Bering Sea

The Bering Sea is a major marginal sea of the North Pacific Ocean, forming together with the Bering Strait the dividing line between the continents of Eurasia and the Americas. Its broad expanse encompasses deep basins, extensive continental shelves and dynamic oceanographic processes that support one of the world’s most productive marine ecosystems. The sea derives its name from Vitus Bering, the Danish-born navigator serving Russia who undertook the first systematic European exploration of the region in 1728.

Geographical Setting and Extent

The Bering Sea lies between Alaska to the east and northeast and the Russian Far East and Kamchatka Peninsula to the west. Its southern boundary is framed by the Alaska Peninsula and the arc of the Aleutian Islands, while its northern limit is the Bering Strait connecting it to the Chukchi Sea and the wider Arctic Ocean. Bristol Bay forms the southeastern portion of the sea between Cape Newenham and the Alaska Peninsula.
According to the International Hydrographic Organization, the sea’s boundaries include the southern limit of the Chukchi Sea in the north and a line passing through the Aleutian chain to the southern extremities of the Commander Islands and Cape Kamchatka in the south. The configuration encloses both national waters of the United States and Russia, along with the central international zone commonly called the Donut Hole.
The sea’s floor includes a deep-water basin rising sharply to a broad continental shelf, an environment that underpins high biological productivity. Several islands and island groups are situated within the sea, including Saint Paul Island in the Pribilof group and Bering Island in the Commander group.

Geological and Historical Context

During the Last Glacial Period, lowered global sea levels exposed an extensive land bridge—Beringia—linking Asia and North America. This corridor allowed the migration of humans and large mammals in both directions, making it a significant focus in studies of early human settlement of the Americas. Although widely accepted, the exact pathways and timing of these migrations remain subjects of continuing research.
The Bering Sea preserves geological traces of the ancient Kula Plate, once involved in major subduction processes beneath Alaska. More recently, it was the site of a notable atmospheric event; in December 2018, a large meteor exploded at high altitude over the sea, releasing substantial energy.

Oceanography and Ecosystem Dynamics

The Bering Sea is characterised by complex interactions between currents, sea ice and atmospheric conditions. Its continental shelf is a key driver of primary productivity. Nutrient-rich waters of the North Aleutian Basin upwell along the slope, mixing with the shallower shelf waters to create a “Greenbelt” region of intense phytoplankton growth. Another major influence is seasonal sea ice. Melting ice introduces lower-salinity water that stratifies the upper layers and contributes to spring phytoplankton blooms. The ice also provides a habitat for specialised algae.
Long-term ecological indicators, including isotopic signatures in historical bowhead whale baleen, suggest a decline of approximately one-third in primary productivity over the past half-century. This finding indicates a reduction in the sea’s biological carrying capacity, highlighting broader environmental changes.

Biodiversity

The Bering Sea supports varied and abundant marine life. Its whale populations include belugas, humpbacks, bowheads, grey whales and blue whales, alongside vulnerable and endangered species such as the sperm whale, fin whale, sei whale and the critically rare North Pacific right whale. Other marine mammals include walruses, northern fur seals, Steller sea lions, orcas and polar bears.
The region is also globally significant for seabirds, with over thirty species and around twenty million individuals breeding within the area. Species such as tufted puffins, spectacled eiders, short-tailed albatrosses and red-legged kittiwakes occupy nesting sites along nutrient-rich regions like Zhemchug Canyon and the Pribilof shelf breaks. Large colonies of crested auklets are found here as well. Historically, overexploitation led to the extinction of species such as Steller’s sea cow and the spectacled cormorant, and human impacts contributed to the loss of the Bering Canada goose.
Fish diversity is high, with over four hundred species recorded. Commercially significant species include Pacific cod, several flatfish species, black cod (sablefish), multiple salmon species and Pacific herring. Shellfish such as king crab and Chionoecetes species form important fisheries.

Fisheries and Economic Importance

The Bering Sea ranks among the world’s most valuable fishing grounds. Its rich productivity supports major fisheries for Alaskan king crab, snow crab, salmon, pollock and other groundfish. These fisheries play a crucial role in the seafood industries of both the United States and Russia. Annual U.S. commercial landings from the region are valued at roughly one billion dollars, while Russian fisheries contribute significant additional revenue.
The sea’s fisheries depend on intricate food webs influenced by physical and biological processes that continue to be actively studied. The region provides the setting for popular media portrayals of commercial fishing, including the widely known programme “Deadliest Catch.”

Environmental Change

Rapid ecological and climatic changes in the Arctic introduce uncertainty into the future of the Bering Sea. While Arctic summer sea ice has declined markedly, the Bering Sea experienced a modest increase in ice extent between 1979 and 2012. However, warming trends, altered sea ice dynamics and shifting species distributions pose challenges to managing and preserving the region’s ecosystems. Continued research is essential to understanding how changing climate patterns will influence local productivity, fisheries and biodiversity.

Cultural Presence in Media and Literature

The Bering Sea has featured in global literature and film. Rudyard Kipling’s “The White Seal” presents it as the birthplace of the rare white northern fur seal. Films such as Harbinger Down and the 1949 production Down to the Sea in Ships feature narratives set in the sea’s challenging environment. The thriller Ghost Ship also incorporates the Bering Sea as a central setting for its marine storyline.