BERING SEA

Russian Beringovo More, body of water in the northernmost Pacific Ocean that separates the continents of Asia (northeastern Siberia) and North America (Alaska). The Bering Sea covers 890,000 square miles (2,304,000 square km) and connects with the Arctic Ocean by way of the Bering Strait. The U.S.-Russian boundary passes through the sea and strait. The following article summarizes information about the Bering Sea. For full treatment, see Pacific Ocean: Bering Sea and Strait. The Bering Sea is roughly triangular, with its apex to the north and its base formed by the 1,100-mile- (1,600-kilometre-) long arc of the Alaska Peninsula and the Aleutian Islands, which constitute part of the U.S. state of Alaska. Its maximum east-west width is 1,490 miles (2,400 km), and from north to south it is 990 miles (1,600 km). The numerous islands in the sea include the Aleutians, Nunivak, St. Lawrence, Nelson, and Karagin. The Bering Sea may be divided into two nearly equal parts. A relatively shallow plain, usually less than 500 feet (150 m) deep, extends along the continental and insular shelves in the north and east. The southwest portion of the sea is a much deeper plain, lying at depths of 12,000 to 13,000 feet (3,700 to 4,000 m). Climate in the northern and eastern parts of the sea is subarctic with winter temperatures of -31 to -49 F (-35 to -45 C), high winds, and frequent storms. Almost all of the Bering Sea water comes from the Pacific Ocean. The sea is rich in plant and animal life; salmon, herring, cod, flounder, and halibut are commercially fished. The islands are breeding grounds for the fur seal and the sea otter; walrus, seal, and sea lion inhabit the northern areas. First explored by Russian ships under Semyon I. Dezhnyov in 1648, the sea is named after Vitus Bering, a Danish captain who visited the area in 1728.