There are many sorts of marginal seas in Earth’s oceans.A marginal sea is an ocean division partially bordered by islands, archipelagos, or peninsulas and is often significantly shallower than the open sea. The Sea of Okhotsk is a type of marginal sea in the western Pacific Ocean, bordered toward the east by the Kamchatka Peninsula. It is the peninsula between the Bering Sea and the Sea of Okhotsk. In Russian, it is pronounced as uh-khawstk.It is bordered on the southeast by the Kuril Islands, on the south by the Japanese island Hokkaido, at the west by the Sakhalin island, and to the north by a large range of east Siberian shore (such as the Shantar Islands). The Shelikhov Gulf is located in the northeast corner. Okhotsk, the earliest Russian colony toward the far east, is the name of the sea.The Asian east coast, through Cape Lazarev towards the source of the Penzhina River, covers the north and west, the Japanese island of Hokkaido’s northern coast towards the south, and the Sakhalin Island to the southwest, from the Sea of Okhotsk. Politically, the Sea of Okhotsk is considered to be in Russia because the neighboring territories on all sides of the sea are members of the Russian Federation, except for Hokkaido, a Japanese island.Most other islands of the Okhotsk Sea are either coastline islands or part of the Kuril chain of islands, apart from Iony Islan, which is situated in the open sea. The economy of far eastern Russia, the Sakhalin Islands, the Kamchatka Peninsula, and Japan are all dependent on the Okhotsk Sea with its fishing sector. At the same time, Japan’s island of Hokkaido boasts numerous noteworthy Okhotsk seaports.The sea is almost totally encompassed by Russian territory, except for a small section near Hokkaido. The maximum depth of the ocean is 11,063 ft (3,372 m). When the Soviet Union declared a 200-mile (321.86 km) exclusive economic zone in 1977, it took control of almost the entire sea. The sea is 3941.98 mi (6344 km) away from St. Petersburg.Countries Bordering The Sea Of OkhotskWith the La Perouse Strait to the south, the Sakhalin Gulf and the Gulf of Tartary to the west, both banks of the Sakhalin Gulf join the Sea of Okhotsk to the Japan sea. During the winter, ice accumulation makes it harder to sail the water.The Sea of Okhotsk reaches a maximum depth of 1,1063 feet (3,372 m) at its deepest point, with an estimated average depth of 2,818.84 feet (859 m). The Sea of Okhotsk’s continental coasts are rather steep and rocky and are crisscrossed by numerous big rivers. The Amur River discharges a large amount of water into the Sea of Okhotsk, lowering salinity levels and causing the creation of ice floes, which impede navigation in the ocean during the colder months.In the Sea of Okhotsk, there are several significant islands, which include Hokkaido Island, Japan’s second-biggest island, and Sakhalin Island, Russia’s largest island. Shantar, Yam, Tyuleny, Spafaryev, and Zavyalov, which make up most of the Sea of Okhotsk islands, are placed close to the seashores in the coastal areas. Ion Island is the only island in the middle of the ocean. These isolated islands are excellent breeding grounds for a variety of aquatic species.Why does the Sea of Okhotsk freeze?The Sea of Okhotsk is the coldest sea of East Asia, and much of the region’s weather in winter is only marginally different from the Arctic. However, due to continental forces, the country’s northern, western, and northeastern parts face harsh winter weather.The first reason is that it is located west of Siberia and Russia’s far east, which are the northern hemisphere’s coldest winter regions. The Sea of Okhotsk freezes due to the chilly northwesterly winds that blow from these places. The Sea of Okhotsk is located at the same latitude as that of the Gulf of Alaska, although it freezes between October and March, unlike the Gulf.Because of the impact of the Asian continent, the western and northern portions of the sea face harsh climates during the winter. These places feature a characteristic continental environment between October and April, with significantly cooler air temperatures, persistent ice cover, and little rainfall.The closeness of the Pacific to the southeast and south results in a milder maritime climate. January and February are the coldest months in the ocean, while July and August are the hottest. The average monthly air temperature in the southeastern section of the country is 19.4 F (-7 C) during February and 64.4 F (18 C) throughout August.Due to the production of massive ice floes, transportation in the Sea of Okhotsk becomes challenging, if not impossible, in the winter. These are caused by the high volume of water from the Amur River, which reduces salinity and raises the sea’s freezing point. The drift ice formed is usually salty.Geography, water currents, time of year, and sea temperatures all influence the thickness and distribution of icebergs. The ranges of ocean ice are enormous, far exceeding what the eye can see, and they not only reach the Sea of Okhotsk but also the Pacific Ocean via the Oyashio current.Precipitation, continental drainage, and waters coming via the Pacific Ocean through the channels in the Kuril Islands, as well as from the Japan Sea (East Sea) and from the La Perouse (Sya) Passage, make up the water of the Sea of Okhotsk.The ocean is heated to depths between 100-165 ft (30-50 m) during the summer season; the water in the ocean moves in a counter-clockwise direction. Water goes into the Sea of Okhotsk from the Sea of Japan, explaining the southwestern region’s relative warmth. Pacific currents also carry hot water into the ocean. The waters of the eastern half of the sea are hotter than those of the western portion due to the effect of these currents.The streams travel clockwise around the Kuril Islands for the most part. They run into the ocean in the northern half of the channels, but they rebound to the Pacific in the south part. Ice begins to form at the end of October and reaches its maximum range in March. It reaches the shore in coastal locations, and floating ice forms in the open waters.Except in the Sakhalin Gulfs and the territory near Shantar Island, where icebergs are frequent in July, and occasionally even in August, the ice disappears in June. The Kuril Basin’s base is primarily clay-diatom silt, although fine, coarse sands, silt-covered sands, and pebbles interspersed with mussel shells can be found nearer the shore.Marine Life In The Sea Of OkhotskIt supports a vast array of life, including birds, fish, animal life, and marine mammals due to variations in water temperature and depth, as well as the influx of river runoff.That crystal structures are impenetrable to the numerous chemicals that are found in seawater. This implies that when saltwater freezes, salt is released from sea ice into the ocean beneath it. The Sea of Okhotsk is home to marine creatures, such as the northern fur seal, sea lions, seals, porpoises, and whales. The Kuril Islands and Tyuleny Island are the nesting grounds for the northern fur seal. One of the globe’s most biodiverse oceans is the Sea of Okhotsk. The combination of river drainage, high water mixing caused by channels and weather, and the upwelling of deep, nutrient-rich ocean waters are all beneficial to marine life. As a result, there is a significant surge in activity during the short summer season when temperatures heat the sea.Crayfish, crabs, sea mussels, polyps, sea urchins, and many sorts of fish have a population explosion during this time due to the abundance of seaweed and algae. Commercially harvested fish include crab, herring, pollack, salmon, cod, flounder, and shrimp. Along with the golden king crab, northern fur seal, Steller’s sea lion, orcas, Dall’s porpoise, and crayfish, ribbon seals, sea urchins, sea mussels, polyps, and shrimp can be found.The majestic Steller’s sea eagle, as well as a variety of seabirds like guillemots, auklets, puffins, and fulmars, call the sea of Okhotsk home. Several migratory species, as well as waterfowl, are well documented.Steller sea lions, sea otters, bowheads, northern fur seals, and other whale species are among the marine mammals which include four varieties of ‘Ice Seals’: ringed, largha, bearded, and the gorgeously marked ribbon seal as well as the gray, bowhead, and other whale species. The snow sheep, Kamchatka brown bear, and marmot are among the land mammals present in this area.A wide range of birds feeds on abundant fish. The world’s largest raptor, the Steller’s sea eagle, dwells along the Sea of Okhotsk. Ion Island is a refuge for cliff-dwelling thick-billed and common murres, as well as a nesting place for the Steller sea lion.The world’s most significant population of tufted puffins can be found on Talan Island. The continental shores and islands that encircle the Sea of Okhotsk are home to salmon-rich streams, beaches populated by sea otters and fur seals, and are inhabited by the Kamchatka brown bear bighorn sheep, wolves, and Arctic fox.Tyuleniy Island, off the southeast coast of Sakhalin Island, is a little-known beauty. However, northern fur seal species, and, since 1990, and a growing percentage of Steller sea lions, have made this tiny island their home. Thousands of fur seals were killed on this island until the early 1900s. At the time, the Japanese occupying Sakhalin Island captured as many as they could.The Future Of The Sea Of OkhotskThe Russian seaports of Palana and Magadan, as well as the Japanese ports of Monbetsu, Abashiri, and Wakkanai, are the principal seaports along the Sea of Okhotsk. In the northern portions of the Sea of Okhotsk, vast reserves of natural gas and petroleum have lately been discovered. As a result, the entire Sea of Okhotsk area is crucial to Russia’s economic growth in the east.The lowest portion of the sea is located west of the Kuril Islands inside the Kuril Basin, and it reaches a depth of roughly 8,200 ft (2,499.36 m). Sand from the continent enters the sea mainly through the Amur River. Sources of sediment flow include coastal abrasion and volcanic eruptions. The iron would merely pile up on the continental shelf in a regular sea; however, thermohaline circulation of the East Sakhalin current and the Sea of Okhotsk transport it across the Sea of Okhotsk and afterward the Oyashio current, where it is dispersed across the Pacific Ocean.In Sakhalin Island, Korsakov is prominent, as are Yuzhno-Kurilsk and Severo-Kurilsk on the Kuril Islands. Ice floes in the winter with severe fog in the summer make navigation difficult. Along Kamchatka’s west coast and near Sakhalin Island, discoveries have also been reported.Mineral resources abound on the Kamchatka Peninsula. The unspoiled beauty of the Kamchatka Peninsula, which includes 127 volcanoes, a few of which are still erupting, geysers and hot springs, and vast colonies of waterfowl and shorebirds, is attracting a developing tourist sector.As the drift ice is decreasing because of global warming, it is a matter of concern, as the effects of global warming will be felt not just in the sea of Okhotsk but also in the Pacific ocean.European Exploration And SettlementVassili Poyarkov and Ivan Moskvitin were the leading Russian adventurers to explore the Sea of Okhotsk in 1640. In 1643, from the southeast, the Dutch commander Maarten Gerritsz Vries of the Breskens visited the Sea of Okhotsk, charting portions from the Sakhalin coastline as well as the Kurile Islands, yet failing to recognize Hokkaido or Sakhalin as islands.American and European whaling ships fished in the Sea of Okhotsk in the early 20th century. Right and bowhead whales were the most common whales they captured. As a consequence of the whaling during that time, there were several shipwrecks in the sea. The shelf of the Sea of Okhotsk is thought to contain about 3.5 billion ton (31.7 billion met ton) of fuel.Beginning in 1733, the second Kamchatka Mission, led by Vitus Bering, meticulously charted the sea’s entire coast. Other than Maarten Gerritsz Vries, the earliest non-Russian European explorers reported to have gone through these seas were William Robert Broughton and Jean-François de La Pérouse. In 1805, Ivan Krusenstern set out to investigate Sakhalin’s eastern coast. Sakhalin was established to be an island isolated from the continent by a short strait by Gennady Nevelskoy and Mamiya Rinz. Stepan Makarov compiled and published the first complete study of the hydrology of the Sea of Okhotsk in 1894.Numerous successful US Navy missions to hit Soviet Navy underwater communications cables took place in the Sea of Okhotsk during the Cold War. The book ‘Blind Man’s Bluff: The Untold Story of American Submarine Espionage’ details these missions. The Sea of Okhotsk was the picture of the 1983 assault of Korean Air Flight 007. The Russians were suspected of spying and employed a ballistic missile sub bastion of the Soviet Pacific Fleet, a tactic that Russia maintains to this day. From 1981-2005, Okhotsk was also a starting point for sounding rockets that achieved altitudes of 621.37 mi (1,000 km).
There are many sorts of marginal seas in Earth’s oceans.