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The Beaufort Sea is a marginal sea—a body of water connected to a larger ocean—located in the Arctic Ocean. It matters because it is an important part of the Arctic region, which is significant for global climate, marine life, and geopolitics.
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The Beaufort Sea (/ˈboʊfərt/ BOH-fərt; French: Mer de Beaufort) is a marginal sea of the Arctic Ocean, located north of the Northwest Territories, Yukon, and Alaska, and west of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. The sea is named after Sir Francis Beaufort, a hydrographer. The Mackenzie River, the longest in Canada, empties into the Canadian part of the Beaufort Sea west of Tuktoyaktuk, which is one of the few permanent settlements on the sea's shores.
The sea, characterized by a severe climate, is frozen over most of the year. Historically, only a narrow pass up to 100 km (62 mi) opened in August–September near its shores, but recently due to climate change in the Arctic the ice-free area in late summer has greatly enlarged. Until recently, the Beaufort Sea was known as an important reservoir for the replenishment of Arctic sea ice. Sea ice would often rotate for several years in the Beaufort Gyre, the dominant ocean current of the Beaufort Sea, growing into sturdy and thick multi-year ice.
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Arctic Watershed of North AmericaBeaufort SeaBodies of water of AlaskaBodies of water of North Slope Borough, AlaskaBodies of water of the Northwest TerritoriesBodies of water of YukonCanada–United States border disputesDisputed watersGeography of the Inuvialuit Settlement RegionSeas of CanadaSeas of North AmericaSeas of the Arctic Ocean