Bering Sea

The Bering Sea is a marginal sea of the northern Pacific Ocean covering over 2,000,000 square kilometers, lying between Russia and the United States. Bordered by Alaska to the east and northeast, the Aleutian Islands and Alaska Peninsula to the south and the Bering Strait to the north, it holds some of the world’s richest fisheries and a wide range of marine mammals and seabirds [1].

Geography

The sea covers over 2,000,000 km² and is centered near 58°N, 178°W. It is bordered by Alaska to the east and northeast, the Russian Far East and Kamchatka to the west, the Alaska Peninsula and Aleutian Islands to the south and the Bering Strait to the north. The Alaska Peninsula separates it from the Gulf of Alaska, and Bristol Bay is the part of the sea between the Alaska Peninsula and Cape Newenham. Its middle includes international waters known as the Donut Hole [1].

Seafloor

The sea has a deep basin that rises through a narrow slope to shallower continental shelves, and it contains 16 submarine canyons. Zhemchug Canyon is described as the largest submarine canyon in the world [1].

History and Naming

The sea is named for Vitus Bering, who explored it systematically in 1728. During the last glacial period, lower sea levels exposed the land bridge Beringia, which most scientists accept as the main route of early human entry into the Americas [1]. See the entries on the Bering expeditions and the Bering Strait.

Productivity

The shelf break, known as the Greenbelt, is the main driver of primary productivity, and seasonal sea ice is the second, with melting ice triggering the spring phytoplankton bloom. Baleen carbon isotope records suggest a 30–40% decline in average seasonal primary productivity over the last 50 years [1].

Marine Life

Whales include beluga, humpback, bowhead, gray and blue whales, and the North Pacific right whale is described as the rarest in the world. Other marine mammals include walrus, Steller sea lion, northern fur seal, orca and polar bear. Over 30 seabird species breed in the region, with approximately 20 million individuals in total, and at least 419 fish species have been reported. Steller’s sea cow and the spectacled cormorant are extinct due to overexploitation [1].

Fisheries

Commercial fish include Pacific cod, flatfish, sablefish, salmon and Pacific herring, and shellfish include red king crab and snow crab. The sea is known for king crab, opilio and tanner crabs, Bristol Bay salmon and pollock. U.S. Bering Sea fisheries are described as worth approximately $1 billion annually, though the figure is uncited [1]. See the entries on Southwest Alaska and the Pribilof Islands.

FAQs

How large is the Bering Sea? Over 2,000,000 square kilometers.

Who is it named for? Vitus Bering.

What fish are caught there? Pacific cod, pollock, salmon, king and snow crab, and others.

What is the Donut Hole? International waters in the middle of the sea.

How is it connected to the Arctic? By the Bering Strait.

Sources

1. Wikipedia: Bering Sea

Editorially reviewed by Specialty Digest Editorial TeamLast reviewed November 12, 2026Researched and drafted with AI assistanceReport an issue