The sea is named after the Russian explorers Dmitry Laptev and Khariton Laptev. The sea has a severe climate with temperatures below 0 °C (32 °F) over more than 9 months per year. There is low water salinity. There are few flora, fauna and humans. Most of the seas is less than 50 meters deep. It is frozen most of the time, though generally clear in August and September.