part of the Arctic Ocean between the New Siberian Islands (west) and Wrangel Island (east). To the west it is connected to the Laptev Sea by the Dmitrya Lapteva, Eterikan, and Sannikov straits; to the east Long Strait connects it with the Chukchi Sea. The East Siberian Sea, with an area of 361,000 square miles (936,000 square km), is covered by ice much of the year. Its greatest depth is 510 feet (155 m), but it is as shallow as 30 to 65 feet (9 to 20 m) in the western and central parts. There are several island groups. Chief ports are Pevek, in the Chukchi autonomous okrug (district), and Ambarchik, in Sakha (Yakutia) republic; navigation is limited to August and September.