East Siberian Sea
The East Siberian Sea stretches between the Arctic Cape to the north and the coast of Siberia to the south. Its western limit touches the New Siberian Islands, while Cape Billings marks the eastern edge near Chukotka. Wrangel Island sits to the east, creating a natural border with the Chukchi Sea. This marginal sea remains one of the least studied regions in the entire Arctic area. Most of its waters lie shallower than 50 meters deep. The seabed forms a plain that slopes gently from southwest to northeast. About 70 percent of the total area falls within this shallow range. Predominant depths measure just 20 to 25 meters across vast sections. North-east of the Kolyma River mouth, ancient river valleys now form deep trenches on the ocean floor. These submerged channels reach maximum depths of about 915 meters in the north-eastern part. The region of small depths in the west creates what is known as the Novosibirsk shoal. No islands exist in the middle of the open water. Only coastal waters hold groups like Ayon Island or the Medvyezhi island group. Their combined surface area totals only 80 square kilometers. Many of these islands consist mostly of sand and ice. They gradually erode under constant wave action.
Winter temperatures average approximately minus 30 degrees Celsius during January months. South-westerly winds blow at speeds between 6 and 7 meters per second. These strong gusts bring cold air directly from the Siberian continent. Atlantic cyclones increase wind speed while raising air temperature slightly. Pacific systems deliver clouds, storms, and blizzards instead. Summer brings northerly winds that strengthen significantly over time. June sees weak breezes, but July intensifies to 6, 7 meters per second. August reaches 10, 15 meters per second, making the western sea one of the most violent areas along the northern Russian coast. Southeastern regions remain much calmer throughout the season. Average open sea temperatures stay near zero degrees Celsius even in summer. Coastal zones measure just 2 to 3 degrees Celsius higher. Skies usually appear cloudy with frequent drizzling rains or wet snow. Fogs occur 90 to 100 days per year along the coasts. Most foggy periods happen during summer months, lasting 68 to 75 days annually. Precipitation totals only 100 to 200 millimeters each year. This amount still exceeds evaporation volume despite low rainfall.
Surface water salinity increases steadily from southwest toward northeast. Winter conditions show levels between 4 and 5 parts per thousand near river deltas. The Kolyma and Indigirka rivers contribute fresh runoff that dilutes salt content locally. Salinity rises to 28, 30 parts per thousand in the sea center. Northern outskirts reach 31, 32 parts per thousand by late winter. Summer melting reduces surface salinity by approximately 5 parts per thousand. Bottom-to-surface gradients decrease salinity further by 5 to 7 parts per thousand. Constant currents flow weakly from west to east across the surface. Wind direction can temporarily reverse these flows. Tides rise twice daily with amplitudes between 5 and 25 centimeters. The tidal wave weakens as it approaches shallow coastal waters. Sea level peaks in summer due to heavy river runoff. Autumn brings another high point caused by strong winds. Lowest levels occur during March and April months. Annual fluctuations stay within about 70 centimeters total range. Storms generate waves reaching 3 to 5 meters in the western sector. Eastern regions remain relatively calm throughout the year. These storms typically last one or two days during summer. They become more frequent in winter, extending up to three to five days.
Summer plankton blooms produce intense but short bursts of life. Five million tonnes of plankton develop each August and September. Total annual production reaches seven million tonnes overall. Nutrients enter the water primarily through river discharges and coastal erosion. Pacific species of copepods dominate the plankton community. Ringed seals inhabit both sea shores and ice fields alongside bearded seals. Walruses gather near the coast while polar bears hunt them. Seagulls, uria birds, and cormorants nest along rocky outcrops. Bowhead whales visit these waters regularly during migration seasons. Gray whales, belugas, and narwhals also traverse the region frequently. Major fish species include grayling and various Coregonus whitefish types. Muksun, broad whitefish, and omul appear commonly in local catches. Polar smelt, saffron cod, polar cod, flounder, and Arctic char complete the ecosystem. Sea waters remain rather clean due to lack of heavy industry. Minor contaminations reach up to 80 micrograms per liter near Novosibirsk and Wrangel islands. Occasional oil spills contribute to pollution levels there. Chaunskaya Bay shows contamination from a local thermal power station. Activities at the major port Pevek add further minor pollutants.
Native peoples inhabited the East Siberian Sea coast for thousands of years before Russian arrival. Yukaghirs and Chukchi tribes lived primarily in eastern areas. They practiced fishing, hunting, and reindeer husbandry as primary livelihoods. Reindeer sleds served essential roles in transportation and hunting activities. Evens and Evenks joined these groups around the second century AD. Much more numerous Yakuts absorbed them between the ninth and fifteenth centuries. All those tribes migrated northward from the Baikal Lake area. Their movement avoided confrontations with Mongol forces during that era. Each group practiced shamanism while speaking distinct languages. The coastal settlements remained small throughout history. Typical populations stayed below one hundred people per location. Only Pevek now qualifies as an actual city with over five thousand residents. Gold mines operated near Leningradsky and Pevek until recent decades. Tin mines closed in the 1990s causing significant population outflow. Logashkino settlement once served as a notable port but was abolished in 1998.
Goods transport across the northern Russian coast happens mostly during August and September months. Navigation remains hindered even in summer by floating ice remnants. Occasional winds bring ice down to southern shores despite warm weather. Fishery targets salmon, halibut, and crab as traditional activities. Local importance defines current fishing efforts rather than commercial scale. Fish production data from 2005 shows sardine at 1.6 thousand tonnes. Arctic cisco reached 1.8 thousand tonnes while Bering cisco hit 2.2 thousand tonnes. Broad whitefish totaled 2.7 thousand tonnes and Muksun reached 2.8 thousand tonnes. Other species combined added another 3.6 thousand tonnes total. The principal port sits within Chaunskaya Bay at Pevek location. Most electricity for the region comes from a 30 MW thermal power station since 1944. This facility ages rapidly and consumes large amounts of oil shipped from distant locations. A project planned to replace it with a floating atomic power station by 2015 failed completely. Northern Siberian coast ports between Dudinka and Pevek now handle negligible cargo volumes.
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Common questions
What are the geographical boundaries of the East Siberian Sea?
The East Siberian Sea stretches between Arctic Cape to the north and the coast of Siberia to the south. Its western limit touches the New Siberian Islands, while Cape Billings marks the eastern edge near Chukotka.
How deep is the water in the East Siberian Sea?
Most of its waters lie shallower than 50 meters deep with predominant depths measuring just 20 to 25 meters across vast sections. North-east of the Kolyma River mouth ancient river valleys now form deep trenches on the ocean floor reaching maximum depths of about 915 meters in the north-eastern part.
What is the climate like during winter in the East Siberian Sea?
Winter temperatures average approximately minus 30 degrees Celsius during January months. South-westerly winds blow at speeds between 6 and 7 meters per second bringing cold air directly from the Siberian continent.
Which marine animals live in the East Siberian Sea?
Ringed seals inhabit both sea shores and ice fields alongside bearded seals while walruses gather near the coast where polar bears hunt them. Bowhead whales visit these waters regularly during migration seasons along with gray whales belugas and narwhals that traverse the region frequently.
When did Russian explorers first navigate the East Siberian Sea?
Russian sea-farers navigated the coastline using koch boats as early as the seventeenth century. Semyon Dezhnev and Fedot Alekseev sailed from Kolyma to Anadyr River in 1648.