GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS OF FAR EASTERN SEAS 745 



Table 302. Number of colony nesters, in thousands of individuals, in the Far Eastern 

 Seas (S. Uspensky, 1959) 



(i) Most of the Sea of Japan, the Sea of Okhotsk and the Bering Sea belong 

 to the boreal Pacific sub-region of the boreal region ; (ii) In the north the boreal 

 sub-region lies next the Arctic region, and the boundary between them should 

 be established; (iii) To the south it borders the tropical region, and this 

 demarcation line should also be drawn; (iv) Is there reason to distinguish 

 sub-Arctic and subtropical regions or should they be included in a mixed 

 transition zone and, finally, (v) What biogeographical divisions should be 

 established for the boreal Pacific sub-region (provinces, regions, etc.)? 



As yet there is no generally accepted scheme for the biogeographical zona- 

 tion of surface areas of the northwestern part of the Pacific Ocean.* 



The separation of the southern and southeastern parts of the Sea of Japan 

 into a subtropical sub-region, or more correctly a South Japanese province 

 of the Indo-West-Pacific sub-region of the tropical region, is generally 

 accepted. Ushakov calls it the Tsushima province. The problem of the 

 boundary between the Arctic and boreal facies in the northern parts of the 

 Bering Sea is the most obscure. The whole southeastern part of the Chukotsk 

 Sea is sometimes included in the boreal region (K. Brodsky, 1955). The 

 northern boundary of the boreal region is at times drawn through the Bering 

 Strait (P. Ushakov, 1953). Most investigators, however, include the northern 

 part of the Bering Sea, to the north of St Lawrence Island, and the greater part 



Table 303 



Total annual consumption (thousands 

 Sea of tons) 



* Zoogeographical zonation of the abyssal is given above. 



