000 cubic meters. Average depth sea ​​is quite large - approximately 1,700 meters, and the most deep point the seabed is located at a depth of 3,916 meters.

IN summer time sea ​​surface temperature 18 degrees Celsius. And in winter it is colder - 2 degrees Celsius, and sometimes it can drop to minus temperatures -1.8 degrees. As for the climate, it is monsoonal, very harsh due to northern winds, only in the south the air temperature is relatively high.

Sea of ​​Okhotsk in winter photo

If we compare the Sea of ​​Okhotsk with the neighboring seas: the Japanese and Bering seas, then it will be the coldest of them. In winter, the Sea of ​​Okhotsk is tormented by strong north winds and thereby making the climate even more severe. The minimum air temperature comes with January and reaches -25 degrees on average. In summer, the temperature rarely exceeds +15 degrees.

Quite often, storms occur on the Sea of ​​Okhotsk that last more than one week. They come to the southern part of the sea from the Pacific Ocean. The waves are high and the storms are long. In very severe winters, ice forms - both floating and also stationary. Ice floes float along Sakhalin and the Amur region, often even in summer.

Sakhalin photo

Coastal waters are the least saline and generally do not reach even 30%. But in the rest of the sea, the salt level sometimes reaches up to 34%. Surface waters are the least saline - no more than 32-33%, while already at depth the salinity exceeds 34%.

There are also islands in the Sea of ​​Okhotsk, but their number is extremely small. The largest one is Sakhalin Island. Most of the islands are located in a seismically active zone.

The area of ​​the Sea of ​​Okhotsk is 1.603 million square meters. km. The average depth is 1780 m and the maximum depth is 3521 m. The western part of the sea has shallow depth and is located on the continental shelf. In the center of the sea are the Deryugin depression (in the south) and the TINRO depression. In the eastern part there is the Kuril Basin, where the depth is maximum.

From October to May-June, the northern part of the sea is covered with ice. The southeastern part practically does not freeze.

The coast in the north is heavily indented; in the northeast of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk its largest bay is located - Shelikhov Bay. Of the smaller bays in the northern part, the most famous are the Eirine Bay and the bays of Sheltinga, Zabiyaka, Babushkina, Kekurny, Odessa Bay on the island of Iturup. In the east, the coastline of the Kamchatka Peninsula is practically devoid of bays. In the southwest, the largest are Aniva and Terpeniya bays.

Fishing (salmon, herring, pollock, capelin, navaga, etc.).

Main ports: on the mainland - Magadan, Ayan, Okhotsk (port point); on the island of Sakhalin - Korsakov, on the Kuril Islands - Severo-Kurilsk.

The Sea of ​​Okhotsk is named after the Okhot River, which in turn comes from the Even word okat - “river”. The Japanese traditionally called this sea "Hokkai" (北海), literally "North Sea". But since now this name refers to North Sea Atlantic Ocean, then they changed the name of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk to “Ohotsuku-kai” (オホーツク海), which is an adaptation of the Russian name to the norms of Japanese phonetics.

The sea is located on the Okhotsk subplate, which is part of the Eurasian plate. Bark under for the most part Sea of ​​Okhotsk continental type.

Map of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk - water temperature of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk

The water temperature at the sea surface decreases from south to north. In winter, almost everywhere the surface layers are cooled to a freezing temperature of –1.5...–1.8°C. Only in the southeastern part of the sea does it remain around 0°C, and near the northern Kuril Straits, under the influence of Pacific waters, the water temperature reaches 1–2°C.
Spring warming at the beginning of the season mainly leads to the melting of ice, only towards the end of it does the water temperature begin to rise.

In summer, the distribution of water temperature on the sea surface is quite varied. In August, the warmest waters (up to 18–19°C) are those adjacent to the island of Hokkaido. In the central regions of the sea, the water temperature is 11–12°C. The coldest surface waters are observed off the island of Jonah, off Cape Pyagin and near the Krusenstern Strait. In these areas, the water temperature is between 6–7°C. The formation of local centers of increased and decreased water temperatures on the surface is mainly associated with the redistribution of heat by currents.

The vertical distribution of water temperature varies from season to season and from place to place. In the cold season, temperature changes with depth are less complex and varied than in warm seasons.

In winter, in the northern and central regions of the sea, water cooling extends to horizons of 500–600 m. The water temperature is relatively uniform and varies from –1.5...–1.7°С on the surface to –0.25°С at horizons of 500– 600 m, deeper it rises to 1–0°С, in the southern part of the sea and near the Kuril Straits the water temperature from 2.5–3°С on the surface decreases to 1–1.4°С at horizons of 300–400 m and further gradually increases to 1.9–2.4°C in the bottom layer.

In summer, surface waters are heated to a temperature of 10–12°C. In the subsurface layers, the water temperature is slightly lower than on the surface. A sharp drop in temperature to –1...–1.2°С is observed between horizons of 50–75 m; deeper, to horizons of 150–200 m, the temperature quickly rises to 0.5–1°С, and then it rises more smoothly , and at horizons of 200–250 m is equal to 1.5–2°С. Further, the water temperature remains almost unchanged until the bottom. In the southern and southeastern parts of the sea, along Kuril Islands, the water temperature from 10–14°С on the surface drops to 3–8°С at a horizon of 25 m, then to 1.6–2.4°С at a horizon of 100 m and to 1.4–2°С at the bottom. The vertical temperature distribution in summer is characterized by a cold intermediate layer. In the northern and central regions

The sea temperature there is negative, and only near the Kuril Straits does it have positive values. IN different areas sea, the depth of the cold intermediate layer is different and varies from year to year.

1. Sea of ​​Okhotsk.

2. The sea enters the Pacific Ocean basin.

3. Located in the northwestern part of the Pacific Ocean, separated from the ocean by the Kamchatka Peninsula, the Kuril Islands and the island of Hokkaido.

4. Located between 43° and 62° parallels north latitude.

5. The position of the sea is between 135° and 165° meridians of eastern longitude.

6. Length of the sea in directions in degrees and kilometers:

The length of the sea from south to north is 19° degrees, i.e. approximately 2100 km;

The length of the sea from east to west is 20° degrees, 1575 km.

The length in km was calculated based on the distance between parallels and meridians on a map with a scale of 1:35,000,000.

7. Washes the shores of Russia and Japan: Kamchatka Peninsula, Kuril Islands, o. Hokkaido, o. Sakhalin, Shantar Islands.

8. Neighboring seas: the La Perouse Strait and the Tatar Strait (via the Amur Estuary) connect the Sea of ​​Okhotsk with the Sea of ​​Japan.

Neighboring Ocean: The First Kuril Strait and a number of straits in the Kuril Island chain, such as the Fourth Kuril Strait, Kruzenshtern Strait, Bussol and Frieza Straits connect the Sea of ​​Okhotsk with the Pacific Ocean.

9. Type of sea: marginal sea.

10. In winter, the water temperature at the sea surface ranges from −1.8° to 2.0° C; in summer, surface waters warm up to 10° C and higher.

11. Maximum depth sea: 3521 m (in the Kuril Basin), some sources indicate a depth of 3916 m, but I did not find this figure on the map, so you can use it if it is in your textbook.

12. Distribution of depths The shelf zone (0–200 m) occupies about 20% of the sea area, the continental slope (200–2000 m), on which individual underwater hills, depressions and islands are distinguished by a sharp change in depth, and the deep-sea basin occupies about 65%, and the deepest basin (more than 2500 m), located in the southern part of the sea - 8% of the sea area.

13. Distribution of water salinity: according to the map of the average annual salinity of surface waters of the World Ocean, in the northern and eastern parts of the sea the salinity of surface waters is up to 32 ppm, and in the central, western and southern parts of the sea the salinity of surface waters is up to 33 ppm.

14. The Sea of ​​Okhotsk is located in a temperate climate zone, while its eastern part (in the region of the Kuril Islands) is located in the maritime region of a temperate climate, and the rest in the monsoon region of a temperate climate.

15. Features of the bottom structure:

The bottom is a wide range of different underwater rises, depressions and trenches. The northern part of the sea is located on the continental shallows. In the western part of the sea there is a sandbank of Sakhalin, located near the island. In the east of the sea there is a continental shelf of Kamchatka. As noted in paragraph 12, most of the water expanses are located on the continental slope. The southern edge of the sea is the deepest zone; this part of the sea is a bed that is located along the Kuril Islands. The southwestern part of the sea is characterized by deep depressions and slopes. In the central zone of the sea there are two hills: the Academy of Sciences and the Institute of Oceanology, they divide the underwater sea space into 3 basins: the northeastern depression of TINRO (small depth of about 850 m, flat terrain), which is located west of Kamchatka. The second basin is the Deryugin depression, located east of Sakhalin, the water depth here reaches 1700 m, the bottom is a plain, the edges of which are somewhat raised. The third basin, the Kuril Basin, is the deepest (about 3300 m) of these three.

16. Features of the organic world.

Vegetation and animal world on the one hand, they are distinguished by great diversity, and on the other hand, by the uneven distribution of this diversity. If in the southern, warmer part the number of fish species is about 300, then in the northern, colder part, the number of species is more than half that, only about 123 species. Nevertheless, the sea ranks first in the world in terms of commercial crab reserves. Salmon fish are of great value: chum salmon, pink salmon, coho salmon, chinook salmon, and sockeye salmon as a source of red caviar. There is also intensive fishing for herring, pollock, flounder, cod, navaga, capelin, etc. The sea is inhabited by whales, seals, sea lions, and fur seals. A huge amount of green, brown and red medicinal algae stands out from the flora.