PECHORA SEA

also spelled Pecora, Russian Pechorskoye More, sea lying to the north of European Russia, between Kolguyev Island to the west and the Yugorsky Peninsula to the east. To the north is Novaya Zemlya. The Pechora Sea is, in effect, a southeastern extension of the Barents Sea. Its average depth is 20 feet (6 m), but it reaches a maximum depth of 690 feet (210 m). In the southern part of the sea run the eastward-flowing Kolguyev Current and its extension, the Novaya Zemlya, the flow of which is interrupted by the inflow of the Pechora River. The Pechora Sea is blocked by floating ice from November until June. Cod, seals, and other marine life are exploited. The main port is Naryan-Mar on the Pechora River, an important exporter of timber.