The region has several types of sea turtle (loggerhead, green turtle, hawksbill, leatherback turtle, Atlantic ridley and olive ridley). Halophila baillonii has been found only in the Lesser Antilles.[26]. The dreaded Bermuda Triangle (the Devils Triangle) lies in this ocean. These plants provide food for the corals and give them their color. Within the boundaries of the Caribbean itself, Jamaica, to the south of Cuba, is the largest of a number of islands. Located between the islands of the Greater Antilles and the continent of South America on the Caribbean Seas eastern part is the Lesser Antilles. [13] Among them stands out the Belize Barrier Reef, with an area of 963km2 (372sqmi), which was declared a World Heritage Site in 1996. This Triangle has mysteriously led to the disappearance of many ships and airplanes. The sea is home to several islands, including Lakshadweep Islands, Astola Island, Socotra, and Masirah. The zone between 40 0 -60 0 latitudes in both the hemispheres records low salinity where it is 31 0 / 00 and 33 0 / 00 in the northern and the southern hemispheres respectively. The Nicaraguan Rise, a wide triangular ridge with a sill depth of about 4,000 feet (1,200 metres), extends from Honduras and Nicaragua to Hispaniola, bearing the island of Jamaica and separating the Cayman Basin from the Colombian Basin. Clay minerals likely having been deposited by the mainland river Orinoco and the Magdalena River. The Cayman Basin is in turn separated from the Colombian Basin by the Nicaraguan Rise. Such storms also have been a major cause of crop failure in the region. The expedition team also relied on these maps to determine where the ROV dives will take place. 1m. The geologic age of the Caribbean is not known with certainty. Seafloor Depth Data from: August 2008 National Geophysical Data Center, NOAA The depth of the ocean floor varies widely, from large shallow coastal areas full of sun and life to the darkness of. National Geophysical Data Center, 1999. The Sea is also home to numerous coral reefs, including the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef, which is the 2nd largest barrier reef in the world that runs for about 1,000km along the coasts of the countries of Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico. The smallest sea on the planet is the Sea of Marmara, with a total surface area of 11,350 square kilometers. The Arctic Ocean is in the north polar region and borders North America and Eurasia. Throughout history, the Arabian Sea served as an essential water body for numerous seaports and trade routes. The Caribbean Sea is the Atlantic Ocean's second-largest sea and the world's deepest sea, with a maximum depth of 7,686 m below sea level. The wind-driven surface water accumulates in the Yucatn Basin and the Gulf of Mexico, where it results in a higher average sea level than in the Atlantic, forming a hydrostatic head that is believed to constitute the main driving force of the Gulf Stream. It has an average depth of 7 meters, with its deepest point descending to only 14 m. Oceans and seas cover approximately 97% of Earths water. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. During the first century of European colonization, Spanish dominance in the region remained undisputed. With a total area of 106,460,000 sq. Terms & Conditions. Despite this, the Caribbean Sea is considered a relatively shallow sea in comparison to other bodies of water. Three phases of sedimentation have been identified. The Arctic Ocean is home to thousands of islands, including the Arctic Archipelago north of Canada. Another type shoal grass (Halodule wrightii) grows on sand and mud surfaces at depths of up to 5m (16ft). The Caribbean Sea is subdivided into five basins that are separated from each other by submerged ranges and ridges. This ocean is relatively calm and offers significant sea routes for transporting materials such as oil, rice, sugar, and silk. It has an average depth (with its seas) of 11,962 feet (3,646 metres) and a maximum depth of 27,493 feet (8,380 metres) in the Puerto Rico Trench, north of the island of Puerto Rico. The Caribbean sea floor is divided into five basins separated from each other by underwater ridges and mountain ranges. These sills are located below the Anegada Passage, which runs between the Virgin Islands and the Lesser Antilles, and the Windward Passage, which stretches between Cuba and Hispaniola. While some people believe the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean are the same, this is only partially true. According to Birdlife International in 2006 in Cuba 29 species of bird are in danger of extinction and two species officially extinct. The two largest islands, in both area and population, are Sicily and Sardinia . Global Land One-kilometer Base Elevation (GLOBE) v.1. Many of the expeditions anticipated 20 ROV dives will take place in the Puerto Rico Trench, which is nearly 500 miles long and nearly 5.4 miles at its deepest deeper than anywhere else in the Atlantic Ocean basin. The Caribbean Sea is nowhere near being the largest sea in the world, but it is still very deep! This puts its vulnerable ecosystem at risk, including people living nearby. expeditions have come across unknown species, recorded known animals exhibiting never-before-seen behaviors and sighted live animals previously only observed as lifeless specimens, Kennedy said. The Caribbean Sea is famous around the world as a tourist destination. Guide to the Oceans. Throughout the Caribbean there is industrial catching of lobster and sardines (off the coast of Yucatn Peninsula). km Average Depth: 8,970 ft., 2,734 m. Greatest Known Depth: Wheatley Point 15,262 ft., 4,652 m. The Arabian Sea sits in the northwest of the Indian Ocean, in a pocket below Pakistan and Oman and to the west of India. So far, scientists have discovered that the maximum depth of the Caribbean Sea is 25,217 feet. The average depth of the Atlantic is 3,646 m, with the deepest part being Milwaukee Deep, which descends to around 8,380 m. The Atlantic Ocean derives its name from Greek mythologys Sea of Atlas. Its roughly 135 million years old, having formed during the Cretaceous period. Despite the vast ice in the Arctic Ocean, you can find over 5,500 animal species adapted to the cold habitats. Piracy in the Caribbean was widespread during the early colonial era, especially between 1640 and 1680. It covers about 1/3 of the Earth. km, the Caribbean Sea is bordered by the countries of Colombia, Panama, and Venezuela in the south; by Belize, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula in the west; by the Greater Antilles islands in the north; and by the Lesser Antilles islands in the east. [11] The surface water (30m; 100ft) acts as an extension of the northern Atlantic as the Guiana Current and part of the North Equatorial Current enter the sea on the east. The Mediterranean is home to over 17,000 marine species, including 712 species of fish. coral caribbean photos. Deepest Point: Challenger Deep (36,070 feet). Contact the AZ Animals editorial team. The average water temperature is around 27C (80F) and varies as little as 3C (37F) throughout the year. There are 500 species of reptiles (94% of which are endemic). [1] [2] The sea's deepest point is the Cayman Trough, between the Cayman Islands and Jamaica, at 7,686 . We have a lot of devoted fans who follow our explorations closely, Leonardi said. Rainfall varies with elevation, size, and water currents (cool upwelling keep the ABC islands arid). The Cayman Basin, to the south, is partially separated from the Yucatn Basin by Cayman Ridge, an incomplete fingerlike ridge that extends from the southern part of Cuba toward Guatemala, rising above the surface at one point to form the Cayman Islands. Tourism based upon scuba diving and snorkeling on coral reefs of many Caribbean islands makes a major contribution to their economies.[34]. From its summit to the sea surface over 2100 m. The straits have a depth of more than one and a half kilometers. On continental slopes and ridges calcareous silts are found. To the south it is bounded by the coasts of Venezuela, Colombia, and Panama; to the west by Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala, Belize, and the Yucatn Peninsula of Mexico; to the north by the Greater Antilles islands of Cuba, Hispaniola, Jamaica, and Puerto Rico; and to the east by the north-south chain of the Lesser Antilles, consisting of the island arc that extends from the Virgin Islands in the northeast to Trinidad, off the Venezuelan coast, in the southeast. (2004). The highly indented Caribbean coastline features many bays and gulfs including the Gulf of Venezuela, Gulf of Honduras, Gulf of Darin, Gulf of Paria, etc. The existing sediment cover of the seabed consists of red clay in the deep basins and trenches, globigerina ooze (a calcareous marine deposit) on the rises, and pteropod ooze on the ridges and continental slopes. Official websites use .gov area volume average depth. Antigua Yacht Club Marina depth; can accomodate yachts with draft in excess of 25ft. Underwater earthquakes pose a threat of generating tsunamis which could have a devastating effect on the Caribbean islands. 116 million people living in Caribbean islands live off of the food from the sea. As the planets 4th largest ocean, the Southern Ocean has an average depth of 3,270 m. Its deepest point is the Factorian Deep which stretches to 7,434 m below sea level. Corrections? Bodies of water all over North America are drying up due to drought. Its average depth is 1,038 m, with Molloy Deep (its deepest point) descending to about 5,550 m. The Arctic Ocean formed during the Cretaceous Period, about 145-65 million years ago. Islands are inhabited by some endemic species such as rock iguanas and American crocodile. Treaty on maritime boundaries between the United States of America and the United Mexican States (Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean), . [16] A Protocol of the Convention for the Protection and Development of the Marine Environment of the Wider Caribbean Region came in effect in 1986 to protect the various endangered marine life of the Caribbean through forbidding human activities that would advance the continued destruction of such marine life in various areas. According to the National Ocean Service, the oldest rock in this ocean dates back about 200 million years. NOAA Technical Memorandum NESDIS NGDC-24. URL accessed on 28/07/2007. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); The American Oceans Campaign is dedicated primarily to the restoration, protection, and preservation of the health and vitality of coastal waters, estuaries, bays, wetlands, and oceans. The Cayman Trough, located between Jamaica and the Cayman Islands, is the sea's deepest point. Public can watch seafloor discoveries live online from April 10 to 30, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. There's a pesky problem in a wide stretch of the Atlantic Ocean that's likely to wash up on some beaches later this year: Seaweed. Former Professor of Oceanography, Florida State University, Tallahassee, 196776. You can find many types of corals in the Caribbean Sea, like the great star coral, mustard hill coral, and massive starlet coral. Pernetta, John. depth: 3,750 to 4,384 metres (12,303 to 14,383 ft) . As many as 40 scientists ashore are expected to participate remotely in the expedition. Interestingly, the deepest point in the Atlantic Ocean is close to the Cayman Trough. Other floral species that are found in the Caribbean region include mahogany, caimito, coconut palms, and mangroves. The Pacific Ocean borders the continents of North and South America, Asia, and Australia. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. The average depth is about 2,200 meters (7,220 feet) below the sea's surface. Atlantic deep water is thought to spill into the Caribbean and contribute to the general deep water of its sea. When I am not writing, you can find me in front of my TV with a blanket, snacks, and my fur babies. they had been visited in the 10th century, List of Caribbean countries by population, "Tsunamis in the Caribbean? Caribbean. On the western side of the sea, the trade winds influence a northerly current which causes an upwelling and a rich fishery near Yucatn.[12]. How Deep Can We Go? The region has a high level of biodiversity and many species are endemic to the Caribbean. Please select which sections you would like to print: Alternate titles: Antillean-Caribbean Sea. Live video from a 2013 expedition to deep-sea canyons off the northeast Atlantic coast of the U.S. garnered more than 875,000 views, he said. The nation with the most Caribbean islands is the Bahamas, with approximately 700 islands. The preferred oceanographic term for the Caribbean is the Antillean-Caribbean Sea, which, together with the Gulf of Mexico, forms the Central American Sea. Many James Bond adventures were set there. Join us onFacebook,Twitter, Instagramand our othersocial media channels. Surface. It is bounded by Mexico and Central America to the west and southwest, to the north by the Greater Antilles starting with Cuba, to the east by the Lesser Antilles, and to the south by the northern coast of South America. Ocean is home to over 9,000 species, most are near extinction. Thank you for reading! The Caribbean has fewer hurricanes than either the western Pacific (where these storms are called typhoons) or the Gulf of Mexico. Panel Chairman in Marine Biology, Gulf University Research Corporation. In the early Paleogene due to marine regression the Caribbean became separated from the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean by the land of Cuba and Haiti. It is a unique sea with lots of wildlife, over 7,000 islands, and thousands of miles of coral reefs. Because of these characteristics, the area was identified by members of the ocean science community as important to explore, and data from the expedition will likely have long-lasting implications for scientists and resource managers in the Caribbean. Over the past 50years, the Caribbean has gone through three stages: cooling until 1974, a cold phase with peaks during 19741976 and 19841986, and finally a warming phase with an increase in temperature of 0.6C (1.1F) per year. ADDITIONAL FACTS. The Caribbean coastline has many gulfs and bays: the Gulf of Gonve, Gulf of Venezuela, Gulf of Darin, Golfo de los Mosquitos, Gulf of Paria and Gulf of Honduras. The Yucatan Basin is partially separated from the Cayman Basin by the Cayman Ridge, which rises above to form the Cayman Islands. The name Coral came from the numerous coral reefs, including the worlds largest known as the Great Barrier Reef. In the Caribbean, 600 species of birds have been recorded, of which 163 are endemic such as todies, Fernandina's flicker and palmchat. The caimito (Chrysophyllum cainito) grows throughout the Caribbean. The vegetation of the region is mostly tropical but differences in topography, soil and climatic conditions increase species diversity. [18], In connection with the foregoing, the Institute of Marine Sciences and Limnology of the National Autonomous University of Mexico, conducted a regional study, funded by the Department of Technical Cooperation of the International Atomic Energy Agency, in which specialists from 11 Latin American countries (Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Dominican Republic, Venezuela) plus Jamaica participated. Turtle grass (Thalassia testudinum) is common in the Caribbean as is manatee grass (Syringodium filiforme) which can grow together as well as in fields of single species at depths up to 20m (66ft). 4. In the early Carboniferous movement of Gondwana to the north and its convergence with the Euramerica basin decreased in size. Surface currents, bearing both high- and low-salinity water depending on the source, enter the Caribbean mainly through the channels and passages of the southern Antilles. A lock ( The result of the death and dispersal of these tiny plants is called coral bleaching, and can lead to the devastation of large areas of reef. The Arctic Ocean basin is the worlds smallest, shallowest, and coldest ocean, making up 4.3% of global water. In the early Jurassic due to powerful marine transgression, water broke into the present area of the Gulf of Mexico creating a vast shallow pool. Its average depth is 4,280 m, with the deepest point being Challenger Deep, which descends to 10,994 meters (36,070 feet). The Windward Islands comprising of Trinidad and Tobago, Dominica, Grenada, Saint Lucia, Barbados, Martinique, and Saint Vincent and Grenadines. During dives that are expected to go as deep as 3.7 miles, a sophisticated unmanned submarine, called a remotely operated vehicle, or ROV, will broadcast live video from the seafloor, allowing anyone with Internet access to watch the expedition as it unfolds. The principal ocean current is the North Equatorial Current, which enters the region from the tropical Atlantic. For each season (three month averages January - March, April - June, July - September, and October - December) there are six depths available: surface, 100m, 500m, 1,000m, 2,000m, and 5,000m. The Caribbean is the setting for countless literary efforts often related to piracy acts and swashbuckling. Did you discover a fact in this list about the largest oceans and seas that surprised you? New York: Random House. Okeanos Explorer, which is operated, managed and maintained by NOAAs Office of Marine and Aviation Operations, has just spent about four weeks mapping more than 13,600 square miles of seafloor around the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. Solenodons and hutias are mammals found only in the Caribbean; only one extant species is not endangered. Since 2005 unusually warm Caribbean waters have been increasingly threatening Caribbean coral reefs. The NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer is the only federally funded US ship assigned to systematically explore our largely unknown ocean for the purpose of discovery and the advancement of knowledge. The Caribbean Sea is separated from the ocean by several island arcs of various ages. Dunbar. Just by a few thousand feet, the Atlantic Ocean is deeper than the Caribbean Sea. 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