The
Barents Sea is part of the
Arctic Ocean located north of
Norway and
Russia. The ports of
Murmansk and
Vardø remain ice-free year round due to the warm
North Atlantic drift. Islands on the sea include
Novaya Zemlya and
Svalbard. It is named after the Dutch navigator
Willem Barents.
Nuclear contamination from dumped Russian naval
reactors is an important
environmental concern.