The following article is from The Great Soviet Encyclopedia (1979). It might be outdated or ideologically biased.

Semienclosed Sea

a sea that is partially bounded by continents and cut off from the ocean or an adjacent sea either by islands or by a chain of islands linked by shoals that limit the sea’s water exchange with adjacent bodies of water. Currents in semienclosed seas form an independent system of circulation. Temperature, salinity, and other hydrological and hydrochemi-cal characteristics have their own regimes, which are, nonetheless, more or less influenced by the adjacent body of water. Examples of semienclosed seas include the Coral Sea, the South China Sea, the Sea of Okhotsk, the Bering Sea, and the Caribbean.

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References in periodicals archive

An enclosed sea, such as the Baltic or the Adriatic, lies wholly within the continental shelf and is surrounded by a landmass except for a strait connecting it to an ocean or another enclosed or semienclosed sea. Because of their restricted communication with the open ocean, enclosed seas have small tidal ranges or are tideless.

In an enclosed or semienclosed sea, the distances separating various points on the opposing shores are fairly short.

This is especially the case in enclosed and semienclosed seas, such as the Persian (Arabian) Gulf.

On littoral warfare

Here, this model was tested on a semienclosed sea using observational data for reproductive activity and environmental variables.

Reproduction of the cortes geoduck Panopea globosa (bivalvia: hiatellidae) and its relationship with temperature and ocean productivity

For a blue water navy, general sea control is hardly possible without establishing not only control on the open ocean but also direct or indirect control of several critical passages of vital importance to the world's maritime trade, or by obtaining control of a given enclosed or semienclosed sea theater.

This objective is especially critical for naval forces operating in an enclosed or semienclosed sea. It is intended to obtain a sufficient degree of security for traffic in coastal waters and road/railroad traffic on the coast.

On naval power

The South China Sea is a semienclosed sea at the intersection between East Asia and the Indian Ocean region.

Strategic features of the South China Sea: a tough neighborhood for Hegemons

In the white paper, the group defines South China Sea as the "entire semienclosed sea bordered by China, the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia and Vietnam."

Expert group offers nat'l policy on West PH Sea

In a typical enclosed or semienclosed sea, such an operational objective could be accomplished by massive strikes by surface combatants, submarines, and land-based aircraft.

A more likely scenario is a conflict between the navies of riparian states in an enclosed or semienclosed sea, or between a blue-water navy and a coastal navy operating in the littorals.

Today, a large-scale amphibious landing in an enclosed or semienclosed sea would be difficult to execute if the defender effectively used land-based aircraft, submarines, and combat craft in combination.

On major naval operations

Carpio said China violated Article 123 of the Unclos regarding cooperation on enclosed and semienclosed seas.

Gov't urged to ask UN to stop island-building