The frigid waters of the Barents Sea teem with a treasure trove of natural resources. Rich stocks of cod, herring and capelin feast in the ocean’s chilly depths. Cold-water coral reefs, hotbeds of marine biodiversity, scatter the ocean’s floor, offering vast nurseries for the region’s 150 fish species. Auks, guillemots and Arctic gulls wheel and cry overhead, evidence of the internationally important seabird nesting colonies here.