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IHB Regions

The identification of cruise locations is based on the IHB Regions as defined in “Limits of Oceans and Seas,” Special Publication No. 23 of the International Hydrographic Bureau, third edition, Monaco, 1953. To define the extensive areas of the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans more specifically, the following subdivisions have been added:

23 - North Atlantic Ocean

  • 23a - Northeast Atlantic
  • 23b - Northwest Atlantic

32 - South Atlantic Ocean

  • 32a - Southeast Atlantic
  • 32b - Southwest Atlantic

57 - North Pacific Ocean

  • 57a - Northwest Pacific
  • 57b - Northeast Pacific

45 - Indian Ocean

  • 45a - Northwest Indian
  • 45b - Northeast Indian
  • 45c - Southwest Indian
  • 45d - Southeast Indian

61 - South Pacific Ocean

  • 61a - Southwest Pacific
  • 61b - Southeast Pacific

SO - Southern Ocean

  • South of latitude 50° South

IHB Regions Modified for WDC for Oceanography, Silver Spring

  • 1. Baltic Sea
  • 1a. Gulf of Bothnia
  • 1b. Gulf of Finland
  • 1c. Gulf of Riga
  • 2. Kattegat, Sound and Belts
  • 3. Skagerrak
  • 4. North Sea
  • 5. Greenland Sea
  • 6. Norwegian Sea
  • 7. Barents Sea
  • 8. White Sea
  • 9. Kara Sea
  • 10. Laptev Sea
  • 11. East Siberia Sea
  • 12. Chukchi Sea
  • 13. Beaufort Sea
  • 14. Northwestern Passages
  • 14A. Baffin Bay
  • 15. Davis Strait
  • 15A. Labrador Sea
  • 16. Hudson Bay
  • 16A. Hudson Strait
  • 17. Arctic Ocean
  • 17A. Lincoln Sea
  • 18. Inland Sea off West Coast of Scotland
  • 19. Irish Sea and St. George's Channel
  • 20. Bristol Channel
  • 21. English Channel
  • 22. Bay of Biscay
  • 23. North Atlantic
  • 23a. NE Atlantic Ocean
  • 23b. NW Atlantic Ocean
  • 24. Gulf of St Lawrence
  • 25. Bay of Fundy
  • 26. Gulf of Mexico
  • 27. Caribbean Sea
  • 28. Mediterranean Sea
  • 28A. Med. Sea - Western Basin
  • 28Aa. Strait of Gibraltar
  • 28Ab. Alboran Sea
  • 28Ac. Belearic (Iberian) Sea
  • 28Ad. Ligurian Sea
  • 28Ae. Tyrrhenian Sea
  • 28B. Med. Sea - Eastern Basin
  • 28Bf. Ionian Sea
  • 28Bg. Adriatic Sea
  • 28Bh. Agean Sea
  • 29. Sea of Marmara
  • 30. Black Sea
  • 31. Sea of Azov
  • 32. South Atlantic Ocean
  • 32a. SE Atlantic
  • 32b. SW Atlantic
  • 33. Rio de la Plata
  • 34. Gulf of Guinea
  • 35. Gulf of Suez
  • 36. Gulf of Agaba
  • 37. Red Sea
  • 38. Gulf of Aden
  • 39. Arabian Sea
  • 40. Gulf of Oman
  • 41. Gulf of Iran ( Persian Gulf )
  • 42. Laccadive Sea
  • 43. Bay of Bengal
  • 44. Andaman or Burma Sea
  • 45. Indian Ocean
  • 45A. Mozambique Channel
  • 45a. NW Indian Ocean
  • 45b. NE Indian Ocean
  • 45c. SW Indian Ocean
  • 45d. SE Indian Ocean
  • 46. Malacca & Singapore Straits
  • 46a. Strait of Malacca
  • 46b. Strait of Singapore
  • 47. Gulf of Thailand ( Siam )
  • 48. East Indian Archipelago
  • 48a. Sulu Sea
  • 48b. Celebes Sea
  • 48c. Molucca Sea
  • 48d. Gulf of Tomini
  • 48e. Halmahra Sea
  • 48f. Ceram Sea
  • 48g. Banda Sea
  • 48h. Arafura Sea
  • 48i. Timor Sea
  • 48j. Flores Sea
  • 48k. Gulf of Boni
  • 48l. Bali Sea
  • 48m. Macassar Sea
  • 48n. Java Sea
  • 48o. Savu Sea
  • 49. South China Sea
  • 50. East China Sea
  • 51. Yellow Sea
  • 52. Sea of Japan
  • 53. Inland Sea
  • 54. Sea of Okhotsk
  • 55. Bering Sea
  • 56. Philippine Sea
  • 57. North Pacific Ocean
  • 57a. NW Pacific Ocean
  • 57b. NE Pacific Ocean
  • 58. Gulf of Alaska
  • 59. Coastal Waters of SE Alaska and British Columbia
  • 60. Gulf of California
  • 61. South Pacific Ocean
  • 61a. SW Pacific Ocean
  • 61b. SE Pacific Ocean
  • 62. Great Australian Bight
  • 62A. Bass Strait
  • 63. Tasman Sea
  • 64. Coral Sea
  • 65. Solomon Sea
  • 66. Bismark Sea
  • SO. Southern Ocean (South of 50°S)