Russian Arctic islands Russian Arctic islands The Russian Arctic islands are a number of islands groups and sole islands scattered around the Arctic Ocean. The islands are all situated within the Arctic Circle and are scattered through the marginal seas of the Arctic Ocean, namely, the Barents Sea, Kara Sea, Laptev Sea, East Siberian Sea, Chukchi Sea and Bering Sea. The area extends some from Karelia in the west to the Chukchi Peninsula in the east. The largest of the Arctic islands is Severny Island, with an area of about . It is Russia's second largest island next to Sakhalin Island, and the
Global Ocean Commission the co-Chairs stated that the Commission is "inspired by the opportunity that exists for the high seas to play a regenerative role in restoring whole ocean health, and by the potential of a small number of bold proposals to stimulate a cycle of recovery." The high seas constitute 45% of the Earth’s surface and are essential to the health of the planet. Five key "drivers of ocean decline" were identified by the Commission: rising demand for resources; technological advances; decline of fish stocks; climate change (including ocean acidification), biodiversity and habitat loss; weak high seas governance. The mandate of the