The Black Sea and the Sea of ​​Azov: comparison, coordinates, depths. Geographical location of the Black Sea. Map, coordinates, photos What the sea coast looks like

Russia owns huge reserves, which are distributed unevenly over the area. Most of them are concentrated in the north, a smaller part in the south. The country has the longest coastline in the world, the total length of which is about 61 thousand km. In addition to the oceans and seas, there are more than two million rivers and the same number. All water resources are actively used in the economic activities of the state. In total, Russia is washed by 13 seas, 1 of which is closed, and the remaining 12 belong to the basins of the Atlantic, Arctic and Pacific oceans. This article provides a list and brief description of all seas and oceans washing the territory of the Russian Federation.

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Atlantic Ocean

The seas of the Atlantic Ocean wash the western coast of the state. These include the Azov, Black and Baltic seas. The length of the coastline is about 1845 km. The largest rivers flowing into these seas are Luga, Neva, Don, Matsesta and Ashe.

Arctic Ocean

The Arctic Ocean and the seas of its basin wash the northern part of Russia. The total length of the coastline is 39,940 km. The Arctic Ocean basin includes the Chukchi, Kara, East Siberian, White, Barents Seas, as well as the Laptev Sea. , flowing into the Arctic Ocean include the Lena, Yenisei, Ob, Northern Dvina and Pechora.

Pacific Ocean

The waters of the Pacific Ocean wash the territory of Russia from the east. The length of the coastline is 17,740 km. The Sea of ​​Japan, Okhotsk and Bering Seas are located on the Asian coast of the country. The Amur and Anadyr are the largest rivers in the Pacific basin.

Map of the seas and oceans that wash the territory of Russia

As can be seen on the map above, the country's shores are washed by twelve seas. Another, the Caspian Sea, has an internal closed basin and is the largest enclosed body of water in the world. The seas of Russia differ in origin, temperature, maximum depth, bottom topography, degree of salinity and diversity of flora and fauna.

The seas of the Atlantic Ocean that wash Russia:

Sea of ​​Azov

An inland sea in southwest Russia that is the shallowest in the world. The Sea of ​​Azov can be considered a gulf of the Black Sea. The length from north to south is 231 km, and the maximum depth is up to 14 m. The reservoir freezes in winter, and warms up well in summer. Thanks to the predominantly positive temperatures, life is actively developing in the waters. 80 species of fish, including commercial ones, live here.

Black Sea

The waters of the Black Sea wash the southwestern borders of the country. Its length from north to south is 580 km. The maximum depth exceeds 2 thousand m. Most of the cyclones that occur throughout the year originate over the Atlantic. Numerous rivers significantly desalinate the coastal waters of the sea. Due to the high content of hydrogen sulfide in the water, the bottom part is uninhabited. At shallow depths, both Mediterranean and freshwater fish species are found: anchovy, horse mackerel, tuna, stingray, bream, pike perch, and ram.

Baltic Sea

The reservoir, located in the north-west of Russia, is 660 km long. It is an inland sea. The maximum depth of the Baltic Sea is 470 m. Cyclones that form near the Atlantic bring frequent rain and wind to the Baltic. Due to the abundance of precipitation, the water in the sea is slightly salty, so there is little plankton in it. Fish include smelt, herring, Baltic sprat, whitefish and many others.

The seas of the Arctic Ocean that wash Russia:

Barencevo sea

Sea waters wash part of the northern coast of the country. The length of the coastline is 6645 km. The maximum depth exceeds 590 m. The North Atlantic Current and Arctic air radically influence climatic conditions. Summer temperatures do not rise above +10ºС. In the northwestern part the ice does not melt all year round. The waters are rich in plankton. More than a hundred species of fish live here, some of them commercial, for example, halibut, haddock, and catfish. represented by seals, bears and beluga whales. Various bird species such as gulls, guillemots and guillemots have settled on the coastal rocky cliffs.

White Sea

An inland sea washing the northern part of the state. The length exceeds 600 km, the maximum depth is 343 m. The White Sea is slightly larger than the Azov Sea. Winter is long and harsh, and summer is humid and cool. Cyclones dominate over the reservoir. The water is slightly salty on the surface. The world of zooplankton and phytoplankton is not very developed. There are about fifty species of fish, which is significantly less than in neighboring seas. This is due to the harsh climate and low salinity. Cod, smelt, Chinook salmon, pollock, and salmon are of great commercial importance. The fauna is represented by sea hares and beluga whales.

Kara Sea

The waters wash the islands and archipelagos of northern Russia. The length of the coastline is 1500 km, the maximum depth is 620 m. The average water temperature does not exceed 0°C. Throughout the year, a significant part of the sea surface is covered with ice. Salt water at river mouths becomes almost fresh. According to recent studies, there are oil and gas deposits on the shelves. Brown and red algae grow well in the sea. Fish resources are rich in navaga, flounder, chinook salmon, nelma and smelt. There are: sei whale and fin whale.

Laptev sea

A marginal reservoir of the Arctic Ocean, 1300 km long. The maximum depth is 3385 m. The sea is located near the Arctic Circle, which significantly affects the climate. Winter temperatures average -26°C. The region is affected by cyclones, bringing with them blizzards and winds. In summer the air warms up to +1ºС. Melting ice and runoff from Siberian rivers dilute the salt water of the sea. The flora is represented by a variety of algae and plankton. Near the coastal strip you can find sea urchins and. Large freshwater fish emerge from river mouths to feed. The fishery is not developed, since the sea is covered with ice most of the time. Among the mammals, beluga whales, walruses and seals do well.

East-Siberian Sea

The sea of ​​the Arctic Ocean basin adjacent to the northern coast of Russia. The length of the coastline exceeds 3000 km, the greatest depth is about 900 m. The average air temperature in winter is -28°C. The reason for such low temperatures is the cold winds carrying air masses from Siberia. Summer air temperatures rise to +2ºС on average. The fauna is scarce due to the harsh climate. The ichthyofauna of the coastal zone includes whitefish and sturgeon. Large mammals include beluga whales, walruses, and polar bears.

Chukchi Sea

A marginal reservoir in the north of the country. The greatest depth is 1256 m. Throughout the year, the sea receives little sunlight. A sharp drop in temperature begins in the fall. Winter is characterized by strong winds and an average temperature of -28°C. Cover the reservoir with ice all year round. Grayling, char and cod are found in the Chukchi Sea. Phytoplankton serves as food for cetaceans. Polar bears live on drifting ice floes, forming an entire population.

The Pacific seas that wash Russia:

Bering Sea

The reservoir in the northeastern part of the Pacific coast has a coastline length of 13,340 km, a maximum depth of 4,151 m. There are numerous islands near the coast. In winter, the average air temperature does not rise above -23ºС. Summer temperatures average +10ºС. The Bering Sea is covered with ice almost all year round. The coast is indented with capes, bays and spits. The high banks are favored by seagulls, puffins, and guillemots. The aquatic world is famous for its diversity of salmon and flounder. The gently sloping shores have become home to walruses, sea otters and polar bears.

Japanese Sea

The waters of the Sea of ​​Japan wash the eastern coast of Russia. The length of the coastline is 3240 km, the maximum depth is 3742 m. The location in temperate latitudes affects the local climate. In winter, northwest winds blow over the surface. Typhoons often occur at this time. The influx of river water is insignificant. The coast is home to starfish of all sizes and colors, urchins, shrimp and sea cucumbers. The fishery covers cod, flounder, pollock and herring. After a storm, you can see relatively safe jellyfish on the shore.

Sea of ​​Okhotsk

A semi-enclosed body of water washing the south-eastern coast of the country. The maximum depth is 3916 m. The monsoon climate prevails on the coast. January temperatures drop to -25°C. The summer maximum is +18°C. The coastal zone is home to crabs, mussels and starfish. Mammals include killer whales, seals and fur seals. In the open sea, flounder, capelin, coho salmon and pink salmon are caught.

Closed seas that wash Russia:

Caspian Sea

The only endorheic sea in the southwest of Russia. The length of the coastline is 1460 km, the maximum depth is 1025 m. Based on some signs, the Caspian Sea should be called a lake. But the salinity of the water, its size and hydrological regime indicate that it is a sea. There are many islands along the coast. The waters of the Caspian Sea are unstable, they rise and fall. Winter temperatures average -1°C, and by mid-summer they rise to +25°C. More than a hundred rivers flow into the Caspian Sea, the largest of which is the Volga. In winter, the northern part of the sea freezes. The flora and fauna are unique. Only endemic species live here, species that live only in the Caspian Sea. Near the coast you can find goby, herring, sturgeon, white fish, shrimp, pike perch and beluga. A unique mammal is the Caspian seal, the smallest representative of its family.

Located in the depths of the continent, the Black Sea is the most isolated part of the World Ocean. In the southwest it communicates with the Bosphorus Strait, the border between the seas runs along the line Cape Rumeli - Cape Anadolu. The Kerch Strait connects Chernoye and.

The area of ​​the Black Sea is 422 thousand km2, volume - 555 thousand km3, average depth - 1315 m, greatest depth - 2210 m.

The coastline, with the exception of the north and northwest, is slightly indented. The eastern and southern shores are steep and mountainous, the western and northwestern shores are low and flat, steep in places. The only large peninsula is Crimean.

The length of the Russian coast of the Black Sea (from the Kerch Strait to the mouth of the Psou River) is about 400 km. The entire region of the Black Sea coast of Russia can be divided into two large regions - Taman and Western Caucasus.

In the northwestern part of the sea there are the largest bays - Karkinitsky, Kalamitsky. In addition to them, on the southern coast of the sea there are Sinop Bay and Samsun Bay, and on the western coast there is Burgas Bay. The small Zmeiny and Berezan are located in the northwestern part of the sea, Kefken - east of the Bosphorus.

The area of ​​the Black Sea is 422,000 km² (according to other sources - 436,400 km²). The outline of the Black Sea resembles an oval with the longest axis about 1150 km. The greatest length of the sea from north to south is 580 km. The greatest depth is 2210 m, the average is 1240 m.

The sea washes the shores of Russia, Ukraine, Romania, Bulgaria, Turkey and Georgia. The unrecognized state entity of Abkhazia is located on the northeastern coast of the Black Sea.

A characteristic feature of the Black Sea is the complete (with the exception of a number of anaerobic bacteria) absence of life at depths above 150-200 m due to the saturation of the deep layers of water with hydrogen sulfide. The Black Sea is an important transport area, as well as one of the largest resort regions in Eurasia.

In addition, the Black Sea retains important strategic and military significance. The main military bases of the Russian Black Sea Fleet are located in Sevastopol and Novorossiysk.

The ancient Greek name of the sea is Pont Aksinsky (Greek Πόντος Ἄξενος, “Inhospitable Sea”). In Strabo's "Geography" it is assumed that the sea received this name due to difficulties with navigation, as well as the wild hostile tribes inhabiting its shores. Later, after the successful development of the shores by Greek colonists, the sea began to be called Pontus Euxine (Greek Πόντος Εὔξενος, “Hospitable Sea”). However, Strabo (1.2.10) contains references to the fact that in antiquity the Black Sea was also called simply “sea” (pontos).

In Ancient Rus' in the 10th-16th centuries, the name “Russian Sea” was found in chronicles; in some sources, the sea is called “Scythian”. The modern name “Black Sea” has found its corresponding reflection in most languages: Greek. Μαύρη θάλασσα, Bulgarian. Black Sea, cargo. შავი ზღვა, rum. Marea Neagră, English. Black Sea, tour. Karadeniz, Ukrainian Chorne more, etc. The earliest sources mentioning this name date back to the 13th century, but there are certain signs that it was used earlier. There are a number of hypotheses regarding the reasons for this name:

The Turks and other conquerors who tried to conquer the population of the sea coast met fierce resistance from the Circassians, Circassians and other tribes, for which they called the sea Karadengiz - Black, inhospitable.

Another reason, according to some researchers, may be the fact that during storms the water in the sea becomes very dark. However, storms in the Black Sea are not too frequent, and the water darkens during storms in all the seas of the earth. Another hypothesis for the origin of the name is based on the fact that metal objects (for example, anchors) lowered into sea water deeper than 150 m for a long time became covered with a black coating due to the action of hydrogen sulfide.

Another hypothesis is related to the “color” designation of the cardinal directions adopted in a number of Asian countries, where “black” denoted the north, respectively, the Black Sea - the northern sea.

One of the most common hypotheses is the assumption that the name is associated with memories of the Bosphorus breakthrough 7500-5000 years ago, which resulted in a catastrophic rise in sea level by almost 100 meters, which in turn led to the flooding of a vast shelf zone and the formation of the Sea of ​​Azov .

There is a Turkish legend according to which a heroic sword rests in the waters of the Black Sea, which was thrown there at the request of the dying wizard Ali. Because of this, the sea is agitated, trying to throw out deadly weapons from its depths, and turns black.

The shores of the Black Sea are slightly indented and mainly in its northern part. The only large peninsula is Crimean. The largest bays are: Yagorlytsky, Tendrovsky, Dzharylgachsky, Karkinitsky, Kalamitsky and Feodosiysky in Ukraine, Varna and Burgassky in Bulgaria, Sinopsky and Samsunsky - on the southern shores of the sea, in Turkey. In the north and northwest, estuaries flood at the confluence of rivers. The total length of the coastline is 3400 km.

A number of sections of the sea coast have their own names: the southern coast of Crimea in Ukraine, the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus in Russia, the Rumelian coast and the Anatolian coast in Turkey. In the west and north-west the banks are low-lying, steep in places; in Crimea - mostly lowland, with the exception of the southern mountainous shores. On the eastern and southern shores, the spurs of the Caucasus and Pontic mountains come close to the sea.

There are few islands in the Black Sea. The largest are Berezan and Zmeiny (both with an area of ​​less than 1 km²).

The following largest rivers flow into the Black Sea: Danube, Dnieper, Dniester, as well as smaller Mzymta, Bzyb, Rioni, Kodor (Kodori), Inguri (in the east of the sea), Chorokh, Kyzyl-Irmak, Ashley-Irmak, Sakarya (in the south ), Southern Bug (in the north). The Black Sea fills an isolated depression located between Southeast Europe and the Asia Minor peninsula. This depression was formed in the Miocene era, during the process of active mountain building, which divided the ancient Tethys Ocean into several separate bodies of water (from which, in addition to the Black Sea, the Azov, Aral and Caspian seas were subsequently formed).

One of the hypotheses for the origin of the Black Sea (in particular, the conclusions of the participants in the international oceanographic expedition on the scientific vessel “Aquanaut” in 1993) states that 7,500 years ago it was the deepest freshwater lake on earth, the level was more than a hundred meters lower than the modern one . At the end of the Ice Age, the level of the World Ocean rose and the Bosphorus Isthmus was broken. A total of 100 thousand km² (the most fertile lands already cultivated by people) were flooded. The flooding of these vast lands may have become the prototype of the myth of the Great Flood. The emergence of the Black Sea, according to this hypothesis, was supposedly accompanied by the mass death of all the freshwater living world of the lake, the decomposition product of which - hydrogen sulfide - reaches high concentrations on the bottom of the sea.

The Black Sea depression consists of two parts - western and eastern, separated by a rise, which is a natural continuation of the Crimean peninsula. The northwestern part of the sea is characterized by a relatively wide shelf strip (up to 190 km). The southern coast (belonging to Turkey) and the eastern (Georgia) are steeper, the shelf strip does not exceed 20 km and is cut by a number of canyons and depressions. Depths off the coast of Crimea and the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus are increasing extremely quickly, reaching levels of over 500 m already a few kilometers from the coastline. The sea reaches its maximum depth (2210 m) in the central part, south of Yalta.

The composition of the rocks that make up the seabed in the coastal zone is dominated by coarse sediments: pebbles, gravel, sand. As they move away from the coast, they are replaced by fine-grained sands and silts. Shell rocks are widespread in the northwestern part of the Black Sea; Pelitic silts are common on the slope and bed of the sea basin.

Among the main mineral resources, deposits of which are found on the seabed: oil and natural gas on the northwestern shelf; coastal placers of titanomagnetite sands (Taman Peninsula, Caucasus coast). The Black Sea is the world's largest meromictic (with unmixed water levels) body of water. The upper layer of water (mixolimnion), lying down to a depth of 150 m, is cooler, less dense and less saline, saturated with oxygen, separated from the lower, warmer, saltier and dense layer saturated with hydrogen sulfide (monimolimnion) by a chemocline (the boundary layer between aerobic and anaerobic waters). zones). There is no single generally accepted explanation for the origin of hydrogen sulfide in the Black Sea. There is an opinion that hydrogen sulfide in the Black Sea is formed mainly as a result of the activity of sulfate-reducing bacteria, pronounced stratification of water and weak vertical exchange. There is also a theory that hydrogen sulfide was formed as a result of the decomposition of freshwater animals that died during the penetration of salty Mediterranean waters during the formation of the Bosphorus and Dardanelles.

Some studies in recent years suggest that the Black Sea is a gigantic reservoir of not only hydrogen sulfide, but also methane, most likely also released during the activity of microorganisms, as well as from the bottom of the sea.

The water balance of the Black Sea consists of the following components:

• atmospheric precipitation (230 km³ per year);
• continental runoff (310 km³ per year);
• water supply from the Sea of ​​Azov (30 km³ per year);
• evaporation of water from the sea surface (-360 km³ per year);
• removal of water through the Bosphorus Strait (-210 km³ per year).

The amount of precipitation, inflow from the Sea of ​​Azov and river runoff exceeds the amount of evaporation from the surface, as a result of which the level of the Black Sea exceeds the level of the Marmara Sea. Thanks to this, an upper current is formed, directed from the Black Sea through the Bosphorus Strait. The lower current observed in lower layers of water is less pronounced and is directed through the Bosphorus in the opposite direction. The interaction of these currents additionally supports the vertical stratification of the sea, and is also used by fish for migration between seas.

It should be noted that due to the difficult exchange of water with the Atlantic Ocean, there are practically no ebbs and flows in the Black Sea. The circulation of water in the sea covers only the surface layer of water. This layer of water has a salinity of about 18 ppm (in the Mediterranean - 37 ppm) and is saturated with oxygen and other elements necessary for the activity of living organisms. These layers in the Black Sea are subject to circular circulation in an anticyclonic direction along the entire perimeter of the reservoir. At the same time, in the western and eastern parts of the sea there are water circulations in the cyclonic direction. The temperature of the surface layers of water, depending on the time of year, ranges from 8 to 30 °C.

The lower layer, due to its saturation with hydrogen sulfide, does not contain living organisms, with the exception of a number of anaerobic sulfur bacteria (the waste product of which is hydrogen sulfide). Salinity here increases to 22-22.5 ppm, the average temperature is ~8.5°C.

The climate of the Black Sea, due to its mid-continental position, is mainly continental. Only the southern coast of Crimea and the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus are protected by mountains from cold northern winds and, as a result, have a mild Mediterranean climate.

The weather over the Black Sea is significantly influenced by the Atlantic Ocean, over which most of the cyclones originate, bringing bad weather and storms to the sea. On the north-eastern coast of the sea, especially in the Novorossiysk region, low mountains are not a barrier to cold northern air masses, which, passing through them, cause a strong cold wind (bora), local residents call it Nord-Ost. Southwestern winds usually bring warm and fairly humid Mediterranean air masses to the Black Sea region. As a result, most of the sea area is characterized by warm, wet winters and hot, dry summers.

The average January temperature in the northern part of the Black Sea is −3 °C, but can drop to −30 °C. In the territories adjacent to the southern coast of Crimea and the Caucasus coast, winter is much milder: temperatures rarely drop below 0 °C. Snow, however, periodically falls in all areas of the sea. The average July temperature in the north of the sea is 22-23°C. Maximum temperatures are not so high due to the softening effect of the water reservoir and usually do not exceed 35 °C.

The greatest amount of precipitation in the Black Sea region falls on the coast of the Caucasus (up to 1500 mm per year), the least in the northwestern part of the sea (about 300 mm per year). Cloud cover for the year averages 60% with a maximum in winter and a minimum in summer.

The waters of the Black Sea, as a rule, are not subject to freezing, with the exception of the coastal part in the north of the reservoir. Coastal waters in these places freeze for up to a month or more; estuaries and river branches - up to 2-3 months.

The flora of the sea includes 270 species of multicellular green, brown, and red bottom algae (Cystoseira, Phyllophora, Zostera, Cladophora, Ulva, Enteromorpha, etc.). The phytoplankton of the Black Sea contains at least six hundred species. Among them are dinoflagellates - armored flagellates (prorocentrum micans, ceratium furca, small Scrippsiella trochoidea, etc.), dinoflagellates (dinophysis, protoperidinium, alexandrium), various diatoms, etc. The fauna of the Black Sea is noticeably poorer than the Mediterranean. The Black Sea is home to 2.5 thousand species of animals (of which 500 species are unicellular, 160 species of vertebrates - fish and mammals, 500 species of crustaceans, 200 species of mollusks, the rest are invertebrates of various species), for comparison, in the Mediterranean - about 9 thousand .species. Among the main reasons for the relative poverty of the marine fauna: a wide range of water salinities, moderately cold water, and the presence of hydrogen sulfide at great depths.

In this regard, the Black Sea is suitable for the habitat of fairly unpretentious species, at all stages of development of which great depths are not required.

The bottom of the Black Sea is inhabited by mussels, oysters, pecten, as well as the predator mollusk rapana, brought with ships from the Far East. Numerous crabs live in the crevices of the coastal rocks and among the stones, there are shrimps, various types of jellyfish are found (the most common are Corneros and Aurelia), sea anemones, and sponges.

Among the fish found in the Black Sea: various types of gobies (bighead goby, whip goby, round goby, martovy goby, rotan goby), Azov anchovy, Black Sea anchovy, dogfish shark, glossa flounder, mullet of five species, bluefish, hake (hake), sea ruff, red mullet (common Black Sea mullet), haddock, mackerel, horse mackerel, Black Sea-Azov herring, Black Sea-Azov sprat, etc. There are sturgeon (beluga, stellate sturgeon, Black Sea-Azov ( Russian) and Atlantic sturgeon).

Among the dangerous fish of the Black Sea are the sea dragon (the most dangerous - the spines of the dorsal fin and gill covers are poisonous), the Black Sea and noticeable scorpionfish, the stingray (sea cat) with poisonous spines on the tail.

The most common birds are gulls, petrels, diving ducks, cormorants and a number of other species. Mammals are represented in the Black Sea by two species of dolphins (the common dolphin and the bottlenose dolphin), the Azov-Black Sea harbor porpoise (often called the Azov dolphin), and the white-bellied seal.

Some species of animals that do not live in the Black Sea are often brought into it through the Bosporus and Dardanelles straits by currents or swim on their own.

The history of the study of the Black Sea began in ancient times, along with the voyages of the Greeks, who founded their settlements on the seashore. Already in the 4th century BC, peripluses were compiled - ancient sailing directions of the sea. Subsequently, there is fragmentary information about the voyages of merchants from Novgorod and Kyiv to Constantinople.

Another milestone on the path to exploring the Black Sea was the voyage of the ship “Fortress” from Azov to Constantinople in 1696. Peter I, equipping the ship for voyage, gave the order to carry out cartographic work along the route of its movement. As a result, a “direct drawing of the Black Sea from Kerch to Tsar Grad” was drawn up, and depth measurements were taken.

More serious studies of the Black Sea date back to the end of the 18th-19th centuries. In particular, at the turn of these centuries, Russian scientists, academicians Peter Pallas and Middendorf, studied the properties of the waters and fauna of the Black Sea. In 1816, a description of the Black Sea coast appeared, made by F. F. Bellingshausen, in 1817 the first map of the Black Sea was published, in 1842 - the first atlas, in 1851 - the Black Sea navigational guide.

Systematic scientific research of the Black Sea began with two events at the end of the 19th century - the study of the Bosphorus currents (1881-1882) and the conduct of two oceanographic depth-finding expeditions (1890-1891).

Since 1871, a biological station has been operating in Sevastopol (now the Institute of Biology of the South Seas), engaged in systematic research of the living world of the Black Sea. At the end of the 19th century, an expedition led by I. B. Spindler discovered the saturation of the deep layers of the sea with hydrogen sulfide; Later, a member of the expedition, the famous Russian chemist N.D. Zelinsky, gave an explanation for this phenomenon.

The study of the Black Sea continued after the October Revolution of 1917. In 1919, an ichthyological station was organized in Kerch (later transformed into the Azov-Black Sea Institute of Fisheries and Oceanography, now the Southern Research Institute of Marine Fisheries and Oceanography (YugNIRO)). In 1929, a marine hydrophysical station was opened in the Crimea, in Katsiveli (now a branch of the Sevastopol Marine Hydrophysical Institute of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine).

In Russia, the main research organization conducting the study of the Black Sea is the Southern Branch of the Institute of Oceanology of the Russian Academy of Sciences (Gelendzhik, Blue Bay) and a number of others.

The Black Sea is of great transport importance for the economies of the states washed by this body of water. A significant volume of maritime traffic consists of tanker flights that ensure the export of oil and petroleum products from the ports of Russia (primarily from Novorossiysk and Tuapse) and the ports of Georgia (Batumi). However, the volumes of hydrocarbon exports are significantly limited by the limited throughput capacity of the Bosporus and Dardanelles straits. The largest oil terminal for receiving oil as part of the Odessa-Brody oil pipeline was created in Ilyichevsk. There is also a project for the construction of the Burgas - Alexandroupolis oil pipeline bypassing the Black Sea straits. Novorossiysk oil terminals are capable of receiving supertankers. In addition to oil and its products, metals, mineral fertilizers, machinery and equipment, timber, lumber, grain, etc. are exported from the Russian and Ukrainian ports of the Black Sea. The main volumes of imports into the Black Sea ports of Russia and Ukraine are consumer goods, food products, a number of raw materials, etc. Container transportation is widely developed in the Black Sea basin, and there are large container terminals. Transportation using lighters is developing; There are railway ferry crossings Ilyichevsk (Ukraine) - Varna (Bulgaria) and Ilyichevsk (Ukraine) - Batumi (Georgia). Marine passenger transportation is also developed in the Black Sea (however, after the collapse of the USSR, its volume decreased significantly). The international transport corridor TRACECA (Transport Corridor Europe - Caucasus - Asia, Europe - Caucasus - Asia) passes through the Black Sea. The Black Sea ports are the end points of a number of Pan-European transport corridors. The largest port cities on the Black Sea: Novorossiysk, Sochi, Tuapse (Russia); Burgas, Varna (Bulgaria); Batumi, Sukhumi, Poti (Georgia); Constanta (Romania); Samsun, Trabzon (Türkiye); Odessa, Ilyichevsk, Yuzhny, Kerch, Sevastopol, Yalta (Ukraine). Along the Don River, which flows into the Sea of ​​Azov, there is a river waterway connecting the Black Sea with the Caspian Sea (via the Volga-Don Shipping Canal and the Volga), with the Baltic Sea and the White Sea (via the Volga-Baltic Waterway and the White Sea-Baltic Canal) . The Danube River is connected to the North Sea through a system of canals. A unique deep-sea gas pipeline, the Blue Stream, connects Russia and Turkey, is laid along the bottom of the Black Sea. The length of the underwater part of the gas pipeline, running between the village of Arkhipo-Osipovka on the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus and the Turkish coast, 60 km from the city of Samsun, is 396 km. There are plans to expand the capacity of the gas pipeline by laying an additional branch of the pipe.

The following fish species are of commercial importance in the Black Sea: mullet, anchovy (anchovy), mackerel, horse mackerel, pike perch, bream, sturgeon, herring. Main fishing ports: Odessa, Kerch, Novorossiysk, etc.

In the last years of the 20th - early 21st centuries, fishing decreased significantly due to overfishing and deterioration of the ecological state of the sea. Prohibited bottom trawling and poaching are also a significant problem, especially for sturgeon. Thus, in the second half of 2005 alone, specialists from the Black Sea State Basin Department for the Protection of Aquatic Living Resources of Ukraine (“Chernomorrybvod”) uncovered 1,909 violations of fishery protection legislation in the Crimea and seized 33 tons of fish caught with illegal fishing gear or in prohibited places.

Favorable climatic conditions in the Black Sea region determine its development as an important resort region. The largest resort areas on the Black Sea include: the southern coast of Crimea (Yalta, Alushta, Sudak, Koktebel, Feodosia) in Ukraine, the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus (Anapa, Gelendzhik, Sochi) in Russia, Pitsunda, Gagra and Batumi in Georgia, Golden Sands and Sunny Beach in Bulgaria, Mamaia, Eforie in Romania.

The Black Sea coast of the Caucasus is the main resort region of the Russian Federation. In 2005, about 9 million tourists visited it; in 2006, according to the forecasts of officials of the Krasnodar Territory, at least 11-11.5 million vacationers should have visited this region. There are over 1,000 boarding houses, sanatoriums and hotels on the Russian Black Sea coast, and their number is constantly growing. A natural continuation of the Russian Black Sea coast is the coast of Abkhazia, the most important resorts of which Gagra and Pitsunda were popular back in Soviet times. The development of the resort industry on the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus is hampered by the relatively short (for example, compared to the Mediterranean) season, environmental and transport problems, and in Abkhazia, also by the uncertainty of its status and the threat of a new outbreak of military conflict with Georgia.

The Black Sea coast and the river basins flowing into it are areas with high anthropogenic impact, densely populated by people since ancient times. The ecological state of the Black Sea is generally unfavorable.

Among the main factors that disturb the balance in the ecological system of the sea, the following should be highlighted:

Severe pollution of rivers flowing into the sea, especially with runoff from fields containing mineral fertilizers, especially nitrates and phosphates. This entails overfertilization (eutrophication) of sea waters, and, as a consequence, rapid growth of phytoplankton (“blooming” of the sea - intensive development of blue-green algae), a decrease in water transparency, and the death of multicellular algae.

Water pollution with oil and oil products (the most polluted areas are the western part of the sea, which accounts for the largest volume of tanker traffic, as well as port waters). As a consequence, this leads to the death of marine animals caught in oil spills, as well as atmospheric pollution due to the evaporation of oil and petroleum products from the surface of the water.

Pollution of sea waters with human waste - discharge of untreated or insufficiently treated wastewater, etc.

Massive fishing.

Prohibited but widely used bottom trawling, which destroys bottom biocenoses.

Changes in composition, reduction in the number of individuals and mutation of the aquatic world under the influence of anthropogenic factors (including the replacement of indigenous species of the natural world with exotic ones appearing as a result of human impact). For example, according to experts from the Odessa branch of YugNIRO, in just one decade (from 1976 to 1987) the number of Black Sea bottlenose dolphins decreased from 56 thousand to seven thousand individuals.

According to a number of experts, the ecological state of the Black Sea has deteriorated over the last decade despite a decrease in economic activity in a number of Black Sea countries.

The President of the Crimean Academy of Sciences, Viktor Tarasenko, expressed the opinion that the Black Sea is the dirtiest sea in the world.

To protect the environment in the Black Sea region, the ACCOBAMS agreement (“Agreement on the Conservation of Cetaceans of the Black Sea, Mediterranean Sea and Contiguous Atlantik Area”) was adopted in 1998, where one of the main issues is the protection of dolphins and whales. The main international document regulating the protection of the Black Sea is the Convention for the Protection of the Black Sea from Pollution, signed by six Black Sea countries - Bulgaria, Georgia, Russia, Romania, Turkey and Ukraine in 1992 in Bucharest (Bucharest Convention). Also in June 1994, representatives of Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Moldova, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Ukraine and the European Union signed the Convention on Cooperation for the Protection and Sustainable Development of the Danube River in Sofia. As a result of these agreements, the Black Sea Commission (Istanbul) and the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River (Vienna) were created. These bodies perform the function of coordinating environmental programs implemented within the framework of the conventions. Every year on October 31, all countries of the Black Sea region celebrate International Black Sea Day.

- the deepest and most severe part of the ocean in terms of climatic and ice conditions. The total sea area of ​​Russia is the largest in the world and is approx. 8.6 million km 2 (2.4% of the area of ​​the World Ocean), approx. 3.9 million km 2 is shelf, 4.7 million km 2 is deep-sea areas. In the Arctic, in the Russian sector, there is the world's most extensive shelf, up to 1,300 km wide. The length of the coastline of the Russian seas is 63,485 km, including the coasts of the Arctic Ocean - 39,940, the Pacific Ocean - 17,740, the Baltic Sea - 660, the Azov and Black Seas - 3685, the Caspian Sea - 1460. The geological structure of the seas is diverse. . The marginal seas in the north of the country are located mainly within platform areas on the shelf, the marginal Far Eastern seas occupy the transition zone from the continent to the ocean, their basins are located between the underwater margins of the continent and island arcs.

The Arctic zone includes the Central Arctic Basin and almost all of the Russian seas of the Arctic Ocean, with the exception of the southwestern part of the Barents and White Seas, which belong to the subarctic zone. The Arctic seas are characterized by a harsh climate and an abundance of thick ice cover. The Baltic and Azov Seas and the northwestern part of the Black Sea are located in the temperate zone; the rest of the Black Sea belongs to the subtropical zone. On the border of the temperate and subtropical zones is the Caspian Sea, the climate of most of which is characterized by a high degree of aridity. Russian seas have enormous resource potential. There are large reserves of biological resources, especially in the Barents and Okhotsk Seas (for more details, see the articles Animal world , Animal resources And Plant resources). In con. 20th century Significant reserves of hydrocarbon raw materials have been discovered on the shelves of the Arctic and Far Eastern seas and in the north of the Caspian Sea, and new deposits of solid minerals have been explored in the Arctic. Enormous energy resources, such as tidal energy, wave energy, wind energy, and thermal energy. For climatic conditions, see the article Climate .

Arctic Ocean

Central Arctic Basin– the deepest part of the Arctic Ocean (up to 5527 m, in the territory adjacent to Russia up to 5180 m).

The bottom topography of the basin consists of a number of basins and ridges. Basins: Nansen, Amundsen, Podvodnikov and Makarov. The Gakkel Ridge (part of the planetary system of mid-ocean ridges) extends from Greenland towards the mouth of the Lena River; parallel to it, north of the New Siberian Islands, is the Lomonosov Ridge; further, closer to the Canadian Basin, there is the Mendeleev Ridge. All of these landforms, except for the Podvodnikov Basin, are only partially located in the Russian sector of the Arctic basin.

In winter (approx. 6 months), during the polar night, intense cooling of air and ice occurs. In summer, the water temperature rises to values ​​close to 0 °C, partial thawing of ice occurs, and the salinity of surface waters decreases to 30.0–32.0‰ against the usual 33.5–34.0‰. Water exchange with the Atlantic Ocean is carried out quite freely; warm Atlantic waters of high salinity form an intermediate water mass in the Arctic Ocean and are very important for the formation of its thermal conditions. Water and heat exchange with the Pacific Ocean is limited by the Bering Strait and occurs only in the surface layers. The speeds of surface currents are weak, amounting to 2–4 km/day (the speed of movement of drifting ice), and the Trans-Arctic Current passes towards East Greenland. Drifting, mostly perennial, pack ice 3–4 m thick or more covers almost the entire water area; extended zones of hummocks rise 10–12 m high.

Seas of the Arctic Ocean have many common characteristics. All seas are shallow, limited in the south by a natural border - the coast of Eurasia and two narrow straits, in the north they freely communicate with the ocean and are separated from it by conditional lines running along the edge of the shelf (depth of about 500 m), separated from each other mainly by islands that limit water exchange, and conventional lines, and are connected by straits (Kara Gate, Vilkitsky, Dmitry Laptev, Long, etc.). Large rivers flow into the seas: Pechora, Ob, Yenisei, Lena.

White Sea- the most isolated, inland sea of ​​the Arctic Ocean, the only one almost entirely located south of the Arctic Circle, connected to the Barents Sea by a strait called the Throat (the narrowest part) and the Funnel (the outer part). Numerous bays (bays), the largest: Dvinskaya, Mezenskaya, Onega. The most significant islands: Solovetsky, Morzhovets, Mudyugsky. The following rivers flow in: Northern Dvina, Onega, Mezen, etc.

The shores are varied, most of them have traces of glacial processing. The Tersky coast is predominantly accumulative, the Kandalaksha, Karelian and a significant part of the Pomeranian coast are of the fjord-skerry type, most of the Onega, Letny and Zimny ​​coasts are of the abrasion-accumulative type of leveled coasts, the Abramovsky and Kopushinsky coasts of the Mezen Bay are actively eroding abrasive ones. Along the Kopushinsky coast there are wide silty and sandy-silty drainages (laidas).

The bottom topography of the White Sea is complex. Its depression is located within the outskirts of the Baltic Shield, the Russian Platform and the northern continuation of the Timan Ridge. The greatest depth is 350 m. There are many small depressions alternating with shallow areas. The deepest areas are the central part (Basin) and Kandalaksha Bay, the northern part is shallow, depths are approx. 50 m, a lot of cans. All sedimentary material is carbonate-free; accumulations of shell rock are found only in certain areas of shallow waters. In areas with significant speeds of bottom currents and in shallow waters, pebbles, sand, and stones predominate; in the Basin and in the Dvina Bay, fine-grained clayey silt prevails; in the Gorlo and other parts of the White Sea, ferromanganese nodules are found.

The surface water temperature in winter ranges from –0.5 to –0.7 °C in the bays, up to –1.3 °C in the Basin and up to –1.9 °C in the Gorlo and in the northern part of the sea. In summer, the thickness of the heated water layer reaches 30–40 m, and the surface water temperature varies from 14–15 °C in Kandalaksha Bay to 7–8 °C in Gorlo and Voronka. The river flow into the White Sea averages 215 km 3 per year. More than 3/4 of the total flow comes from rivers flowing into the Onega, Dvina and Mezen bays. The salinity of the White Sea is below the oceanic average and increases from the tops of the bays to the central part of the sea and with depth. Salinity in the bottom and deep layers is 30–30.5‰. In the surface layer in winter, salinity is higher than in summer; in the Basin it is 27.5–28‰, in the Gorlo and Voronka it increases to 29–30‰. Surface currents are generally directed counterclockwise; weak cyclonic gyres are created before water leaves the bays into the Basin. Between these gyres, anticyclonic water movements occur. The current speed is on average 10–15 cm/s. Tidal currents in Gorlo and Mezen Bay reach 250 cm/s. The tides have a regular semidiurnal pattern. The highest tides are observed in Mezen Bay (up to 10 m). The strongest waves are observed in October – November in the northern part of the sea (wave heights up to 5 m). Freeze-up begins at the end of October, and by the end of May the sea is free of ice. Ice is 90% buoyant.

The largest port of the White Sea is Arkhangelsk.

Barents, Kara, Laptev, East Siberian, Chukchi seas They belong to the type of continental marginal seas and are closely related to each other. The sea acquired its modern shape after the Ice Age.

Relict forms of the bottom of various origins are clearly visible - glacial, river, coastal-sea. The most complex bottom topography is in the Barents and Kara seas. In the central part of the Barents Sea there are two vast elevations - Central and Perseus - with shallow depths (up to 63–64 m). Between the Central Highlands and the Scandinavian Peninsula there is a deep part of the sea (depths of over 300 m), connecting the Western Trench and the Central Depression, which stretches in the meridional direction to the east of the highlands. This type of relief favors the penetration of warm Atlantic waters into the southern and eastern parts of the Barents Sea. In the southern part of the sea, the bottom topography was leveled during glaciations. The modern outlines of the Kara Sea were formed in post-glacial times. A characteristic feature of the relief are the deep-sea trenches - St. Anna (depth up to 620 m) and Voronin (up to 450 m) in the northern part of the sea. Between them rises the Central Kara Upland (depths up to 50 m). The southeastern part of the sea is shallow with many islands. The main part of the Laptev Sea is located within the shelf, St. 50% of the sea area has depths of up to 50 m; OK. 20% of the area of ​​the Sadko trench - the depth of St. 1000 m. The southern shallow area is a plain with underwater extensions of river channels, hills and trenches. As a marine area, it took shape as a result of post-glacial transgression. The bottom topography of the East Siberian and Chukchi Seas is characterized by levelness, clearly visible river paleochannels, and ancient coastlines represented by a complex of relict coastal-marine landforms.

An important factor in the formation of the hydrological regime of the seas, especially Siberian ones, is the large river flow. The Kara Sea receives the largest amount of fresh water (3 km per year) – approx. 1300, Laptev Sea - St. 700, East Siberian Sea – 250, Barents Sea – 163, Chukchi Sea – 84. The bulk of fresh water from the mainland (up to 80% of the annual flow) enters the seas in the spring and during the short summer. The waters of the Arctic Ocean flow into the seas from the north. The cold surface waters of the Central Arctic Basin extend to the northern edges of all seas. As a result of the mixing of river waters with waters coming from the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, surface Arctic waters with large annual temperature (up to 10 ° C) and salinity (up to 20‰) amplitudes are formed, prevailing in most of the Siberian seas. Deep waters are formed in winter, so their temperature is only a few tenths of a degree above the freezing point, the salinity is more uniform and varies mainly within the range of 32–34‰. The mixing of salty Atlantic waters in the Arctic seas with cold deep waters leads to the formation of salty and relatively cold bottom waters of the Arctic seas. Their salinity is close to 35‰, and the temperature is negative. The Siberian Arctic seas are generally characterized by a cyclonic circulation with the transfer of surface waters from west to east along the continental coast and in the opposite direction in their northern regions. Around the islands, clockwise currents are noticeable. Ice is present year-round in all Arctic seas. In the eastern part of the Laptev Sea and in the western part of the East Siberian Sea around the New Siberian Islands, coastal fast ice extends for thousands of kilometers. This is a special “fast ice” region. A characteristic feature of the Arctic seas is the formation of the so-called on their northern outskirts. french wormwoods. They owe their origin to the constant removal of young ice from the edge of fast ice to the north under the influence of driving winds blowing from land to sea and keeping the waters open even in severe frosts. The presence of french polynyas softens the climate of the surrounding areas. When young ice forms in polynyas, heat is released into the atmosphere, cooling and salinization of surface waters. The convective mixing of water caused by this ensures the enrichment of the bottom layers with oxygen, which has a beneficial effect on the bottom fauna.

The ice of the Arctic seas is of great importance for the Earth's climate system; they reflect the sun's rays, prevent the planet from overheating and play a large role in water circulation systems in the oceans. The total mass of Arctic ice at the beginning. 2000s compared to the level of the 1980s. decreased by 70%. In September 2012, according to the Hydrometeorological Center, the area of ​​the ice cap reached its minimum for the entire period of observation, amounting to 3346.2 thousand km². The lowest rates were recorded in the Laptev Sea, East Siberian, and Chukchi Seas – 65% of the norm. The ice density also decreased. In 2013–14, ice melting occurred much more slowly: the minimum reached was 5000–5100 thousand km². Total ice loss for 2003–13 was 4.9%.

In the western sector of the seas of the Arctic Ocean by the beginning. 21st century 11 hydrocarbon fields were discovered: Prirazlomnoye and Varandey - oil, Severo-Gulyaevskoye - oil and gas condensate, Pomorskoye, Shtokmanskoye, Ledovoye, Rusanovskoye, Leningradskoye - gas condensate, Murmanskoye, Severo-Kildinskoye and Ludlovskoye - gas fields. In general, the predicted hydrocarbon resources are estimated at more than 100 billion tons of oil equivalent. From the point of view of oil and gas potential, the seas of the eastern sector - the Laptev, East Siberian and Chukotka - are promising; their development is difficult due to harsh natural conditions. Gazprom Neft was the first to begin production on the Arctic shelf: oil was obtained in December 2013 at the Prirazlomnoye field in the Pechora Sea (south-eastern part of the Barents Sea). Production is carried out from the Prirazlomnaya platform, specially designed for operation in the Arctic. The first Arctic oil was named Arctic oil (ARCO) and was first shipped from Prirazlomnoye in April 2014.

A transport artery runs along the coast of the Arctic seas of Russia - Northern Sea Route .

Seas of the Atlantic Ocean

Baltic Sea deeply cut into the northwestern part of Eurasia. This is an inland sea connected to the North Sea by the Atlantic Ocean through a system of straits. Russia owns small water areas in the southeastern part, incl. Kaliningrad Bay and part Curonian Lagoon, adjacent to the territory of the Kaliningrad region and to the eastern edge of the Gulf of Finland in the Leningrad region.

The shores are predominantly of the abrasion-accumulative (mostly leveled) and accumulative (often lagoonal) types.

The bottom topography of the Baltic Sea is dissected, with a large number of depressions, underwater rapids between them, narrow trenches and straits, sandy and rocky banks, and many islands. Depths at the entrance to the Gulf of Finland are approx. 100 m, in Neva Bay – 5–7 m. Sandy deposits are common in coastal areas. In some areas, ribbon clays and glacial deposits (mainly moraine loams) emerge on the bottom surface. In winter, average surface water temperatures near the coast are below 0 °C, in summer – up to 18 °C. The salinity of the upper layer of water in the Gulf of Finland is 2‰. In bottom waters, salinity increases to 15–20‰. The circulation of the Baltic Sea waters is cyclonic. The tides are almost invisible. Surge phenomena become of great importance, especially in the Neva Bay (up to 1.5 m), causing catastrophic floods in St. Petersburg; to protect against them, a dam was built (2011), crossing the Gulf of Finland through the island of Kotlin (length approximately 25.4 km).

The sea is of great transport importance. The largest ports of Russia: St. Petersburg, Kaliningrad, Ust-Luga, Vyborg, Vysotsk, Primorsk.

A gas pipeline (2 strings, each with a diameter of 1220 mm) “Nord Stream” was laid along the bottom of the Baltic Sea between Russia and Germany; it runs from Portovaya Bay near Vyborg (Leningrad region) to Lubmin near Greifswald (Germany, federal Mecklenburg-Vorpommern); length 1224 km (the longest underwater gas pipeline in the world). The throughput capacity (capacity) of the gas pipeline is 55 billion m³ of gas per year. The maximum sea depth where the pipe passes is 210 m. 148 sea vessels were involved in the construction. The first line of the gas pipeline was put into operation on November 8, 2011, the second on October 8, 2012. In September 2015, a shareholder agreement was signed on the implementation of a project for a new export gas pipeline from Russia to Europe through the Baltic Sea, called Nord Stream 2. The decision to create the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline is based on the successful experience of construction and operation of the Nord Stream gas pipeline. The new gas pipeline, like the existing one, will directly connect Gazprom and European consumers and ensure high reliability of Russian gas supplies to Europe. This is especially important in the context of falling gas production in Europe and growing demand for its imports. Unlike the first Nord Stream, which was focused on the Shtokman field and began on the northern coast of the Baltic Sea, the port of Ust-Luga on the southern coast of the Gulf of Finland was chosen as the starting point of the new gas pipeline.

Black and Azov Seas – inland, interconnected Kerch Strait and the Bosporus and Dardanelles straits with the Mediterranean Sea of ​​the Atlantic Ocean. A transport crossing has been built across the Kerch Strait for road and rail traffic. Construction began in February 2016. The bridge crossed the island of Tuzla. The bridge and road approaches to it became part of the Kerch highway – Novorossiysk, automobile traffic is open on May 16, 2018. Commissioning of the railway part of the bridge– at the end of December 2019.

Many rivers flow into the Black Sea, most of them outside Russia. Two large rivers flow into the Sea of ​​Azov - Don and Kuban, with a total flow of 40 km 3 per year. The Black Sea is elongated in latitude and separates Eastern Europe from Asia Minor. The Sea of ​​Azov is represented by its large bay.

Russia owns the waters of the Black Sea along the coast from the border with Abkhazia near Sochi to the Kerch Strait (Krasnodar Territory) and along the coast of the Crimean Peninsula (Republic of Crimea) from the Kerch Strait to the border with Ukraine and the Sea of ​​Azov from the Kerch Strait to the border with Ukraine near Veselo- Voznesenki (Krasnodar Territory and Rostov Region) and along the northeastern coast of the Crimean Peninsula (Republic of Crimea).

The shores of the Black Sea are predominantly abrasive, almost everywhere they have simple outlines; estuaries and lagoons in the northern part of the sea are flooded river mouths, separated from the sea by embankments; the coasts of the Crimean peninsula are strongly indented; in the west, the Tarkhankut Peninsula, bounded from the north, stands out Karkinitsky Bay, from the south by the Kalamita Gulf; in the east - Kerch Peninsula. In the Sea of ​​Azov, the rate of abrasion of clayey shores reaches 4 m per year. The eastern (Russian) coast of the Sea of ​​Azov is a flood plain with a large number of estuaries.

The bottom of the Black Sea is characterized by a combination of a relatively deep and extensive depression with a steep continental slope, dissected by numerous canyons and underwater landslides; the shelf is very narrow and steep. Bottom sediments of the shelf are represented by shells and silts; mixed sediments of underwater landslides and bedrock outcrops predominate on the continental slope; the deep-sea part of the sea is occupied by calcareous silt and clays. The bottom topography of the Sea of ​​Azov is monotonous, the coastal slope, relatively steep near the shore, turns into a flat, even bottom, the predominant depths are 8–12 m.

Through the Bosphorus Strait, the salty (36‰) water of the Sea of ​​Marmara in the lower layer penetrates into the Black Sea, and the desalinated water leaves with the surface current. The average salinity of the surface layer of water in the central part of the Black Sea is 16–18‰. At depths above 150–200 m, salinity increases to 21–22.5‰. Surface waters warm up to 25 ºC in summer (up to 28 °C near the coast). In winter, in the open sea they cool to 6–8 °C. The Sea of ​​Azov is covered with ice in winter. Deep waters have a temperature of 8–9 °C all year round. The difference in density between the surface and deep waters of the Black Sea makes their mixing difficult. Only the top 50-meter layer is saturated with oxygen; then the oxygen content decreases and hydrogen sulfide appears at a depth of 150–200 m, the amount of which in the bottom layers can reach 8–10 mg/l. The circulation of surface waters of the Black Sea is characterized by a cyclonic direction. Inside this current, which encircles the entire sea along the coasts, two cyclonic gyres can be traced with current speeds of up to 10 cm/s in the central and up to 25 cm/s in the peripheral regions.

The recreational use of the coast is of great importance. Favorable climatic conditions in the Black Sea region determine its development as an important resort region. The largest resort areas in Russia include the south coast of Crimea(Yalta, Alushta, Sudak, Koktebel, Feodosia, etc.), Black Sea coast of the Caucasus(Anapa, Gelendzhik, Sochi, etc.). Important transport routes for freight and passenger traffic pass through the Black and Azov Seas. The Blue Stream deep-sea gas pipeline was laid along the bottom of the Black Sea, connecting Russia and Turkey. The length of the underwater part of the gas pipeline, running between the village of Arkhipo-Osipovka on the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus and the Turkish coast, 60 km from the city of Samsun, is 396 km. Ports in Russia are Azov, Yeisk, Rostov-on-Don, Taganrog, Temryuk, Anapa, Gelendzhik, Caucasus, Novorossiysk, Sochi, Taman, Tuapse, Kerch, Sevastopol, Feodosia, Yalta, Evpatoria.

Caspian Sea

Caspian Sea-lake – the world's largest endorheic reservoir, its level is 28.4 m below the level of the World Ocean (2019), the sea area is approx. 371 thousand km 2, volume approx. 78 thousand km 3, maximum depth 1025 m. Due to its geographical location, isolation and originality of waters, the Caspian Sea belongs to the “sea-lake” type. Russia owns the water area from the mouth of the Volga (Astrakhan region) on the border with Kazakhstan in the north to the border of Dagestan with Azerbaijan in the west. A characteristic feature of the Caspian Sea in the 20th century. there were sharp interannual fluctuations in the average annual level. Over the past 3000 years, the magnitude of the change in water level reached 15 m. According to archaeological data and written sources, the high level of the Caspian Sea was recorded in the beginning. 14th century Instrumental measurements of sea level and systematic observations of its fluctuations have been carried out since 1837, during which time the highest water level was recorded in 1882 (−25.2 m). From the beginning 20th century in level fluctuations there was a steady downward trend; over 75 years the level dropped by 3.2 m and in 1977 reached its lowest position in the last 500 years - 29.0 m, the sea surface area decreased by more than 40 thousand km 2, which exceeds the area of ​​the Sea of ​​Azov. Since 1978, the water level has risen rapidly and in 1995 reached −26.7 m; since 1996, a downward trend has emerged again (–27 m). In 2001, sea level began to rise again and reached −26.3 m, and then began to decline and is below the level of the World Ocean at −28.4 m (2019). Scientists associate the reasons for changes in the water level of the Caspian Sea with climatic, geological and anthropogenic factors.

More than 130 rivers flow into the Caspian Sea, they bring fresh water with a volume of approx. 290 km 3 per year. The largest (88% of the total river flow) rivers flow into the Northern Caspian Sea, including the Volga, Terek in Russia. The shores are quite diverse and were formed under conditions of periodic fluctuations in sea level. Significant areas of the coast are represented by the shores of modern passive flooding; accumulative and abrasion shores are also widely developed.

The main feature of the bottom topography of the Caspian Sea is the vast shallow waters in the north, on the territory of the Russian Federation (depths 6–9 m). The composition of bottom sediments in the northern part is dominated by shell detritus and terrigenous sediments carried by the Volga.

The water temperature of the surface layer of the Caspian Sea in Russia in August is approx. 24–26 °C, in January–February close to freezing, approx. –0.3 °C; average water salinity is 1.0–2.0‰. Ice formation in the northern part begins in December, the ice remains for 2–3 months.

In the depths under the Caspian Sea there are large reserves of hydrocarbons; on the Dagestan shelf they are estimated at 132 million tons of oil and 78 billion m 3 of gas, on the shelf of the Northern Caspian Sea - at 1 billion tons of oil. In the Russian sector of the Caspian Sea, production is carried out at oil and gas condensate fields named after Yuri Korchagin (since 2010) and named after Vladimir Filanovsky (since end 2016).

Ports in Russia are Astrakhan, Makhachkala, Olya.

Pacific Seas

Bering, Okhotsk and Japan seas are largely similar to each other in origin, some geomorphological and climatic characteristics and hydrological regime. All of them belong to the type of marginal seas of the transition zone from the continent to the ocean. The basins of these seas are located between the underwater margins of the continent and island arcs. The seas stretch along the Asian continent from north to south by 30º, are characterized by high bioproductivity, there are St. 300 species of fish, including approx. 50 commercial fish, including squid, crabs, and shrimp. The species composition of algal resources in these seas is the most diverse, and the biomass reaches the maximum values ​​(140 kg/m2) among domestic seas. The productivity of the Western Kamchatka shelf is the highest in the world. The total reserves of kelp algae alone (thousand tons of dry mass) off the coast of eastern Kamchatka are estimated at 310, in the Sea of ​​Okhotsk (not counting the Kuril Islands) - St. 1000, in Primorye - 350. The Far Eastern seas are the main region for the development of mariculture in Russia. A sharp drop in salmon catches in the beginning. 20th century gave impetus to their artificial breeding, which is most developed on Sakhalin and Kuril Islands. In a number of Primorye bays, commercial scallop farming is carried out. Large reserves of hydrocarbons have been discovered in the depths of the Far Eastern seas.

Bering Sea. The northern border of the sea runs along the northern periphery Bering Strait, it separates from the Pacific Ocean Aleutian Islands And Commander Islands. The total river flow averages approx. 400 km 3 per year, the Anadyr River brings 50 km 3. In Russia, the Bering Sea washes the shores of the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug and the Kamchatka region.

The shores of the Bering Sea are quite diverse; bay shores are widely developed - fjord and abrasion-accumulative ones. Among the leveled ones are abrasion and accumulative (lagoonal and estuary-lagoonal).

The bottom topography of the Bering Sea is unique: the areas occupied by the shelf and the deep-sea basin are approximately the same (46% and 37%, respectively). The width of the shelf in the northeast of the sea is approx. 750 km, this is one of the widest shelves in the world (after the Russian Arctic). The prevailing depths are 50–80 m. During glaciations, the shelf periodically dried out, and a land bridge emerged between Asia and North America. The continental slope is steep, almost along its entire length it turns into a deep-sea bed with steep ledges. The deep-water part is divided by the underwater Shirshov Ridge, stretching from Cape Olyutorsky, into the Aleutian and Commander basins. Bottom sediments of the shelf are mainly represented by sands. At the edge of the shelf, sands give way to silts, and the deep-sea bed is covered with diatomaceous oozes.

The river flow is approx. 400 km 3 per year, with more than 85% of the flow occurring in spring and summer. Compared to the volume of the sea, the amount of fresh flow is small, but river waters flow mainly into the northern regions of the sea, leading to a noticeable desalination of the surface layer in summer. Over 12% of the flow comes from the Anadyr River (50 km 3).

The circulation of the waters of the Bering Sea is cyclonic. Individual jets form several cyclonic gyres. Along the coast of Alaska, a stream of relatively warm water penetrates into the Chukchi Sea, and along the Asian coast a cold current flows south. In the Bering Sea, four water masses are distinguished: surface, subsurface with a minimum temperature, intermediate Pacific with a maximum temperature and Pacific deep. In the north of the sea in winter, the temperature of surface waters is close to the freezing point; in the southern part it remains above zero. In summer, temperatures rise to 4–8 ºC in the northern regions and 9–11 ºC in the southern half of the sea. Salinity in the surface layer in the southern and southwestern parts is 33.0–33.5‰. Near the mouths of large rivers, salinity decreases. Up to eight months of the year, from October to May, the sea is covered with ice. The nature of the ice situation in the northern part of the sea is similar to the Arctic seas. The tides in the Bering Sea are irregular semidiurnal, irregular diurnal, and regular diurnal. Tidal currents reach their maximum speed in the straits – 100–200 cm/s. Long lasting storms often occur in winter. In some cases, wave heights can reach 12–14 m.

A section of the Northern Sea Route passes through the sea. The main ports of Russia are Anadyr and Provideniya.

Sea of ​​Okhotsk more closed than the Bering Sea, separated from the ocean by the Kamchatka Peninsula and the Kuril Islands. The islands of Hokkaido and Sakhalin separate it from the Sea of ​​Japan. There are many wide and deep (up to 2300 m) straits between the individual islands of the Kuril Arc. The Bussol Strait and Kruzenshtern Strait. La Perouse Strait, Nevelskoy Strait And Strait of Tartary, connecting the Sea of ​​Okhotsk and the Sea of ​​Japan, are relatively shallow, and water exchange through them is small. Russia owns almost the entire water area of ​​the sea, with the exception of a small part in the south adjacent to the shores of Japan.

On the side of Western Kamchatka, Eastern Sakhalin and in the north-west, the coast is formed by coastal lowlands with leveled accumulative shores. The dismemberment of the coastline of the northern part of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk is created by the alternation of peninsulas with abrasion-denudation shores and bays with various accumulative forms (the so-called lobate dissection). The southwestern part of the coast is close to the rias shores in terms of the nature of the dismemberment of the coastline.

The bottom topography of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk is divided into three main morphological types: continental and island shallows, the bottom of the central part of the sea and the bottom of the southern deep-sea basin. The shelf occupies more than 40% of the entire area of ​​the Sea of ​​Okhotsk; in the northern part it is classified as submerged shelves. The weakly defined outer edge of the continental shallows is located here at a depth of approx. 350 m. The bottom of the central part of the sea is a system of several rises and hollows with sharply changing depths. The Kuril Basin, located on the inner side of the Kuril Islands, is an area of ​​greatest depth (more than 3000 m). The bottom of the basin is an abyssal plain. In coastal areas, the bottom of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk is covered with boulder-pebble-gravel and sandy sediments. In the deeper parts, silty sediments are common - from silty to clayey. Siliceous diatomaceous oozes are characteristic. Near the Kuril Islands, pyroclastic material plays a significant role in bottom sediments.

The river flow into the Sea of ​​Okhotsk is 600 km 3 per year (65% from the Amur River). Precipitation (500–1000 mm/year in different parts of the sea) and river runoff exceed evaporation, which causes desalination of the surface layer of sea waters. The surface waters of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk are characterized by temperatures from –1.8 to 2 ºC in winter and from 10 to 18 ºC in summer. Water salinity – approx. 33–34‰. In summer, the water warms up to depths of 30–75 m. At depths of approx. At 150 m, a cold intermediate layer with a negative temperature (up to –1.6 ºC) remains. Below this layer there are warmer Pacific waters with a temperature of 2–2.5 ºC at depths of 750–1500 m. Bottom waters in the region of maximum depths have a temperature of approx. 1.8 ºC and salinity approx. 34.5‰. Within 6–7 months, 75% of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk is covered with ice. Throughout the entire water column, a cyclonic system of currents predominates, caused by the circulation of the atmosphere over the sea and the adjacent part of the Pacific Ocean. In addition to the extensive cyclonic circulation in the central part of the sea, as well as to the east and northeast of Sakhalin Island, several systems of anticyclonic eddies are observed, in particular to the west of the Kamchatka Peninsula, over the Kuril Basin, and over some hills. The dynamics of the waters of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk are significantly influenced by tidal phenomena, accompanied by strong currents. Tides are associated with the entry of tidal waves from the Pacific Ocean and are of a mixed nature with a predominance of the diurnal component. The magnitude of the tides ranges from 0.8 to 7 m. The highest magnitude of the tides (13.2 m) is characteristic of the Penzhinskaya Bay.

The forecast hydrocarbon resources of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk are estimated at 6.56 billion tons of oil equivalent, proven reserves are St. 4 billion tons. The largest deposits are on the shelves of Sakhalin Island, the Magadan Region and the Khabarovsk Territory. The coastal deposits of Sakhalin are the most studied; exploration work began in the 1970s; to the end 1990s 7 large fields (6 oil and gas condensate and 1 gas condensate) were discovered on the shelf of North-Eastern Sakhalin and a small gas field in the Tatar Strait. Total gas reserves on the Sakhalin shelf are estimated at 3.5 trillion. m 3.

The main port of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk is Magadan, other ports are Korsakov, Moskalvo, Nikolaevsk-on-Amur, Okhotsk, Poronaysk.

Japanese Sea located between the coast of Asia, the Japanese islands and Sakhalin Island, the northern border of the sea runs along 51°45´ N. sh., southern - from the island of Kyushu to the Goto Islands and further to the island of Jeju and to the cape on the coast of Korea. On the territory of Russia, the Sea of ​​Japan washes the shores of the Primorsky and Khabarovsk territories and the Sakhalin region.

The shores of the Sea of ​​Japan are highly diverse. Primorye as a whole is characterized by the predominance of abrasion, abrasion-bay and abrasion-denudation shores. The south of Primorye is a classic example of a rias coast. In the bays of Primorye there are many accumulative forms that are complex in morphology and genesis. The Sakhalin seashore is abrasive almost along its entire length. Only a few large accumulative forms are observed.

The Sea of ​​Japan depression is a closed basin. In the northern part the bottom is flat. The shelf is very narrow, its edge is located at a depth of 140 m, the continental slope goes to a depth of 2000 m. All straits of the Sea of ​​Japan are shallow. Bottom sediments are well differentiated by size - in coastal areas pebbles and gravel predominate, with depth they are replaced by sands and silts. In the central regions of the sea, bottom sediments are represented by fine aleurite silts.

The river flow into the Sea of ​​Japan is small - approx. 210 km 3 per year. Together with precipitation, river runoff exceeds evaporation from the sea surface, but the supply of fresh water is small compared to water exchange through the straits. Some desalination of surface water occurs only in its northwestern part. The circulation of sea waters is determined by the influx of Pacific waters through the straits and atmospheric circulation over the sea itself. Warm currents in the eastern part of the sea and cold currents passing along its western shores form two cyclonic gyres in the northern and southern parts of the sea. Water masses are divided into surface, intermediate and deep. The surface mass exhibits the largest variations in temperature and salinity in time and space. In the northwestern part of the sea, summer temperatures are 13–15 ºC, and in winter throughout the convection layer 0.2–0.4 ºC. The salinity of surface waters in summer in the south is 33.0–33.4‰, in the north approx. 32.5‰. In winter, in the northwestern part of the sea, salinity increases to 34.0–34.1‰. The intermediate water mass has a high temperature and salinity. The deep water mass has extremely uniform temperature (0–0.5 ºС) and salinity (34.0–34.1‰). Tidal fluctuations in the level of the Sea of ​​Japan are small, off the coast of the Primorsky Territory 0.4–0.5 m and only in the Korean and Tatar Straits over 2 m. The speed of tidal currents in the Korea Strait and in the La Perouse Strait can reach 140 cm/s. Ice forms only in the northern part of the sea. From November to April the Tatar Strait freezes, and from December to March the bays in the south of Primorye freeze. The open sea is not covered with ice.

The Sea of ​​Japan is of great importance for Russia as an outlet to the Pacific Ocean. The structural features of the coast and low ice cover contributed to the creation of large ports here - Aleksandrovsk-Sakhalinsky, Vanino, Vladivostok, Vostochny, De-Kastri, Zarubino, Nakhodka, Nevelsk, Olga, Posyet, Sovetskaya Gavan, Kholmsk, Shakhtersk.

Ecological situation

Marine nature is protected in Russia in 9 reserves (including the Far Eastern Marine Reserve - the only one in Russia, founded in 1978 as exclusively marine) and 2 reserves of the Far Eastern seas; in 2 Arctic reserves, in 2 reserves and 1 reserve on the Barents and White Seas and in 2 reserves on the Caspian Sea.

The seas of Russia are for the most part under powerful anthropogenic influence; its negative consequences are most clearly manifested in the ecosystems of the seas washing the shores of the European part of Russia and the Sea of ​​Japan. The Black and Caspian Seas have been particularly affected - over the past decades, their ecosystems have almost completely changed under the influence of natural factors and humans; In the seas of the Arctic Ocean, the situation is generally more favorable.

Poorly regulated fishing, poaching and overexploitation of marine biological resources lead to their depletion. The ecological situation in Russian seas is characterized by two features: a rapid increase in concentrations of pollutants in coastal zones, bays, gulfs, and water areas near river mouths as a result of oil and gas production on the shelf and intensive shipping, as well as chronic exposure to low concentrations of pollutants in open sea areas , remote from direct sources of pollution.

The most typical consequence of sea pollution is eutrophication of bays, bays, fjords and coastal areas of the seas, causing massive algal blooms and, as a result, oxygen deficiency and death of hydrobionts (Azov, Black, Baltic, Caspian, White, Laptev, Japanese, Okhotsk, Barents Sea). Increased concentrations of radionuclides and the effects of radiation on living organisms are especially pronounced in some areas of the Kara and Barents Seas. A decrease in species diversity, depletion of the structure of marine communities, intensive reproduction of unicellular algae - peridenia, leading to the death of fish, are observed in the Black Sea, and the massive development of diatoms is observed in the Sea of ​​Japan. A decrease in the size of hydrobionts is observed in the coastal areas of the Caspian, Black, Baltic, Barents, Laptev, White, Okhotsk, and Japanese seas. Valuable benthic fauna is being replaced by species that are resistant to pollution, and the benthic fauna is dying. The ecological state is stable only in some areas of the White, East Siberian, Chukchi, Bering Seas, in most of the Kara Sea, as well as in offshore waters of the Barents, Okhotsk, Japanese and Caspian Seas.

To prevent threats associated with human impact, it is necessary to develop a sustainable fishery that does not deplete marine resources, create a national network of specially protected marine natural areas (reserves, sanctuaries, parks) and conduct a strategic environmental assessment of offshore oil and gas projects.

Our Russia is washed on all sides by seas and oceans, it has seventeen access to large waters, which makes it simply a unique world power. Some seas are located in the southern part of the country and belong to the resort area, while northern Russian waters abound with fish and other commercial species of marine life. Most often, our compatriots visit the Black Sea and the Sea of ​​Azov, which we will compare today.

Sea of ​​Azov: brief description

The Sea of ​​Azov is located in the southern part of Russia, it is a semi-enclosed type of sea and is related to the Atlantic Ocean basin. The sea is connected to the ocean by a chain of straits and various seas. The salinity of the water is ensured by the influx of water masses from the Black Sea, but for the most part they are diluted by river runoff. In recent years, people have been active on the sea coast, so the influx of fresh water has decreased significantly. This fact affected the population of marine life.

Black Sea: briefly about the main thing

The Black Sea is an inland sea of ​​the Atlantic Ocean and is connected to the Mediterranean and Aegean Seas by various straits. The water area has long been inhabited by people; now Russia, Turkey, Georgia and Bulgaria have access to the waters of the Black Sea.

One of the features of the water area is the impossibility of life existing at great depths. This is due to the release of hydrogen sulfide at a depth of more than one hundred and fifty meters; moreover, this feature does not allow different layers of water to mix with each other. Therefore, large temperature differences are observed at shallow depths in the Black Sea.

Where did the Sea of ​​Azov come from?

In ancient times, the Sea of ​​Azov did not exist; this territory was swampy. Scientists believe that the water area was formed approximately five thousand six hundred years BC as a result of the Black Sea flood. This version was expressed by ancient philosophers and is supported by modern hydrologists and oceanologists.

During its existence, the Sea of ​​Azov changed its name many times. Using them, you can even trace the history of the development of the reservoir itself, because the ancient Greeks classified it as lakes, and the Romans as swamps. Although the Scythians already used the word “sea” in their name for the water area.

Scientists have counted more than fifty different names. Every nation that chose the shores of the Sea of ​​Azov sought to give it a new name. It was only in the eighteenth century that the familiar word “Azov” became established in the Russian language. Although back in the first century AD, some Greek scientists mentioned a name that sounded close to the modern pronunciation.

History of the Black Sea

Hydrologists believe that a freshwater lake has always existed on the site of today's Black Sea. It is worth noting that at that time it was the largest in the world; the filling of the water area with sea water occurred as a result of the same Black Sea flood, thanks to which the Sea of ​​Azov was formed. A large flow of salt water caused a massive death of freshwater inhabitants of the lake, which became the source of the release of hydrogen sulfide from the depths of the sea.

I would like to note that the Black Sea almost always had names close to today’s. It is believed that the Scythian tribes who lived on the coast called the sea “dark”. The Greeks, in turn, changed the name and began to call the water area the “Inhospitable Sea.” This is associated with frequent storms and difficulties in passing the fairway. Some hydrologists have put forward a hypothesis according to which sailors since ancient times have noticed that anchors, when lifted from the depths, acquire a deep black color. This served as the prerequisite for the name of the sea.

Where are the Black and Azov Seas located: coordinates and dimensions

The Black Sea has an area of ​​more than four hundred thousand square kilometers, the length of the surface between the two most distant points is approximately five hundred and eighty kilometers. The volume of water in the water area is equal to five hundred and fifty cubic kilometers. The coordinates of the Black Sea lie between forty-six degrees thirty-three minutes and forty degrees fifty-six minutes north latitude and between twenty-seven degrees twenty-seven minutes and forty-one degrees forty-two minutes east longitude.

The area of ​​the Sea of ​​Azov is thirty-seven square kilometers, the length between the most distant points is equal to three hundred and eighty kilometers. The sea coordinates lie between 45°12′30″ and 47°17′30″ north latitude and between 33°38′ and 39°18′ east longitude.

Depth

The Black Sea and the Sea of ​​Azov differ significantly from each other. The first thing that strikes the average person is the difference in depth. The fact is that the depth of the Azov Sea is constantly changing. Scientists are seriously concerned about the trend towards shallowing of the Azov waters. At the moment, the sea is one of the smallest in the world, and the process of shallowing is gaining momentum and becoming more active every year. According to the latest data, the average depth of the Sea of ​​Azov is only seven meters, the deepest place in the entire water area is thirteen and a half meters.

The Black Sea has a heterogeneous bottom topography. Therefore, the depth in different areas differs significantly. The maximum depth reaches two thousand meters. In the Yalta area, the average depth is five hundred meters, and this mark is reached already several kilometers from the coast.

It's amazing how interconnected everything is in our world. This also applies to the seas. Every schoolchild knows that the Black Sea and the Sea of ​​Azov are connected to each other. It is a narrow strip of water, not exceeding four kilometers in width. The average depth of the strait is five meters.

Those who often visited the Black Sea and the Sea of ​​Azov in Soviet times know that there is an absolutely unique place where you can see the contact of the two seas. If you come to Tuslova Spit, then on one side of you there will be the Sea of ​​Azov, and on the other - the Black Sea. Tourists claim that this spit is an unusually good place to relax. There are practically no people here, and the opportunity to swim in both seas at once cannot but delight unspoiled vacationers.

It is worth noting that in comparison with the Sea of ​​Azov, the waters of the Black Sea look lighter. Scientists find it difficult to say what this is connected with.

What does the sea coast look like?

The coasts of the Black and Azov Seas are significantly different from each other. Azov is represented by flat beaches with slightly indented relief. Most of the beaches are covered with sand; the Russian part is two hundred and fifty kilometers of coastal strip. A special feature of the coast of the Sea of ​​Azov are the alluvial spits; they usually protrude deeply into the water area and do not exceed five kilometers in width.

The length of the Russian part of the Black Sea coast is four hundred and fifty-seven kilometers. The coastal strip is slightly indented and is represented mainly by pebble beaches, which in some places are more than three hundred meters wide. The Black Sea is distinguished by a large number of islands, chaotically scattered throughout the water area.

Transparency and color of water masses

The Black Sea and the Sea of ​​Azov have different water compositions, which affects their color. If you look at the Black Sea on a sunny day, you will see how the water takes on a deep cobalt hue. This is due to the absorption of red and orange spectrum rays from the sun. The Black Sea is not one of the most transparent, but nevertheless, visibility on a clear day here reaches more than seventy meters.

The waters of the Azov Sea in calm weather have a greenish color, but the slightest wind immediately turns the water into a dirty yellow substance. This is explained by the large amount of phytoplankton that has filled the sea area. The fact is that shallow water with heated water is ideal for its development, which corresponds to the indicators of the Sea of ​​​​Azov. It is shallow depths that affect the transparency of the water; it is almost always cloudy with low visibility.

Flora and fauna of the seas

Hydrologists and oceanologists often compare the Black Sea and the Sea of ​​Azov in terms of the richness of flora and fauna. This indicator reveals significant differences between the two water areas.

At one time, the Sea of ​​Azov had no competitors in terms of the quantity of fish; several large companies were engaged in catching it. In recent years, the population of marine species has declined significantly. According to oceanologists, more than one hundred and three species of fish live in the Sea of ​​Azov. Almost all of them are commercial:

• herring;
• stellate sturgeon;
• sprat;
• flounder and so on.

The Black Sea is considered relatively poor in terms of marine life, because at depth, due to hydrogen sulfide emissions, life is simply impossible. The sea is home to about one hundred and sixty species of fish and five hundred species of crustaceans. But phytoplankton is represented by six dozen species, as opposed to two species in the Sea of ​​​​Azov.

Despite the fact that the Black Sea and the Sea of ​​Azov are located nearby and even have a common border, they differ significantly from each other. Some of these differences can only be determined by scientists, while some are clearly visible even to ordinary vacationers, who often prefer the coast of these seas to foreign resorts.