View source for Barents Sea

{{short description|Marginal sea of the Arctic Ocean, off the northern coasts of Norway and Russia}}
{{distinguish|Bering Sea}}
{{Infobox body of water
| name = Barents Sea
| image = Barents Sea map.png
| caption =Location of the Barents Sea
| image_bathymetry = 
| caption_bathymetry= 
| location = [[Arctic Ocean]]
| coords = {{coord|75|N|40|E|scale:5000000_type:waterbody|name=Barents Sea|display=inline,title}}
| type = [[Sea]]
| inflow = [[Norwegian Sea]], [[Arctic Ocean]]
| outflow = 
| catchment = 
| basin_countries = [[Norway]] and [[Russia]]
| length = 
| width = 
| area = {{convert|1400000|km2|abbr=on}}
| depth = {{convert|230|m|abbr=on}}
| max-depth = 
| volume = 
| residence_time = 
| shore = 
| frozen = 
| islands = 
| cities = 
| reference = [http://www.imr.no/temasider/havomrader_og_okosystem/barentshavet/Barentshavet/en Institute of Marine Research, Norway]
}}
The '''Barents Sea''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|b|ær|ə|n|t|s}} {{respell|BARR|ənts}}, <small>also</small> {{IPAc-en|US|ˈ|b|ɑːr|ə|n|t|s}} {{respell|BAR|ənts}};<ref>
{{cite book|last=Wells|first=John C.|year=2008|title=Longman Pronunciation Dictionary|edition=3rd|publisher=Longman|isbn=978-1-4058-8118-0}}</ref> {{langx|no|Barentshavet}}, {{IPA|no-NO-03|ˈbɑ̀ːrəntsˌhɑːvə|lang}};<ref>{{cite book|last=Berulfsen|first=Bjarne|title=Norsk Uttaleordbok|language=no|year=1969|publisher=[[Aschehoug|H. Aschehoug & Co (W Nygaard)]]|location=Oslo|page=37}}</ref> {{langx|ru|Баренцево море|Barentsevo More}}) is a [[marginal sea]] of the [[Arctic Ocean]],<ref name="Wright2001">{{cite book|author=John Wright|title=The New York Times Almanac 2002|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=G81HonU81pAC&pg=PA459|access-date=29 November 2010|date=30 November 2001|publisher=Psychology Press|isbn=978-1-57958-348-4|page=459}}</ref> located off the northern coasts of [[Norway]] and [[Russia]] and divided between Norwegian and Russian [[territorial waters]].<ref name="Ref_">World Wildlife Fund, 2008.</ref> It was known earlier among Russians as the Northern Sea, Pomorsky Sea or Murman Sea ("Norse Sea"); the current name of the sea is after the historical [[Netherlands|Dutch]] navigator [[Willem Barentsz]].

The Barents Sea is a rather shallow [[Continental shelf|shelf]] sea with an average depth of {{convert|230|m|ft}}, and it is an important site for both [[fishing]] and [[hydrocarbon exploration]].<ref name="Ref_a">O. G. Austvik, 2006.</ref> It is bordered by the [[Kola Peninsula]] to the south, the shelf edge towards the [[Norwegian Sea]] to the west, the [[archipelago]]s of [[Svalbard]] to the northwest, [[Franz Josef Land]] to the northeast and [[Novaya Zemlya]] to the east. The islands of Novaya Zemlya, an extension of the northern end of the [[Ural Mountains]], separate the Barents Sea from the [[Kara Sea]].

Although part of the Arctic Ocean, the Barents Sea has been characterised as "turning into the [[Atlantic Ocean|Atlantic]]"<ref name=Turning/> or in the process of being "Atlantified"<ref name=Geoscience2021/> because of its status as "the Arctic warming hot spot." Hydrologic changes due to [[global warming]] have led to a reduction in sea ice and in the stratification of the water column, which could produce major changes in weather in [[Eurasia]].<ref name=Turning>{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2018/06/26/a-huge-stretch-of-the-arctic-ocean-is-turning-into-the-atlantic-right-before-our-eyes/|title=A huge stretch of the Arctic Ocean is rapidly turning into the Atlantic. That's not a good sign|last=Mooney|first=Chris|date=2018-06-26|newspaper=Washington Post|access-date=2018-06-27|language=en-US|issn=0190-8286}}</ref> One prediction is that, as the Barents Sea's permanent ice-free area grows, evaporation will increase, leading to increased winter snowfalls in much of continental Europe.<ref name=Geoscience2021>{{Cite journal|title=Arctic sea-ice loss fuels extreme European snowfall|journal=[[Nature Geoscience]]|url=https://www.nature.com/articles/s41561-021-00719-y|last1=Bailey|first1=Hannah|date=2021-04-01|last2=Hubbard|first2=Alun|last3=Klen|first3=Eric S.|last4=Mustonen|first4=Kaisa-Riikka|last5=Akers|first5=Pete D.|last6=Marttila|first6=Hannu|last7=Welker|first7=Jeffrey M.|volume=14|issue=5|page=283|doi=10.1038/s41561-021-00719-y|bibcode=2021NatGe..14..283B|hdl=10037/20941 |s2cid=232765992|hdl-access=free|url-access=subscription}}</ref>

==Geography==
[[Image:Tabularussiae.jpg|thumb|250px|Shores of the Barents (''Murman'') Sea. From "Tabula Russiae", Joan Blaeu's, Amsterdam, 1614.]]
The southern half of the Barents Sea, including the ports of [[Murmansk]] (Russia) and [[Vardø (town)|Vardø]] (Norway) remain [[ice]]-free year-round due to the warm [[North Atlantic drift]]. In September, the entire Barents Sea is more or less completely ice-free. From 1920 to 1944, [[Finland]]'s territory also reached the Barents Sea. The [[Liinakhamari]] harbour in the [[Pechengsky District]] was Finland's only ice-free winter harbour until 1944 when it was ceded to the [[Soviet Union]].

There are three main types of [[water mass]]es in the Barents Sea: Warm, salty [[Atlantic Ocean|Atlantic]] water (temperature >3&nbsp;°C, [[salinity]] >35) from the [[North Atlantic drift]]; cold Arctic water (temperature <0&nbsp;°C, salinity <35) from the north; and warm, but not very salty, coastal water (temperature >3&nbsp;°C, salinity <34.7). Between the Atlantic and Polar waters, a front called the Polar Front is formed. In the western parts of the sea (close to [[Bear Island (Norway)|Bear Island]]), this front is determined by the bottom topography and is therefore relatively sharp and stable from year to year, while in the east (towards [[Novaya Zemlya]]), it can be quite diffuse and its position can vary markedly between years.

The lands of Novaya Zemlya attained most of their early Holocene coastal deglaciation approximately 10,000 years before the present.<ref name="Ref_b">J. Zeeberg, 2001.</ref>

===Extent===
The [[International Hydrographic Organization]] defines the limits of the "Barentsz Sea" {{sic}} as follows:<ref name="Ref_1953">{{cite web |url=https://iho.int/uploads/user/pubs/standards/s-23/S-23_Ed3_1953_EN.pdf |title=Limits of Oceans and Seas, 3rd edition |year=1953 |publisher=International Hydrographic Organization |access-date=28 December 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111008191433/http://www.iho.int/iho_pubs/standard/S-23/S-23_Ed3_1953_EN.pdf |archive-date=8 October 2011 }}</ref>

:''On the west'': The northeastern limit of the [[Norwegian Sea]] [A line joining the southernmost point of [[Spitsbergen|West Spitzbergen]] {{sic}} to North Cape of [[Bear Island (Norway)|Bear Island]], through this island to Cape Bull and thence on to [[North Cape, Norway|North Cape]] in [[Norway]] (25°45'E)].

:''On the northwest'': The eastern shore of West Spitzbergen {{sic}}, [[Hinlopen Strait]] up to [[80th parallel north|80° latitude north]]; south and east coasts of North-East Land [the island of [[Nordaustlandet]]<nowiki>]</nowiki> to Cape Leigh Smith ({{coord|80|05|N|28|00|E|display=inline}}).

:''On the north'': Cape Leigh Smith across the Islands Bolshoy Ostrov (Great Island) <nowiki>[</nowiki>[[Storøya]]<nowiki>]</nowiki>, Gilles <nowiki>[</nowiki>[[Kvitøya]]<nowiki>]</nowiki> and [[Victoria Island (Russian Arctic)|Victoria]]; [[Cape Mary Harmsworth]] (southwestern extremity of [[Alexandra Land]]) along the northern coasts of [[Franz Josef Land|Franz-Josef Land]] as far as [[Cape Kohlsaat]] ({{coord|81|14|N|65|10|E|display=inline}}).

:''On the east'': Cape Kohlsaat to [[Cape Zhelaniya]] (Desire); west and southwest coast of [[Novaya Zemlya]] to Cape Kussov Noss and thence to western entrance Cape, Dolgaya Bay ({{coord|70|15|N|58|25|E|display=inline}}) on [[Vaygach Island|Vaigach Island]]. Through Vaigach Island to Cape Greben; thence to Cape Belyi Noss on the mainland.

:''On the south'': The northern limit of the [[White Sea]] [A line joining Svyatoi Nos ([[Murmansk Oblast|Murmansk]] Coast, 39°47'E) and Cape Kanin].

Other islands in the Barents Sea include Chaichy and Timanets.

===Geology===
{{see also|White Sea Rift System}}
The Barents Sea was originally formed from two major continental collisions: the [[Caledonian orogeny]], in which the [[Baltica]] and [[Laurentia]] collided to form [[Laurasia]], and a subsequent collision between Laurasia and Western Siberia. Most of its geological history is dominated by [[extensional tectonics]], caused by the collapse of the Caledonian and Uralian orogenic belts and the break-up of [[Pangaea]].<ref name=Dore1995>{{Cite web| publisher= [[Arctic Institute of North America]] | url= http://pubs.aina.ucalgary.ca/arctic/Arctic48-3-207.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061029185917/http://pubs.aina.ucalgary.ca/arctic/Arctic48-3-207.pdf |archive-date=2006-10-29 |url-status=live | title = Barents Sea Geology, Petroleum Resources and Commercial Potential | issue = 3 | volume = 48 | author = Doré, A.G. | date = Sep 1995}}</ref> These events created the major rift basins that dominate the Barents Shelf, along with various [[Platform (geology)|platforms]] and structural highs. The later geological history of the Barents Sea is dominated by Late Cenozoic [[Tectonic uplift|uplift]], particularly that caused by [[Quaternary glaciation]], which has resulted in erosion and deposition of significant sediment.<ref name=Dore1996>{{Cite journal | publisher= [[Global and Planetary Change]] | title = Impact of Glaciations on Basin Evolution: Data and Models from the Norwegian Margin and Adjacent Areas | issue = 1–4 | volume = 12 | author = Doré, A.G. | date = March 1996 }}</ref>

===Ecology===
[[Image:Barents Sea in Bloom.jpg|thumb|Phytoplankton bloom in the Barents Sea. The milky-blue colour that dominates the bloom suggests that it contains large numbers of [[coccolithophores]].]]
Due to the [[North Atlantic drift]], the Barents Sea has a high biological production compared to other oceans of similar latitude. The [[spring bloom]] of [[phytoplankton]] can start quite early near the ice edge because the fresh water from the melting ice makes up a stable water layer on top of the seawater. The [[phytoplankton]] bloom feeds [[zooplankton]] such as ''Calanus finmarchicus'', ''Calanus glacialis'', ''Calanus hyperboreus'', ''Oithona'' spp., and [[krill]]. The [[zooplankton]] feeders include young [[Atlantic cod|cod]], [[capelin]], [[polar cod]], [[whales]], and [[little auk]]. The capelin is a key food for top predators such as the north-east Arctic [[Atlantic cod|cod]], [[harp seal]]s, and seabirds such as the [[common guillemot]] and [[Brunnich's guillemot]]. The fisheries of the Barents Sea, in particular the [[Atlantic cod|cod]] fisheries, are of great importance for both Norway and Russia.

SIZEX-89 was an international winter experiment in 1989 for which the main objectives were to perform sensor signature studies of different ice types to develop SAR algorithms for ice variables, such as ice types, ice concentrations and ice kinematics.<ref name="Ref_c">''Sea ice modeling in the Barents Sea during SIZEX 89'' (Haugan, P.M., Johannessen, O.M. and Sandven, S., IGARSS´90 symposium, Washington D.C., 1990)</ref> Although previous research suggested that predation by whales may be the cause of depleting fish stocks, more recent research suggests that marine mammal consumption has only a trivial influence on fisheries. A model assessing the effects of fisheries and climate was far more accurate at describing trends in fish abundance.<ref>{{cite journal | last = Corkeron | first = Peter J. | date = April 23, 2009 | title = Marine mammals' influence on ecosystem processes affecting fisheries in the Barents Sea is trivial | journal = Biology Letters | volume = 5 | issue = 2 | pages = 204–206 | publisher = [[Royal Society|The Royal Society]] | issn = 1744-957X | doi = 10.1098/rsbl.2008.0628 | pmid = 19126534 | pmc = 2665811}}</ref> There is a genetically distinct [[polar bear]] population associated with the Barents Sea.<ref name="Ref_d">C.M. Hogan, 2008</ref>

===Pollution===
The Barents Sea is "among the most polluted places on Earth" due to accumulated marine garbage, decades of Soviet nuclear tests, radioactive waste dumping and industrial pollution.<ref name=nibdr>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/jul/24/russia-barents-sea-toxic-legacy-military-buildup-mining-shipping-indigenous |title='Nature is being destroyed': Russia's arms buildup in Barents Sea creating toxic legacy |work=The Guardian}}</ref> The elevated pollution has caused elevated rates of disease among locals.<ref name=nibdr/> With rising military buildup and increased use of shipping lanes heading east through the Arctic, there are concerns that a further increase in pollution is likely, not least from the increased risk of future oil spills from ships not properly equipped for the environment.<ref name=nibdr/>

===Connections to global weather===
{{excerpt|Arctic sea ice decline#Barents Sea ice}}

==History==
[[File:Walvisvangst bij de kust van Spitsbergen - Dutch whalers near Spitsbergen (Abraham Storck, 1690).jpg|thumb|Dutch whalers near [[Svalbard]], 1690]]

===Name===
The Barents Sea was formerly known to Russians as '''Murmanskoye More''', or the "Sea of Murmans" (i.e., their term for Norwegians). It appears with this name in sixteenth-century maps, including [[Gerard Mercator]]'s ''Map of the Arctic'' published in his 1595 atlas. Its eastern corner, in the region of the [[Pechora River]]'s estuary, has been known as '''Pechorskoye Morye''', that is, [[Pechora Sea]]. It was also known as '''Pomorsky Morye''', after the first inhabitants of its shores, the [[Pomors]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Баренцево море: где находится, описание, история |url=https://iskatel.com/places/barentsevo-more |access-date=2023-07-07 |website=iskatel.com |language=ru}}</ref>

This sea was given its present name by Europeans in honour of [[Willem Barentsz]], a [[Netherlands|Dutch]] navigator and explorer. Barentsz was the leader of early expeditions to the far north, at the end of the sixteenth century.

The Barents Sea has been called by sailors "''The Devil's Dance Floor''" due to its unpredictability and difficulty level.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.thejournal.co.uk/news/north-east-news/warming-to-cap-art-4559364|title=Warming to cap art|last=Administrator|first=journallive|date=2006-08-15|work=journallive|access-date=2017-10-05|language=en|archive-date=2017-10-05|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171005202032/http://www.thejournal.co.uk/news/north-east-news/warming-to-cap-art-4559364|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Ocean rowers call it "''Devil's Jaw''". In 2017, after the first recorded complete man-powered crossing of the Barents Sea from [[Tromsø]] to [[Longyearbyen]] in a rowboat by the Polar Row expedition, captain [[Fiann Paul]] was asked by [[TV 2 (Norway)|Norwegian TV2]] how a rower would name the Barents Sea. Fiann responded that he would name it "Devil's Jaw", adding that the winds you constantly battle are like breath from the devil's nostrils while he holds you in his jaws.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.tv2.no/a/9269125/|title=Tor (36) nådde Svalbard på supertid, this is the link to the news summary, full video news was broadcast on 29 July in the News section, available on youtube|last=AS|first=TV 2|work=TV 2|access-date=2017-10-05|language=no-nb}}</ref>

[[File:MurmanskHarbour.jpg|thumb|The harbour of the [[Murmansk Fjord]].]]

===Modern era===
Seabed mapping was completed in 1933; the first full map was produced by Russian marine geologist [[Maria Klenova]].

The Barents Sea was the site of a notable [[World War II]] engagement which later became known as the [[Battle of the Barents Sea]]. Under the command of [[Oskar Kummetz]], German warships sank minelayer HMS ''Bramble'' and destroyer {{HMS|Achates|H12|6}} but lost destroyer {{ship|German destroyer|Z16 Friedrich Eckoldt||2}}. Also, the German cruiser {{Ship|German cruiser|Admiral Hipper||2}} was severely damaged by British gunfire. The Germans later retreated and the British convoy arrived safely at Murmansk shortly afterwards.

During the [[Cold War]], the [[Soviet Red Banner Northern Fleet]] used the southern reaches of the sea as a ballistic missile submarine [[bastion (naval)|bastion]], a strategy that [[Russia]] continued. [[Nuclear waste|Nuclear contamination]] from dumped Russian naval [[nuclear reactor|reactors]] is an [[natural environment|environmental]] concern in the Barents Sea.

==Economy==

===Political status===
{{further|Norway–Russia border}}
[[File:Signing of the Russian-Norwegian Treaty on Maritime Delimitation and Cooperation in the Barents Sea and the Arctic Ocean..jpeg|thumb|Signing of the Russian-Norwegian Treaty, 15 September 2010]]
For decades there was a boundary dispute between Norway and Russia regarding the position of the boundary between their respective claims to the Barents Sea. The Norwegians favoured a [[Equidistance principle|median line]], based on the [[Convention on the High Seas|Geneva Convention of 1958]], whereas the Russians favoured a [[Meridian (geography)|meridian]]- based sector line, based on a Soviet decision of 1926.<ref name="Dore1995"/> A neutral "grey" zone between the competing claims had an area of {{convert|175000|km2}}, which is approximately 12% of the total area of the Barents Sea. The two countries started negotiations on the location of the boundary in 1974 and agreed to a moratorium on hydrocarbon exploration in 1976.

Twenty years after the fall of the Soviet Union, in 2010 Norway and Russia signed an agreement that placed the boundary equidistant from their competing claims. This was ratified and went into force on 7 July 2011, opening the grey zone for [[hydrocarbon exploration]].<ref name="mt20110707">{{cite web |url=http://www.themoscowtimes.com/business/article/arctic-treaty-with-norway-opens-fields/440178.html |title= Arctic Treaty With Norway Opens Fields |first=Howard |last=Amos |work=[[The Moscow Times]] |date=7 July 2011 |access-date=2 July 2014 }}</ref>

===Oil and gas===
{{further|List of oil and gas fields of the Barents Sea}}

Encouraged by the success of [[oil exploration]] and production in the [[North Sea oil|North Sea in the 1960s]], Norway began [[hydrocarbon exploration]] in the Barents Sea in 1969. They acquired seismic reflection surveys through the following years, which were analysed to understand the location of the main [[sedimentary basin]]s.<ref name="Dore1995"/> [[Statoil|NorskHydro]] drilled the first [[Oil well|well]] in 1980, which was a dry hole, and the first discoveries were made the following year: the Alke and Askeladden gas fields.<ref name="Dore1995"/> Several more discoveries were made on the Norwegian side of the Barents Sea throughout the 1980s, including the important [[Snøhvit|Snøhvit field]].<ref name="OT1">{{cite web | title = Snøhvit Gas Field, Norway | publisher = Offshore Technology| url = http://www.offshore-technology.com/projects/snohvit-field/ | access-date = 2 July 2014}}</ref>

However, interest in the area began to wane due to a succession of dry holes, wells containing only gas (which was cheap at the time), and the prohibitive costs of developing wells in such a remote area. Interest in the area was reignited in the late 2000s after the Snovhit field was finally brought into production<ref name="Statoil1">{{cite web |title = Snøhvit |publisher = Statoil Website |url = http://www.statoil.com/en/ouroperations/explorationprod/ncs/snoehvit/pages/default.aspx |access-date = 2 July 2014 |archive-date = 1 May 2016 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160501233005/http://www.statoil.com/en/OurOperations/ExplorationProd/ncs/snoehvit/Pages/default.aspx |url-status = dead }}</ref> and two new large discoveries were made.<ref name=tb20120110>{{cite news|title=Norway Makes Its Second Huge Oil Discovery In The Past Year|url=http://www.businessinsider.com/norway-makes-its-second-huge-offshore-oil-discovery-of-the-year-2012-1|agency=Associated Press|date=January 9, 2012|quote=a well drilled in the Havis prospect in the Barents Sea proved both oil and gas at an estimated volume of between 200 million and 300 million barrels of recoverable oil equivalents.}}</ref>

The Russians began exploration in their territory around the same time, encouraged by their success in the [[Timan-Pechora Basin]].<ref name="Dore1995"/> They drilled their first wells in the early 1980s, and some very large gas fields were discovered throughout this decade. The [[Shtokman field]] was discovered in 1988 and is classed as a [[Giant oil and gas fields|giant]] gas field: currently the [[List of natural gas fields|5th-largest gas field in the world]]. Similar practical difficulties Barents Sea resulted in a decline in Russian exploration, aggravated by the nation's political instability of the 1990s.

===Fishing===
[[File:Honningsvåg 2013 06 09 3495 (10319135545).jpg|thumb|[[Honningsvåg]] is the most northerly fishing village in Norway]]
The Barents Sea contains the world's largest remaining cod population,<ref name="WWF1">{{cite web | title = The Barents Sea Cod – the last of the large cod stocks | publisher = [[World Wildlife Foundation]] | url = http://wwf.panda.org/about_our_earth/all_publications/?12982/The-Barents-Sea-Cod-the-last-of-the-large-cod-stocks| access-date = 4 July 2014}}</ref> as well as important stocks of haddock and capelin. Fishing is managed jointly by Russia and Norway in the form of the [[Joint Norwegian–Russian Fisheries Commission]], established in 1976, in an attempt to keep track of how many fish are leaving the ecosystem due to fishing.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fni.no/projects/norwegian_russian_fisheries_commission.html|title=The History of the Joint Norwegian-Russian Fisheries Commission|access-date=2014-07-07|archive-date=2014-07-14|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714161027/http://www.fni.no/projects/norwegian_russian_fisheries_commission.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> The Joint Norwegian-Russian Fisheries Commission sets Total Allowable Catches (TACs) for multiple species throughout their migratory tracks. Through the Commission, Norway and Russia also exchange fishing quotas and catch statistics to ensure the TACs are not being violated.

However there are problems with reporting under this system, and researchers believe that they do not have accurate data for the effects of fishing on the Barents Sea ecosystem. Cod is one of the major catches. A large portion of catches are not reported when the fishing boats land, to account for profits that are being lost to high taxes and fees. Since many fishermen do not strictly follow the TACs and rules set forth by the Commission, the amount of fish being extracted annually from the Barents Sea is underestimated.

===Barents Sea biodiversity and marine bioprospecting===
[[File:Nordkapp landscape Barents Sea.jpg|thumb|left|[[North Cape (Norway)|Nordkapp]] on the Barents Sea]]
The Barents Sea, where temperate waters from the Gulf Stream and cold waters from the Arctic meet, is home to an enormous diversity of organisms, which are well-adapted to the extreme conditions of their marine habitats. This makes these arctic species very attractive for marine [[bioprospecting]]. Marine bioprospecting may be defined as the search for bioactive molecules and compounds from marine sources that have new, unique properties and the potential for commercial applications. Amongst others, applications include medicines, food and feed, textiles, cosmetics and the process industry.<ref name="pmid24078803">{{cite journal |vauthors=Svenson J|date=May 2012 |title=MabCent: Arctic marine bioprospecting in Norway|journal=Phytochemistry Reviews|volume=12 |issue=3 |pages=567–578 |doi=10.1007/s11101-012-9239-3|pmid=24078803|pmc=3777186}}</ref><ref name=" regjeringen2009">{{cite web|last1=Nasjonal Strategi 2009|title=Marin bioprospektering – en kilde til ny og bærekraftig verdiskaping|url=http://www.regjeringen.no/upload/FKD/Vedlegg/Diverse/2009/Marin_bioprospektering_080909_lavoppl.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141028093509/http://www.regjeringen.no/upload/FKD/Vedlegg/Diverse/2009/Marin_bioprospektering_080909_lavoppl.pdf |archive-date=2014-10-28 |url-status=live}}</ref>

The Norwegian government strategically supports the development of marine bioprospecting as it has the potential to contribute to new and sustainable wealth creation. Tromsø and the northern areas of Norway play a central role in this strategy. They have excellent access to unique Arctic marine organisms, existing marine industries, and R&D competence and infrastructure in this region. Since 2007, science and industry have cooperated closely on bioprospecting and the development and commercialization of new products.<ref name="pmid24078803"/><ref name="regjeringen2009"/>

==See also==
{{portal|Oceans}}
* [[Barents Basin]]
* [[Continental shelf of Russia]]
* [[Energy in Norway]]
* [[List of largest biotechnology & pharmaceutical companies]]
* [[List of oil and gas fields of the Barents Sea]]
* [[List of seas]]

==Notes==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==References==
* Ole Gunnar Austvik (2006) [http://www.kaldor.no/energy/berlin20060315-barents.html ''Oil and gas in the High North''], Security Policy Library no. 4, The Norwegian Atlantic Committee. ISSN 0802-6602.
* C. Michael Hogan (2008) [https://web.archive.org/web/20081224205716/http://globaltwitcher.auderis.se/artspec_information.asp?thingid=36084 ''Polar Bear: Ursus maritimus''], Globaltwitcher.com, ed. Nicklas Stromberg.
* World Wildlife Fund (2008). [http://www.panda.org/arctic/barents ''Barents Sea environment and conservation''].
* {{cite journal |last = Zeeberg |first = JaapJan |author2=David J. Lubinski |author3=Steven L. Forman |date=September 2001 |title = Holocene Relative Sea Level History of Novaya Zemlya, Russia and Implications for Late Weichselian Ice-Sheet Loading |journal = Quaternary Research |volume = 56 |issue = 2 |pages = 218–230|publisher = Quaternary Research Center/Elsevier Science |issn = 0033-5894 |doi = 10.1006/qres.2001.2256 |url = http://www.xs4all.nl/~jzeebe1/sea_levels_glacial_deposition.pdf |bibcode = 2001QuRes..56..218Z |s2cid = 58938344 }}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Barents Sea}}
*{{cite EB1911|wstitle=Barents Sea |volume=3 |short=x}}
* [http://www.Barents.com/ Barents.com]—Developing the Barents Region
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20160304073746/http://www.foraminifera.eu/barents.html Foraminifera of the Barents Sea]—illustrated catalog
{{Rivers of Russia}}
{{List of seas}}
{{Barents Sea Islands}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Barents Sea| ]]
[[Category:European seas]]
[[Category:Marginal seas of the Arctic Ocean]]
[[Category:Norway–Russia border]]
[[Category:Seas of Norway]]
[[Category:Seas of Russia]]