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40-766: It overlaps along its western margin with the East Asian - Australasian Flyway , and at its north eastern extremity with the Central Asian Flyway in the vicinity of Wrangel and Herald Islands . The West Pacific Flyway covers a large number of Pacific islands including the American Samoa , the Cook Islands , Fiji , French Polynesia , Guam , Hawaii , Kiribati , the Marshall Islands , Micronesia , Nauru , New Caledonia , Niue ,

80-804: A corner of Northeast Asia, border the "island nation" from the east, south, and west. Korea has named these the East Sea, South Sea, and West Sea (officially known as the Yellow Sea), respectively. Major islands of the sea include Anmado , Baengnyeongdo , Daebudo , Deokjeokdo , Gageodo , Ganghwado , Hauido , Heuksando , Hongdo , Jejudo , Jindo , Muuido , Sido , Silmido , Sindo , Wando , Yeongjongdo and Yeonpyeongdo (all in South Korea). The area has cold, dry winters with strong northernly monsoons blowing from late November to March. Average January temperatures are −10 °C (14 °F) in

120-470: A day. Their amplitude varies between about 0.9 and 3 meters (3.0 and 9.8 ft) at the coast of China. Tides are higher at the Korean Peninsula, typically ranging between 4 and 8 meters (13 and 26 ft) and reaching the maximum in spring. The tidal system rotates in a counterclockwise direction. The speed of the tidal current is generally less than 1.6 km/h (0.99 mph) in the middle of

160-564: A holistic review of current research, the demographics, habitat distribution, and survival rate of many endangered species remain ambiguous. Studies about these areas in the key habitats along the flyway may prove useful to conservation of migratory birds. Besides, the current Flyway Site Network mainly focuses on water birds, neglecting the protection of remained migratory birds. Scientists claim that organizations and laws focusing on protecting these birds may be needed. The birding community in Asia

200-512: A pipeline exploded at the north-east port of Dalian , causing a wide-scale fire and spreading about 1,500 tonnes of oil over the sea area of 430 km (170 sq mi). The port had been closed and fishing suspended until the end of August. Eight hundred fishing boats and 40 specialized vessels were mobilized to relieve the environmental damage. The Yellow Sea is considered among the most degraded marine areas on earth. Loss of natural coastal habitats due to land reclamation has resulted in

240-655: A warm cyclone current, forming part of the Kuroshio Current , which diverges near the western part of Japan and flows northward into the Yellow Sea at a speed of less than 0.8 km/h (0.50 mph). Southward currents prevail near the sea coast, especially in the winter monsoon period. The water temperature is close to freezing in the northern part in winter, so drift ice patches and continuous ice fields form and hinder navigation between November and March. The water temperature and salinity are homogeneous across

280-548: A year, at the beginning of May and in the middle of June. It had long been celebrated in a local festival called "Jindo Sea Parting Festival", but was largely unknown to the outside world until 1975, when the French ambassador Pierre Randi described the phenomenon in a French newspaper. The sea is rich in seaweed (predominantly kelp , Laminaria japonica ), cephalopods , crustaceans , shellfish , clams , and especially in blue-green algae which bloom in summer and contribute to

320-593: Is descriptive of the golden-yellow color of the silt -ridden water discharged from major rivers. The innermost bay of northwestern Yellow Sea is called the Bohai Sea (previously Gulf of Zhili / Beizhili ), into which flow some of the most important rivers of northern China , such as the Yellow River (through Shandong province and its capital Jinan ), the Hai River (through Beijing and Tianjin ) and

360-477: Is especially important for the millions of migratory waders or shorebirds that breed in northern Asia and Alaska and spend the non-breeding season in South-East Asia and Australasia . During migration, water birds rely on a system of highly productive wetlands to rest and feed, building up sufficient energy to fuel the next phase of their journey. International cooperation across their migratory range

400-463: Is increasing rapidly, especially in China, Thailand, Indonesia, and Philippines, due to a growing middle class. Despite language barriers, the e-bird system has successfully assisted birding communication across national boundaries, contributing to the development of EAAF. For example, the collective data from birders have contributed to many research projects, such as filling the gap of distribution of

440-415: Is only 44 m (144 ft) on average, with a maximum of 152 m (499 ft). The sea is a flooded section of continental shelf that formed after the last glacial period (some 10,000 years ago) as sea levels rose 120 m (390 ft) to their current levels. The depth gradually increases from north to south. The sea bottom and shores are dominated by sand and silt brought by the rivers through

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480-644: Is prominent due to large-scale logging, which affects the habitats of many songbirds that breed in forests. Several songbirds, such as the Streaked Reed Warbler and the Black-Throated Robin , have been listed as either vulnerable or endangered. Coastal marshes, freshwater, and flooded grasslands are important food sources for songbirds like the family of Locustellidae , but many of these natural habitats are either converted to agricultural land or threatened by drainage. In response to

520-589: Is rampant hunting in South-East Asia. Reasons for hunting vary, but pet trade and hunting for food in rural areas are the most common motives. As a result of the unregulated hunting, the Yellow-breasted Bunting , whose IUCN threat status was "Least Concern" 10 years ago, has now been listed as "Vulnerable". In parts of Cambodia and Thailand , migratory songbirds including swallows and Great Reed Warblers are caught for religious "mercy releases", resulting in thousands of deaths. According to

560-412: Is relatively low, at 30 ‰ in the north to 33–34‰ in the south, dropping to 26‰ or lower near the river deltas. In the southwest monsoon season (June to August) the increased rainfall and runoff further reduce the salinity of the upper sea layer. Water transparency increases from about 10 meters (33 ft) in the north up to 45 meters (148 ft) in the south. Tides are semidiurnal, i.e. rise twice

600-487: Is therefore essential to conserve and protect migratory water birds and the habitats on which they depend. East Asian-Australasian Flyway Partnership (EAAFP) identified 1060 sites as internationally important for migratory birds. These sites are called the Flyway Site Network. The sites are expected to collaborate with the local community to preserve the wetland by raising awareness regarding the importance of

640-585: The East China Sea by the boundary from the west end of Jeju Island to the Yangtze River estuary. The Yellow Sea, excluding the Bohai, extends by about 960 km (600 mi) from north to south and about 700 km (430 mi) from east to west; it has an area of approximately 380,000 km (150,000 sq mi) and a volume of about 17,000 km (4,100 cu mi). Its depth

680-882: The Liao River (through Liaoning province). The northeastern extension of the Yellow Sea is called the Korea Bay , into which flow the Yalu River , the Chongchon River and the Taedong River . The International Hydrographic Organization defines the limits of the Yellow Sea ("Hwang Hai") as follows: The Yellow Sea is separated from the Sea of Japan by the boundary from the southern end of Haenam Peninsula in Jeollanamdo to Jeju Island and divided into

720-723: The Northern Mariana Islands , Palau , the Pitcairn Islands , the Solomon Islands , Tokelau , Tonga , Tuvalu , Vanuatu , the Wallis and Futuna Islands and Western Samoa . This article about ornithology is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . East Asian - Australasian Flyway The East Asian–Australasian Flyway is one of the world's great flyways of migratory birds. At its northernmost it stretches eastwards from

760-913: The Rufous-Headed Robin in Cambodia. Yellow Sea The Yellow Sea , also known as the North Sea , is a marginal sea of the Western Pacific Ocean located between mainland China and the Korean Peninsula , and can be considered the northwestern part of the East China Sea . It is one of four seas named after color terms (the others being the Black Sea , the Red Sea and the White Sea ), and its name

800-547: The Taimyr Peninsula in Russia to Alaska . Its southern end encompasses Australia and New Zealand . Between these extremes the flyway covers much of eastern Asia, including China , Japan , Korea , South-East Asia and the western Pacific . The EAAF is home to over 50 million migratory water birds from over 250 different populations, including 32 globally threatened species and 19 near threatened species. It

840-514: The Bohai Sea ( Liao River , Yellow River , Hai He ) and the Korea Bay ( Yalu River ). These deposits, together with sand storms are responsible for the yellowish colour of the water referenced in the sea's name. The sea annually receives so much sand and silt from rivers such as the Yellow River , that it actually turns into a golden-yellow colour. The seas surrounding Korea, which occupy

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880-506: The Chinese, Korean and Japanese ships for centuries. Especially rich in fish are the bottom layers. About 200 fish species are exploited commercially, especially sea bream , croakers , lizard fishes , prawns , cutlassfish , horse mackerel , squid, eel , filefish , Pacific herring , chub mackerel , flounder and jellyfish. The intensity of fishing has been gradually increasing for China and Korea and decreasing for Japan. For example,

920-483: The Soviet Union with support from Japan have been major drivers of population decline. Species that reside in the area today include spotted seals , and cetaceans such as minke whales , killer whales , false killer whales , and finless porpoises , but nonetheless all the remnants of species listed could be in very small numbers. Historically, large whales were very abundant either for summering and wintering in

960-547: The Yellow Sea Large Marine Ecosystem. Declines of biodiversity, fisheries and ecosystem services in the Yellow Sea are widespread. The tidal flats of the Yellow Sea are considered endangered. On 1 November 2018, officials from South Korea's Ministry of National Defense confirmed that "peace zones" had been established by the North and South Korean militaries in the Yellow Sea area that touches

1000-536: The Yellow Sea are Incheon , Gunsan and Mokpo , and that for North Korea is Nampho , the outport of Pyongyang . The Bohai Train Ferry provides a shortcut between the Liaodong Peninsula and Shandong . A major naval accident occurred on 24 November 1999 at Yantai , Shandong , China when the 9,000-ton Chinese ferry Dashun caught fire and capsized in rough seas. About 300 people were killed, making it

1040-455: The Yellow Sea. The southern part of the Yellow Sea, including the entire west coast of Korea , contains a 10 km-wide (6.2 mi) belt of intertidal mudflats , which has the total area of 2,850 km (1,100 sq mi) and is maintained by 4–10 m (13–33 ft). Those flats consist of highly productive sediments with a rich benthic fauna and are of great importance for migratory waders and shorebirds. Surveys show that

1080-639: The Yellow and Bohai Seas. For example, a unique population of resident fin whales and gray whales were historically presented, or possibly hosted some North Pacific right whales and Humpback whales (3 whales including a cow calf pair was observed at Changhai County in 2015 ) year-round other than migrating individuals, and many other migratory species such as Baird's beaked whales . Even blue whales , Japanese sea lions , dugongs (in southern regions only), and leatherback turtles used to breed or migrate into Yellow and Bohai seas. Spotted seals are

1120-501: The area is the single most important site for migratory birds on northward migration in the entire East Asian – Australasian Flyway , with more than 35 species occurring in internationally significant numbers. Two million birds, at minimum, pass through at the time, and about half that number use it on southward migration. About 300,000 migrating birds were transiting annually only through the Saemangeum tidal flat area. This estuary

1160-498: The classification of this ecosystem as endangered . In addition to land reclamation , the Yellow Sea ecosystem is facing several other serious environmental problems. Pollution is widespread and deterioration of pelagic and benthic habitat quality has occurred, and harmful algal blooms frequently occur. Invasion of introduced species are having a detrimental effect on the Yellow Sea environment. There are 25 intentionally introduced species and 9 unintentionally introduced species in

1200-466: The damage of wetlands and forests, many countries have implemented new forestry policies. An example of this is China's Natural Forest Protection Plan, which is expected to increase forest cover in eastern and southern China. Land reclamation of the coastal mudlats of the Yellow Sea (with over 65% of mudflats lost) has led to major population declines in migratory waders. Another major threat

1240-475: The depth. The southern waters are warmer at 6–8 °C (43–46 °F). In spring and summer, the upper layer is warmed up by the sun and diluted by the fresh water from rivers, while the deeper water remains cold and saline. This deep water stagnates and slowly moves south. Commercial bottom-dwelling fishes are found around this mass of water, especially at its southern part. Summer temperatures range between 22 and 28 °C (72 and 82 °F). The average salinity

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1280-401: The destruction of more than 60% of tidal wetlands around the Yellow Sea coastline in approximately 50 years. Rapid coastal development for agriculture , aquaculture and industrial development are considered the primary drivers of coastal destruction in the region. This degree of loss of area, widespread pollution, algal blooms and declines of invertebrate and vertebrate fauna have resulted in

1320-428: The north and 3 °C (37 °F) in the south. Summers are wet and warm with frequent typhoons between June and October. Air temperatures range between 10 and 28 °C (50 and 82 °F). The average annual precipitation increases from about 500 mm (20 in) in the north to 1,000 mm (39 in) in the south. Fog is frequent along the coasts, especially in the upwelling cold-water areas. The sea has

1360-411: The only resident species of seal in the Yellow Sea. A sanctuary for these seals is situated at Baengnyeongdo , which is also known for its finless porpoises . Great white sharks have also been known to prey on seals in the area. The coasts of the Yellow Sea are very densely populated, at approximately 250 inhabitants per square kilometer (650/sq mi). The sea waters had been used for fishing by

1400-414: The production volumes for China rose from 619,000 tonnes in 1985 to 1,984,400 tonnes in 1996. All species are overfished, however, and while the total catchments are rising, the fish population is continuously declining for most species. Navigation is another traditional activity in the Yellow Sea. The main Chinese ports are Dalian , Tianjin , Qingdao and Qinhuangdao . The major South Korean ports on

1440-522: The sea, but may increase to more than 5.6 km/h (3.5 mph) near the coasts. The fastest tides reaching 20 km/h (12 mph) occur in the Myeongnyang Strait between Jindo Island and the Korean Peninsula. The tide-related sea level variations result in a land pass 2.9 km (1.8 mi) long and 10–40 meters (33–131 ft) wide opening for approximately an hour between Jindo and Modo islands. The event occurs about twice

1480-621: The site, carefully documenting the number of migratory bird populations, and strictly monitoring the vegetation condition within the site. An important site in Alaska is the small Lake Teshekpuk , which covers just 18 percent of the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska , but hosts more than 40 percent of all aquatic birds visiting the Alaska North Slope . The degradation of forests in South-East Asia

1520-416: The water color (see image above). For example, the seaweed production in the area was as high as 1.5 million tonnes in 1979 for China alone. The abundance of all these plant and animal species increases toward the south and indicates a high sea productivity, accounting for the diversity of fish species and high fish yield from the sea. Several species of goby new to science have been discovered recently in

1560-509: The worst maritime incident in China. Oil exploration has been successful in the Chinese and North Korean portions of the sea, with the proven and estimated reserves of about 9 and 20 billion tonnes, respectively. However, the study and exploration of the sea is somewhat hindered by insufficient sharing of information between the involved countries. China initiated collaborations with foreign oil companies in 1979, but this initiative declined later. A major oil spill occurred on 16 July 2010 when

1600-508: Was however dammed by South Korea in 1991–2006 that resulted in drying off the land. Land reclamation also took 65% of the intertidal area (of China, North Korea and South Korea) between the 1950s and 2002, and as of 2005 there were plans to reclaim a further 45%. Populations of oceanic megafauna , such as marine mammals , sea turtles , and larger fish, have decreased in modern times, not only due to pollution but also due to hunting. Japanese industrial whaling and illegal mass operations by

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