It is characterized by severe climate, low water salinity, and a scarcity of flora, fauna and human population, as well as shallow depths (mostly less than 50 m), slow sea currents, low tides (below 25 cm), frequent fogs, especially in summer, and an abundance of ice fields which fully melt only in August–September.

The sea shores were inhabited for thousands of years[citation needed] by indigenous tribes of Yukaghirs, Chukchi and then Evens and Evenks, which were engaged in fishing, hunting and reindeer husbandry.

Major industrial activities in the area are mining and navigation within the Northern Sea Route; commercial fishing is poorly developed.

[9] The International Hydrographic Organization defines the limits of the East Siberian Sea as follows:[10] On the West.

[12] Among the rivers flowing into the East Siberian Sea, the Indigirka, Alazeya, Chukochya, Kolyma, Rauchua, Chaun, and Pegtymel are the most important.

[11] It makes large bends, sometimes stretching deep into the land, and has a rather different topography in the eastern and western parts.

The coastal section between the New Siberian Islands and the mouth of the Kolyma River is uniform, with low and slowly varying slopes.

[2][4] The underwater topography of the shelf that forms the seabed is a plain, sloping from southwest to northeast, covered in a mixture of silt, sand and stones and lacking significant depressions and elevations.

South-westerly and southerly winds having the speeds of 6–7 m/s (15 mph, 25 km/h) bring cold air from Siberia, so the average temperature in January is approximately −30 °C.

Atlantic cyclones increase the wind speed and air temperature whereas Pacific ones bring clouds, storms and blizzards.

Northerly winds result in the low average temperatures of 0–1 °C in the open sea and 2–3 °C on the coast in July.

Most runoff (90%) occurs in summer; it is concentrated near the coast, owing to the weak river currents, and therefore does not significantly affect the sea hydrology.

Winds bring storms with waves reaching 3–5 m in the western part whereas the eastern regions are relatively calm.

[2][19] The coast of the East Siberian Sea was inhabited for ages by the native peoples of northern Siberia such as Yukaghirs and Chukchi (eastern areas).

All those tribes moved north from the Baikal Lake area avoiding confrontations with Mongols.

[20][21][22][23] The sea was navigated by Russian sea-farers, moving from one river mouth to another in their kochs as early as the 17th century.

While stationed at Ambarchik, prisoners were employed to build most of the port infrastructure and to unload the incoming ships.

Later, due to shallow waters, the shipping was gradually transferred to Chersky in the lower reaches of the Kolyma, in order to accommodate larger vessels.

[24] Another two labour camps of the Gulag system were later opened near Pevek, namely Chaunlag (1951–1953) and Chaunchukotlag (1949–1957).

[25][26] The southern coast of the sea is shared by the Sakha Republic on the west and Chukotka Autonomous Okrug of Russia on the east.

The navigation is hindered even in summer by the remaining floating ice which is also brought down to the southern shores by occasional winds.

[13] Fishery and hunting of marine animals is still practised as traditional activities, but has only local importance.

[12] The principal port is Pevek (in the Chaunskaya Bay)[29] After the breakup of the Soviet Union, commercial navigation in the Arctic went into decline.