Despite the vast ice in the Arctic Ocean, you can find over 5,500 animal species adapted to the cold habitats. The Colombian Basin is partly separated from the Venezuelan Basin by the Beata Ridge. This puts its vulnerable ecosystem at risk, including people living nearby. The Antilles along with Central America lie in the flight path of migrating birds from North America so the size of populations is subject to seasonal fluctuations. The vegetation of the region is mostly tropical but differences in topography, soil and climatic conditions increase species diversity. Have a question? In shallow water flora and fauna is concentrated around coral reefs where there is little variation in water temperature, purity and salinity. Off the northeastern coast of South America, this current splits into the Caribbean Current, which passes into the Caribbean Sea and through the . 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. Continued destruction of the reefs could severely damage the region's economy. The Yucatan Basin is partially separated from the Cayman Basin by the Cayman Ridge, which rises above to form the Cayman Islands. Of all the five oceans, the Pacific is the largest. Following the discovery of the islands by Columbus, the area was quickly colonised by several Western 830 324. In neither hydrology nor climate, however, does the Caribbean resemble the Mediterranean. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. The Indian Ocean basin makes up about 19.8% of the planets water and falls in the third position after the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. [13] Among them stands out the Belize Barrier Reef, with an area of 963km2 (372sqmi), which was declared a World Heritage Site in 1996. The most-recent estimate of the average ocean depth of 3,682 meters (12,080 feet) was calculated in 2010 by scientists from NOAA and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution using satellite measurements. The basins are connected by the submerged Aruba Gap at depths greater than 13,000 feet (4,000 metres). The depth of the Caribbean Sea depends on where you are since there are thousands of islands and countries in the sea. Moll's map covers all of the West Indies . Caribbean. Ocean is home to over 9,000 species, most are near extinction. 200 3, 330 10, 920. Two years later, they revisited the research and found a new shrimp species. Throughout the Caribbean there is industrial catching of lobster and sardines (off the coast of Yucatn Peninsula). The very deepest depth of the ocean is roughly 2,000 meters deeper than Mount Everest is tall36,070 feet deep (10,994 m)! The major ocean current greatly influences the areas climate is the North Equatorial Current, which enters the Caribbean Sea region from the tropical Atlantic Ocean. The Pacific Ocean has numerous shipping routes that connect the bordering continents, oceans, and seas. The shallow sill depths of the Antillean arc block the entry of Antarctic bottom water, so that the bottom temperature of the Caribbean Sea is close to 39 F (4 C), as compared with the Atlantic bottom temperature of less than 36 F (2 C). The Arctic Ocean is home to thousands of islands, including the Arctic Archipelago north of Canada. That makes this point one of the lowest points on the surface of the Earth, and the Caribbean Sea is the deepest sea (excluding oceans) in the world. The Caribbeans greatest known depth is Cayman Trench (Bartlett Deep) between Cuba and Jamaica, approximately 25,216 feet (7,686 metres) below sea level. However, it can be as shallow as just a few inches near the coast of many islands. The Pacific Ocean basin covers approximately 1/3 of the Earths surface, making up about 46% of the water surface globally. The most common deep Caribbean Sea animals are comb jellies, deep-sea dragonfish, and rattail fish. The deep basins and trenches in the Caribbean Sea bed are covered by deep red clay sediments, whereas the ridges and the continental slopes are covered by calcareous silts. Ferdinand Magellan, a Portuguese explorer, named this massive water body Pacific in 1520, meaning peaceful.. The Caribbean Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean in the tropics of the Western Hemisphere. Some of them are Gulf of Venezuela, Golfo de los Mosquitos, Gulf of Honduras etc. But how deep is the Caribbean Sea, and what mysterious creatures lurk there? The nations that surround the Caribbean Sea are also prone to tropical cyclones and the Caribbean hurricane season lasts from June to November, with most of the hurricanes occurring between August and September. When tropical waters become unusually warm for extended periods of time, microscopic plants called zooxanthellae, which are symbiotic partners living within the coral polyp tissues, die off. There are more than 7000 islands in the Caribbean, and they belong to over 28 distinct nations. Such storms also have been a major cause of crop failure in the region. Another type shoal grass (Halodule wrightii) grows on sand and mud surfaces at depths of up to 5m (16ft). Since 2005 unusually warm Caribbean waters have been increasingly threatening Caribbean coral reefs. 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. [14] Historically the Caribbean is thought to contain 14% of the world's coral reefs. The Arabian Sea is part of the northern Indian Ocean and sits between the Arabian Peninsula, India, the Gulf of Oman, Pakistan, and Iran. The name Caribbean derives from the Caribs, one of the regions dominant Native American groups at the time of European contact during the late 15th century. This sea has a rich history of exploration, especially by Christopher Columbus. 460 41. The surface water colour is blue-green to green. Deposits on the bottom of the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico have a thickness of about 1km (0.62mi). km, the Atlantic Ocean contains several notable marginal seas. Currently this protocol has been ratified by 15 countries. American Oceans, Stingray vs Manta Ray: Their Differences Explained. 100 354. Its home to over 1,769 species, including whales, sharks, sardines, tuna, sea turtles, and wahoo. The sea vents in the Cayman Trough reach up to 400 Celsius (752 Fahrenheit). I have been a professional content writer for 6 years now, with a large focus on nature, gardening, food, and animals. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Deepest Point: Milwaukee Deep (27,493 feet). Guide to the Oceans. The entire area of the Caribbean Sea, the numerous islands of the West Indies, and adjacent coasts are collectively known as the Caribbean. Sea surface temperature is defined as the average temperature of the top few millimeters of the ocean. Rainfall varies with elevation, size, and water currents (cool upwelling keep the ABC islands arid). The 15 Deepest Lakes in the United States, Meet the 10 Largest Land Owners in Montana. The geologic age of the Caribbean is not known with certainty. The Caribbean Beaches are without a doubt among the best in the world. The Caribbean Sea is famous around the world as a tourist destination. The Caribbean Sea is home to about 9% of the worlds coral reefs covering about 50,000 square kilometers (19,000 square miles), most of which are located off the Caribbean Islands and the Central American coast. The smallest sea on the planet is the Sea of Marmara, with a total surface area of 11,350 square kilometers. 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. The Caribbean Tourism Organization calculates that about 12million people a year visit the area, including (in 19911992) about 8million cruise ship tourists. More than 170 species of amphibians are found in the Caribbean including poison dart frogs, tree frogs, etc. Continents and islands cover the remaining 29%. [30] The Golden coqui is in serious threat of extinction. (1991). More than 90 mammalian species are found in the Caribbean including dolphins, humpback whales, sperm whales, manatees, Solenodons, hutias, etc. Surface. The Caribbean Sea is an oceanic sea largely situated on the Caribbean Plate. Contact us today. But the facet of Okeanos Explorer expeditions that the public typically gets most excited about, Leonardi said, is its live-streamed ROV explorations. The average depth of this ocean is 3,741 m, deeper than the Atlantic Ocean. The maps show the seafloor in detail, making them useful for biologists, geologists, oceanographers and geophysicists. The green iguana is invasive to Grand Cayman. Clay minerals likely having been deposited by the mainland river Orinoco and the Magdalena River. A .gov 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. (2004). Director, Florida Institute of Oceanography, St. Petersburg. 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. 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. Approximately 1,000 fishes have been recorded in the Caribbean Sea including flying fish, angelfish, manta ray, Caribbean reef shark, silky shark, bull shark, tiger shark, butterflyfish, Atlantic Goliath grouper, moray eels, lobsters, sardines, parrotfish, etc. In the early Carboniferous movement of Gondwana to the north and its convergence with the Euramerica basin decreased in size. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. The larger islands in the northern part of the sea Cuba, Hispaniola, Jamaica and Puerto Rico lie on an older island arc. The Caribbean region has seen a significant increase in human activity since the colonization period. Oceans are divided into three zones based on depth and light level. The islands which make up the Greater Antilles include Hispaniola Island (shared by Haiti and the Dominican Republic), Jamaica, Cuba, Cayman Island, and Puerto Rico. 10m. Subsurface water enters the Caribbean Sea across two sills. It borders several countries in East Africa, Asia, and western Australia. It is fed by the westward-flowing North Equatorial Current moving from North Africa to the West Indies. [10] Most recently, a 7.1 earthquake struck Haiti on January 12, 2010. 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. Because the ocean is a big place and difficult to study, if you search online to find the depth of the ocean, you may end up with a range of results. Over 42% of corals are completely bleached, and 95% are experiencing some type of whitening. According to Birdlife International in 2006 in Cuba 29 species of bird are in danger of extinction and two species officially extinct. 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. Pollution (in the form of up to 300,000 tonnes of solid garbage dumped into the Caribbean Sea each year) is progressively endangering marine ecosystems, wiping out species, and harming the livelihoods of the local people, which is primarily reliant on tourism and fishing. 600 77. The sea is one of the largest oil production areas in the world, producing approximately 170million tons[clarification needed] per year. But how deep is the Caribbean Sea, and what mysterious creatures lurk there? In the Caribbean Sea, piracy was very rampant during the 1500s and 1600s. During the first and second phases the basin was free of deformation. In the deep Caribbean Sea are multiple animals with limited vision and glow-in-the-dark scales. Deepest Point: Wheatley Deep (19,028 feet). The Caribbean is the setting for countless literary efforts often related to piracy acts and swashbuckling. (Image credit: NOAA) Download Image 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 climate of the Caribbean generally is tropical, but there are great local variations, depending on mountain elevation, water currents, and the trade winds. 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 monk seal which lived in the Caribbean is considered extinct. During the dives, Okeanos Explorers two-body ROV system will continuously capture high-definition video, which the ship will transmit to the Office of Ocean Exploration and Researchs website, www.oceanexplorer.noaa.gov, where anyone can follow along in near-real time. This ocean is relatively calm and offers significant sea routes for transporting materials such as oil, rice, sugar, and silk. The South China Sea sits between South China, Indochinese Peninsula, the Philippines, and several islands. Islands are inhabited by some endemic species such as rock iguanas and American crocodile. It runs 1,000km (620mi) along the coasts of Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, and Honduras.[3]. Bodies of water all over North America are drying up due to drought. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. The Caribbean is home to about 9% of the world's coral reefs, covering about 50,000km2 (19,000sqmi), most of which are located off the Caribbean Islands and the Central American coast. [9] It is assumed the proto-caribbean basin existed in the Devonian period. It lies between Western and Eastern Europe, Anatolia, North Africa, and the Levant. [33], Human activity in the area also accounts for a significant amount of pollution. These waters are then forced by the trade winds through the narrow Yucatn Channel into the Gulf of Mexico. [15], The habitats supported by the reefs are critical to such tourist activities as fishing and diving, and provide an annual economic value to Caribbean nations of US$3.14.6billion. It's Possible", Status of coral reefs in the Caribbean and Atlantic Ocean, Protocol Concerning Specially Protected Areas and Wildlife to the Convention for the Protection and Development of the Marine Environment of the Wider Caribbean Region (SPAW), Analysis of Contaminants in the Caribbean Sea over the last 150 years, "Pollution in the Mediterranean | UNEPMAP", "Over 200,000 tonnes of plastic leaking into the Mediterranean each year IUCN report", "Marine Pollution Threatens the Caribbean Sea", "NASA NASA Satellites Record a Month for the Hurricane History Books", "Caribbean Sea Turtles Close to Extinction", Historic Caribbean Sea Turtle Population falls 99%. [27] In the Caribbean Sea there are around 1,000 documented species of fish, including sharks (bull shark, tiger shark, silky shark and Caribbean reef shark), flying fish, giant oceanic manta ray, angel fish, spotfin butterflyfish, parrotfish, Atlantic Goliath grouper, tarpon and moray eels. 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