Pechora Sea
Encyclopedia
Pechora Sea is a sea at the northwest of Russia
, the southeastern part of the Barents Sea
. The western border of the sea is off Kolguyev Island
, while the eastern border is the western coasts of Vaygach Island
and the Yugorsky Peninsula
, and the northern border the southern end of Novaya Zemlya
.
The Pechora Sea is quite shallow, its average depth being only 6 m. The deepest point reaches 210 m. In the southern part of the sea runs the eastward-flowing Kolguyev Current. There are a few islands close to the coast, the largest of which is Dolgiy Island
.
The Pechora Sea is blocked by floating ice from November to June. The main river entering the sea is the Pechora
.
The Pechora Sea was used as a starting point of the exploration of the hitherto unknown icy seas lying to the east. The earliest recorded voyage across the Pechora Sea through the Yugorsky Strait
was made by early Russian explorer Uleb, from Nizhny Novgorod
. Uleb's passing into the Kara Sea was recorded in 1032.
Russian "Pomors", the coastal dwellers of the White Sea
shores, explored this sea and the coast of Novaya Zemlya
since the 11th century. The Arctic's first shipping line, the Great Mangazea Route, from the White Sea to the Ob River
and the Yenisei Gulf
began operating in the latter part of the 16th century. This line opened up the way to Siberia's riches and it worked until 1619, when it was closed for military and political reasons, for fear of possible penetration by Europeans into Siberia
.
fisheries, are of great importance for both Norway and Russia. There is a diversity of benthic fauna
on the Pechora Sea floor. In addition, there is a genetic
ally distinct Polar Bear
population associated with the Barents Sea.
In current times there is some oil drilling in the Pechora Sea at the Dolginskoye and Prirazlomnoye
oil fields. The negative ecological impact of such industrial exploitation in the Pechora Sea coast is significant.
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, the southeastern part of the Barents Sea
Barents Sea
The Barents Sea is a marginal sea of the Arctic Ocean, located north of Norway and Russia. Known in the Middle Ages as the Murman Sea, the sea takes its current name from the Dutch navigator Willem Barents...
. The western border of the sea is off Kolguyev Island
Kolguyev
Kolguyev Island is an island in Nenets Autonomous Okrug Russia located in the south-eastern Barents Sea to the north-east of the Kanin Peninsula. The approximately circular-shaped island has a diameter of and is in area. The highest point on the island is at 166 meters...
, while the eastern border is the western coasts of Vaygach Island
Vaygach Island
Vaygach Island is an island in the Arctic Sea between the Pechora Sea and the Kara Sea.Vaygach Island is separated from the Yugorsky Peninsula in the mainland by the Yugorsky Strait and from Novaya Zemlya by the Kara Strait...
and the Yugorsky Peninsula
Yugorsky Peninsula
The Yugorsky Peninsula is a large peninsula in Nenets Autonomous Okrug, Russia. It is limited by the Khaypudyr Bay in the Pechora Sea to the west and by the Baydaratsk Bay in the Kara Sea to the north and east.Latitude : 68° 40' Longitude : 62° 15'...
, and the northern border the southern end of Novaya Zemlya
Novaya Zemlya
Novaya Zemlya , also known in Dutch as Nova Zembla and in Norwegian as , is an archipelago in the Arctic Ocean in the north of Russia and the extreme northeast of Europe, the easternmost point of Europe lying at Cape Flissingsky on the northern island...
.
The Pechora Sea is quite shallow, its average depth being only 6 m. The deepest point reaches 210 m. In the southern part of the sea runs the eastward-flowing Kolguyev Current. There are a few islands close to the coast, the largest of which is Dolgiy Island
Dolgiy Island
Dolgy Island is an island in the Pechora Sea, east of the Khaypudyr Bay. Long and narrow, this island is in length, with an average width of...
.
The Pechora Sea is blocked by floating ice from November to June. The main river entering the sea is the Pechora
Pechora River
The Pechora River is a river in northwest Russia which flows north into the Arctic Ocean on the west side of the Ural Mountains. It lies mostly in the Komi Republic but the northernmost part crosses the Nenets Autonomous Okrug. It is 1,809 km long and its basin is 322,000 square kilometers...
.
History
Historically, before the adjacent Barents Sea was named as such, the Pechora Sea's own name was already established. The rest of the present-day Barents Sea was known then as "Sea of Murmansk" (Murmanskoye Morye).The Pechora Sea was used as a starting point of the exploration of the hitherto unknown icy seas lying to the east. The earliest recorded voyage across the Pechora Sea through the Yugorsky Strait
Yugorsky Strait
The Yugorsky Strait is a narrow sound between the Kara Sea and the Pechora Sea. Its maximum width is 10 km and its minimum width only 3 km...
was made by early Russian explorer Uleb, from Nizhny Novgorod
Nizhny Novgorod
Nizhny Novgorod , colloquially shortened to Nizhny, is, with the population of 1,250,615, the fifth largest city in Russia, ranking after Moscow, St. Petersburg, Novosibirsk, and Yekaterinburg...
. Uleb's passing into the Kara Sea was recorded in 1032.
Russian "Pomors", the coastal dwellers of the White Sea
White Sea
The White Sea is a southern inlet of the Barents Sea located on the northwest coast of Russia. It is surrounded by Karelia to the west, the Kola Peninsula to the north, and the Kanin Peninsula to the northeast. The whole of the White Sea is under Russian sovereignty and considered to be part of...
shores, explored this sea and the coast of Novaya Zemlya
Novaya Zemlya
Novaya Zemlya , also known in Dutch as Nova Zembla and in Norwegian as , is an archipelago in the Arctic Ocean in the north of Russia and the extreme northeast of Europe, the easternmost point of Europe lying at Cape Flissingsky on the northern island...
since the 11th century. The Arctic's first shipping line, the Great Mangazea Route, from the White Sea to the Ob River
Ob River
The Ob River , also Obi, is a major river in western Siberia, Russia and is the world's seventh longest river. It is the westernmost of the three great Siberian rivers that flow into the Arctic Ocean .The Gulf of Ob is the world's longest estuary.-Names:The Ob is known to the Khanty people as the...
and the Yenisei Gulf
Yenisei Gulf
The Yenisei Gulf is a large and long estuary through which the lower Yenisei River flows into the Kara Sea.The Yenisei Gulf is formed by the river widening to an average of 50 km for up to 250 km in a roughly north-south direction, between a latitude of 70° 30' N in the area around...
began operating in the latter part of the 16th century. This line opened up the way to Siberia's riches and it worked until 1619, when it was closed for military and political reasons, for fear of possible penetration by Europeans into Siberia
Siberia
Siberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...
.
Ecology
The fisheries of the Barents Sea, in particular the codAtlantic cod
The Atlantic cod, Gadus morhua, is a well-known demersal food fish belonging to the family Gadidae. It is also commercially known as cod, codling or haberdine....
fisheries, are of great importance for both Norway and Russia. There is a diversity of benthic fauna
Fauna
Fauna or faunæ is all of the animal life of any particular region or time. The corresponding term for plants is flora.Zoologists and paleontologists use fauna to refer to a typical collection of animals found in a specific time or place, e.g. the "Sonoran Desert fauna" or the "Burgess shale fauna"...
on the Pechora Sea floor. In addition, there is a genetic
Genetics
Genetics , a discipline of biology, is the science of genes, heredity, and variation in living organisms....
ally distinct Polar Bear
Polar Bear
The polar bear is a bear native largely within the Arctic Circle encompassing the Arctic Ocean, its surrounding seas and surrounding land masses. It is the world's largest land carnivore and also the largest bear, together with the omnivorous Kodiak Bear, which is approximately the same size...
population associated with the Barents Sea.
In current times there is some oil drilling in the Pechora Sea at the Dolginskoye and Prirazlomnoye
Prirazlomnoye field
Prirazlomnoye field is an Arctic offshore oilfield located in the Pechora Sea, south of Novaya Zemlya, Russia. The field development is based on the single stationary Prirazlomnaya platform, which is the first Arctic-class ice-resistant oil platform in the world. The commercial drilling is expected...
oil fields. The negative ecological impact of such industrial exploitation in the Pechora Sea coast is significant.