Bering Sea

The Bering Sea is a large sea.

It sits between Alaska and Russia. It also sits near the Arctic Ocean.

Many animals live in the water. You might see a walrus on the ice.

You might also see a red crab.

Big whales swim in the sea too. Many types of birds live there. Some birds nest in the area.

The sea is very busy. It has many fish to catch. This helps many people get food.

It is a very special place.

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The Bering Sea is a large part of the North Pacific Ocean. It sits between Alaska and the Russian Far East.

It also sits near the Bering Strait. This strait connects the sea to the Arctic Ocean.

The sea is full of life. Many kinds of whales swim in the deep water. You might see a blue whale or a humpback whale.

Large animals like walruses rest on the sea ice.

Many birds also live here. About 20 million seabirds breed in the area.

There are many fish in the sea. People catch a lot of seafood there. This includes salmon, cod, and crabs.

Red king crab is a very famous type of crab from this sea.

Fishing is a big business. In the United States, people catch about $1 billion in seafood every year. In Russia, the catch is worth about $600 million each year.

The sea has very deep parts. One of these is the Zhemchug Canyon. It is the largest submarine canyon in the world.

The Bering Sea is a large part of the North Pacific Ocean. It sits between the Americas and Eurasia.

This sea helps divide the two largest landmasses on Earth. To the east and northeast, it is bordered by Alaska. To the west, you will find the Russian Far East and the Kamchatka Peninsula. The Alaska Peninsula and the Aleutian Islands sit to the south. In the far north, the Bering Strait connects this sea to the Chukchi Sea in the Arctic Ocean.

This sea is a very busy place for living things. Much of the life lives near the continental shelf. This is a place where the shallow water drops off into deep basins. Scientists call this drop-off zone the "Greenbelt." Cold water flows up from the deep Aleutian basin to the surface. This brings nutrients that help tiny plants called phytoplankton grow.

Melting sea ice also helps by adding fresh water and providing a place for algae to grow. These things create a food web that supports many animals.

People have a long history with this sea. A Danish-born Russian navigator named Vitus Bering explored it in 1728. He sailed from the Pacific Ocean toward the Arctic Ocean. Long ago, during the Last glacial period, the sea level was much lower. Scientists think a land bridge called Beringia once existed here. This bridge might have allowed humans and large animals to walk from Asia to North America.

Many different animals call the Bering Sea home. You can find many whales, such as the blue whale and the humpback whale. The North Pacific right whale is also found here, and it is very rare. Other mammals include walruses, orcas, and polar bears.

There are also over 30 species of seabirds. About 20 million seabirds breed in this region. Some fish and shellfish are very important for people to catch. This includes salmon, Pacific cod, and red king crab.

The U.S. side catches about $1 billion in seafood every year. The Russian side catches about $600 million worth each year.

Nature is always changing in the Bering Sea. In the summer of 1997, warm water caused a massive bloom of tiny plants. Some scientists believe the sea can hold less life now than it did in the past. This is because average productivity has declined by 30 to 40 percent over the last 50 years. The future of the sea is still uncertain because of changes in the Arctic.

Even with these changes, the sea remains a vital part of our world.

The Bering Sea is a marginal sea of the Northern Pacific Ocean. It acts as a major divider between Eurasia and the Americas. This sea, along with the Bering Strait, separates the two largest landmasses on Earth.

The sea consists of a deep water basin. This basin rises through a narrow slope into shallower waters above the continental shelves. The sea is bordered by Alaska to the east and northeast. The Russian Far East and the Kamchatka Peninsula border it to the west. To the south lie the Alaska Peninsula and the Aleutian Islands. In the far north, the Bering Strait connects the sea to the Chukchi Sea in the Arctic Ocean.

Geologically, the area has a complex history. A small portion of the Kula Plate is located within the Bering Sea. The Kula Plate is an ancient tectonic plate. It used to subduct, or sink, under Alaska. The sea also contains 16 submarine canyons. The largest of these is the Zhemchug Canyon.

In 2018, a large meteor exploded above the sea. This event occurred at an altitude of 25.6 kilometers. The explosion released 49 kilotons of energy.

The ecosystem of the Bering Sea is extremely productive. This productivity is driven by two main factors. First, the shelf break is a dominant driver. This is the zone where the shallow continental shelf drops into the North Aleutians Basin. Scientists call this zone the "Greenbelt." Nutrient upwelling occurs here as cold water flows up the slope. This mixing provides nutrients for the growth of phytoplankton.

The second driver is seasonal sea ice. When sea ice melts, it triggers a spring phytoplankton bloom. The melting ice causes an influx of lower salinity water. This creates stratification, which is the layering of water. This process has important hydrographic effects on productivity. The ice also provides a surface for algae to grow. This creates a vigorous and complex food web.

Many different species depend on this environment. The sea supports many whale species, including the blue whale and the humpback whale. It is home to the endangered fin whale and the very rare North Pacific right whale. Other mammals include walruses, orcas, and polar bears.

The region is also vital for seabirds. Over 30 species of seabirds breed here. This includes about 20 million individual birds. Some species, like the crested auklet, have colonies of over a million individuals.

Humans have a long history with this region. The sea is named after Vitus Bering. He was a Danish-born Russian navigator. In 1728, he was the first European to systematically explore the area. During the Last glacial period, sea levels were much lower. Scientists believe a land bridge called Beringia once existed. This bridge may have allowed humans and megafauna to migrate between Asia and North America.

Today, the Bering Sea supports massive commercial fisheries. People catch Pacific cod, salmon, and various flatfish. Shellfish like red king crab and snow crab are also very important.

These fisheries are a major part of the economy. U.S. commercial fisheries catch about $1 billion in seafood annually. Russian fisheries in the Bering Sea are worth about $600 million annually. The Alaskan king crab and snow crab seasons are even featured on television.

However, the ecosystem is facing significant changes. In the summer of 1997, warm water caused a massive bloom of coccolithophorid phytoplankton. Scientists use carbon isotopes in bowhead whale baleen to study these trends. These records suggest a 30% to 40% decline in average seasonal primary productivity over the last 50 years. This means the carrying capacity of the sea may be lower now. Because of changes in the Arctic, the future of this ecosystem remains uncertain.