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Which Arctic marginal seas occupy much of the ocean's surface area but contain little of its water volume?
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The Arctic Ocean is distinguished by a high ratio of shallow marginal seas to deep basins. In the Eurasian sector, the continental shelf is exceptionally broad, divided by islands and peninsulas into five primary marginal seas: the Chukchi, East Siberian, Laptev, Kara, and Barents seas.1
These five marginal seas are notable for their vast surface area, occupying 36 percent of the total area of the Arctic Ocean, while containing only 2 percent of its total water volume.1