Sea ice, watermass and freshwater processes/Coastal lagoons The Okhotsk Sea coastal lagoons: Types, evolution and use of resources

• Main Author: Peter F. Brovko
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Subjects: Okhotsk; Perevolochnaya; okhotsk sea; Sea ice
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.359.9257; http://www.pices.int/publications/scientific_reports/Report36/191-193-Okhostsk-Sea-coastal-lagoons.pdf

As part of the Okhotsk Sea, but separated from it by a depositional feature, lagoons have a particular hydrology and specific conditions for bottom sediment accumulation. Marine organisms in lagoons can be exposed to water temperature and salinity fluctuations of significant range. The Okhotsk Sea lagoons are grouped by size into large (100–500 km 2), medium (10–100 km 2), small (1–10 km 2) and very small (less than 1 km 2) ones. The largest lagoons in terms of area are Baikal, Schastya, Piltun, and Perevolochnaya. Many small lagoons are linked to river estuaries. In terms of water depth, lagoons are grouped into shallow (less than 1 m deep), medium-depth (1–5 m), deep (5–20 m) and very deep (more than 20 m) ones. The evolution of Okhotsk Sea lagoons is associated with the Holocene transgression, during which time they came into existence. As evidenced by well-studied coastal-marine depositions, large sea water bodies, separated by sand banks and morphologically close to modern lagoons, started to form at a higher level in the sub-boreal period. During subsequent sea level fluctuations above the present-day level, the inner shoreline contour of lagoons was reshaping. Today, some lagoons are separated from the sea, partly filled with alluvial-marine, eolian, and biogenic depositions and have turned into lakes. Lagoons are used as harbors for sheltering small fishing and transport vessels. Some lagoons are used for aquaculture farms where fish, seaweeds, and scallops are