Chapter Twenty-Two Nuclear Transport along the Northern Route and Nuclear Waste Dumping in the Barents and Kara Seas

Abstract

This Chapter focuses on the Barents and Kara Seas and examines both nuclear transport and nuclear dumping and the possible implications of these activities for biodiversity in the region. In the Barents Sea and possibly the Kara Sea, the U.S. and Russia and perhaps other States operate their submarines as they did during the Cold War, albeit at a reduced level of activity as part of their strategic doctrines. There are two nuclear test sites on Novaya Zemlya between the Barents and the Kara Seas; one at Chernaya Bay on the southern island and one by the Matochkin Strait dividing the northern and southern islands. The Barents Sea eco-region's shallow structure, inflow of warm Atlantic water and nutrient-rich upwelling supports large concentrations of plankton, rich benthic communities, large concentrations of migratory seabirds, some of the world's largest fish stocks and a diverse community of sea mammals. Keywords: Barents Sea; Chernaya Bay; Cold War; Kara Seas; Matochkin Strait; Novaya Zemlya; nuclear dumping; nuclear transport; sea mammals; warm Atlantic water