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Barents Sea Facts

Barents Sea Facts
The Barents Sea is located off Russia and Norway's northern coasts in the Arctic Ocean. The sea's current name is derived from Willem Barentsz name - a Dutch navigator. The Barents Sea is bordered by the Norwegian Sea, the Kola Peninsula, the archipelagos of Svalbard, Novaya Zemlya, and Franz Josef Island. It covers an area of approximately 540,000 square miles and has an average depth of 750 feet.
Interesting Barents Sea Facts:
The Barents Sea was once known as the Murmanskoye Morye by the Russians. It appears as such in a 1595 atlas.
The basin countries of the Barents Sea are Russia and Norway (they drain into this body of water).
The southern portion of the Barents Sea is ice free all year because of the North Atlantic drift.
There are three types of water in the Barents Sea including cold Arctic water, warm, salty Atlantic water, and warm but not overly salty water on the coast.
Phytoplankton growth in the spring begins early close the ice edge because of the melting fresh water layer.
A notable battle in World War II took place in the Barents Sea and became known as the Battle of the Barents Sea.
One of the largest cod populations in the world that still remains is found in the Barents Sea. The cod fisheries are important to Russia and Norway.
There is a polar bear population in the Barents Sea considered to be genetically distinct.
There are several oil and gas fields in the Barents Sea. Hydrocarbon exploration in the waters of the Barents Sea began in 1969.


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