The 'Greenland Sea' is an area of the
Arctic Ocean, considered a part of the
Norwegian Sea, between
Greenland,
Svalbard,
Jan Mayen and
Iceland, spanning some 465,000 square miles (1,205,000 square km).
It is the arm of the Arctic Ocean and the main outlet of the Arctic Ocean to the
Atlantic. Because of drifting arctic ice, the northern part is rarely open to navigation.
Average depth of the Greenland Sea is close to 4,750 feet (1,450 m). The deepest recorded point has been found in the northeasternmost part at 5600 m (
Molloy Deep).
The Greenland Sea is densely inhabited by lower life forms from the base of the food chain. Large
invertebrates,
fish (such as
cod,
herring,
redfish,
halibut, and
plaice), birds and
mammals (including
seals,
whales, and
dolphins) all feed on the smaller invertebrates and small
organisms.