Laptev Sea

Part of the Arctic Ocean off the north coast of Russia between Taimyr Peninsula and Novosibirskiye Ostrova (New Siberian Island); area c. 700,000 sq km/300,000 sq mi; average depth 578 m/1,896 ft, with a maximum depth of 3,385 m/11,105 ft. The chief port is Tiksi.

Several rivers, including the Khatanga, Lena, and Yana flow into the Laptev Sea. For most of the year the sea is frozen over. The combination of thawing ice and heavy breakers causes severe erosion to the coast of islands and mainland, to the extent that two islands recorded in 1815 have since disappeared from the map.