In terms of geography, Seas are smaller than oceans and are usually located where the land and ocean meet. Typically, Seas are partially enclosed by land. Seas have great geographical, Political, and Economical significance.
In oceanography, a marginal sea is a sea partially enclosed by islands, archipelagos, or peninsulas.
Some of the major marginal seas include the Arabian Sea, Baltic Sea, Bay of Bengal, Bering Sea, Black Sea, Gulf of California, Gulf of Mexico, Mediterranean Sea, Red Sea, and all four of the Siberian Seas (Barents, Kara, Laptev, and East Siberian).
The primary differences between marginal seas and open oceans are associated with depth and proximity to landmasses. Marginal seas, which are generally shallower than open oceans, are more influenced by human activities, river runoff, climate, and water circulation.
Major (Important) Seas of the world
- Arabian Sea
- South China Sea
- East China Sea
- Coral Sea
- Caribbean Sea
- Mediterranean Sea
- Ionian Sea
- Bay of Bengal
- Arabian Sea
- Bering Sea
- Sea of Okhotsk
- Gulf of Mexico
- Tasman Sea
- Hudson Bay
- Sea of Japan
- Sea of Azov
- Caspian Sea
- Adriatic Sea
- Baltic Sea
- Red Sea
- Yellow Sea
- Dead Sea
- Black Sea
- Tyrrhenian Sea
- Ligurian Sea
- Balearic Sea
- Alboran Sea
- Sargasso Sea
- The Aegean Sea…
Arabian Sea
The Arabian Sea is a region of the northern Indian Ocean bounded on the north by Pakistan, Iran, and the Gulf of Oman, on the west by the Gulf of Aden, Guardafui Channel, and the Arabian Peninsula, on the southeast by the Laccadive Sea, on the southwest by the Somali Sea, and on the east by India.
The Gulf of Aden in the west connects the Arabian Sea to the Red Sea through the strait of Bab-el-Mandeb, and the Gulf of Oman is in the northwest, connecting it to the Persian Gulf.
Andaman Sea
The Andaman Sea (historically also known as the Burma Sea) is a marginal sea of northeastern Indian Ocean bounded by the coastlines of Myanmar and Thailand along the Gulf of Martaban and west side of the Malay Peninsula and separated from the Bay of Bengal to its west by the Andaman Islands and the Nicobar Islands.
Its southernmost end is defined by Breueh Island, an island just north of Sumatra, and communicates with the Malacca Strait.
South China Sea
Places here are China, Vietnam, Hainan, Malaysia, and the Philippines. China is involved in disputes with many countries here. Places in dispute are Paracel, Scarborough Shoal, and The Spratly Islands.
East China Sea
The East China Sea is a marginal sea of the Western Pacific Ocean, located directly offshore from East China.
Towards the east of this sea are the Japanese islands of Kyushu and the Ryukyu Islands, towards the south of it is the South China Sea and to the west by the Asian continent. The sea connects with the Sea of Japan through the Korea Strait and opens to the north into the Yellow Sea. The countries which border the sea include South Korea, Japan, the Republic of China (Taiwan) and the People’s Republic of China.
In recent times, tensions between China and Japan have risen over the contested Senkaku/Diaoyu islands that lies in this sea, and both nations have raised as incursions into the disputed waters. Both countries have increased their military capabilities, particularly their radar and missile systems, in the region.
Sea of Okhotsk
- The Sea of Okhotsk is a marginal sea of the western Pacific Ocean.
- It is located between Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula on the east, the Kuril Islands on the southeast, Japan’s island of Hokkaido on the south, the island of Sakhalin along the west, and a stretch of eastern Siberian coast along the west and north.
- Kuril Islands
- The Kuril Islands are stretched from the Japanese island of Hokkaido to the southern tip of Russia’s the Kamchatka Peninsula separating the Okhotsk Sea from the North Pacific ocean.
- It consists of 56 islands and minor rocks.
- The chain is part of the belt of geologic instability circling the Pacific and contains at least 100 volcanoes, of which 35 are still active, and many hot springs.
- Earthquakes and tidal waves are common phenomena over these islands.
Adriatic Sea
- The Adriatic Sea is a part of the Mediterranean Sea positioned between the eastern coastline of Italy, and countries of the Balkan Peninsula, from Slovenia, South through Croatia, Montenegro, and to Albania.
- The Adriatic Sea is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkan Peninsula.
- The countries with coasts on the Adriatic are Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Italy, Montenegro, and Slovenia.
