cultures (initially Spain, then later England, the Dutch Republic, France, Courland and Denmark). The pressure of the South American Plate to the east of the Caribbean causes the region of the Lesser Antilles to have high volcanic activity. The Atlantic Ocean is important to the world's weather (as are all oceans) because strong Atlantic hurricanes often develop off the coast of Cape Verde, Africa and move toward the Caribbean Sea . There are many bays and gulfs along the sea's coastline. Oceans are divided into three zones based on depth and light level. 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. Since 2005 unusually warm Caribbean waters have been increasingly threatening Caribbean coral reefs. Tourism is also a big industry of the areas around the Caribbean Sea. Mean sea surface temperature between 2016 and 2021 for the Caribbean region . It is fed by the westward-flowing North Equatorial Current moving from North Africa to the West Indies. The Pan American Health Organization estimated in 1993 that only about 10% of the sewage from the Central American and Caribbean Island countries is properly treated before being released into the sea. [32], The Caribbean region supports a large tourism industry. The average water temperature is around 27C (80F) and varies as little as 3C (37F) throughout the year. The blue iguana, endemic to the island of Grand Cayman, is endangered. A .gov Buffalo, NY: Firefly Books, Inc. p. 178. The Caribbean sea floor is also home to two oceanic trenches: the Cayman Trench and Puerto Rico Trench, which put the area at a high risk of earthquakes. 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. It is also well known as the location of the Pirates of the Caribbean films. The area is so deep; that the temperatures reach near freezing levels. Throughout history, the Arabian Sea served as an essential water body for numerous seaports and trade routes. Many James Bond adventures were set there. Panel Chairman in Marine Biology, Gulf University Research Corporation. When I am not writing, you can find me in front of my TV with a blanket, snacks, and my fur babies. Within the boundaries of the Caribbean itself, Jamaica, to the south of Cuba, is the largest of a number of islands. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). 600 77. The Mediterranean sea covers 0.7% of the planets ocean surface, making it one of the largest seas globally. In shallow waters, sand or coral . The Caribbean Sea mostly occupies the Caribbean Plate and features many island arcs which separate it from the ocean. Forces producing the Panamanian isthmus and the Antillean arc were vertical, resulting in no ultimate horizontal movement. [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 Mediterranean Sea has an average depth of 1,500 m (4,900 ft) and the deepest recorded point is 5,109 m (16,762 ft) 1 m (3 ft) in the Calypso Deep in the Ionian Sea. Have a comment on this page? Of the water passing through the Yucatn Channel each second, only about one-fourth represents the deeper Subantarctic intermediate water. Have some feedback for us? During the first century of European colonization, Spanish dominance in the region remained undisputed. The Caribbean has fewer hurricanes than either the western Pacific (where these storms are called typhoons) or the Gulf of Mexico. Annual variations in monthly average water temperatures at the surface do not exceed 3C (5.4F). The Caribbean Sea is subdivided into five basins that are separated from each other by submerged ranges and ridges. The younger Cenozoic beds (formed during the last 65 million years) are generally horizontal, having been laid down after the deformations occurred. Sea of the Atlantic Ocean bounded by North, Central and South America. 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. 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. Terms & Conditions. 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. 440 31. Elder, Danny and Pernetta, John. The Coral Sea is located southwest of the Pacific Ocean and is surrounded by Australia, New Guinea, New Caledonia, Solomon Islands, and New Hebrides. But, he added, scientists do know a few things about the area: They know that it is tectonically active, with some seismic hazards such as earthquakes and tsunamis. During this mission, they discovered extremely hot black smokers at the deepest point yet (3.1 miles). The sea vents in the Cayman Trough reach up to 400 Celsius (752 Fahrenheit). However, it can be as shallow as just a few inches near the coast of many islands. Its average depth is 1,212 m, and the deepest point in the China Sea Basin descends to around 5,016 m. Below the South China Sea is the submerged continental shelf near the Philippine islands. The region is mostly dominated by tropical vegetation and comprises more than 13,000 plant species of which 6,500 plant species are endemic to the region. In the deep Caribbean Sea are multiple animals with limited vision and glow-in-the-dark scales. Tourist attractions of the region are those generally associated with a maritime tropical climate: Scuba diving and snorkeling on coral reefs, cruises, sailing, and game fishing at sea. This is the deep sea. The Caribbean Sea is the Atlantic Oceans 2nd largest marginal sea that is geographically positioned between the continents of North and South America in the Western Hemisphere. Did you discover a fact in this list about the largest oceans and seas that surprised you? The ocean borders various countries in America, Europe, and Africa. A lock ( 700 85. 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. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. Coral reefs support some of the most diverse marine habitats in the world, but they are fragile ecosystems. The shelf gives way at its edge to a slope, which is broken by submarine valleys and is steep in its upper parts. It runs 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) along the coasts of Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, and Honduras. The Coral sea is home to the Coral Sea Islands and supports over 7,000 species. area volume average depth. It is broadest in the west and at the head of Kerch Strait but elsewhere forms a rim about 6 to 7 miles (10 to 11 km) wide, and the depth of the edge is usually less than 360 feet (110 metres). During the Cretaceous the Caribbean acquired the shape close to that seen today. WATCH: Sharks biting alligators, the most epic lion battles, and MUCH more. The preferred oceanographic term for the Caribbean is the Antillean-Caribbean Sea, which, together with the Gulf of Mexico, forms the Central American Sea. 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. The Yucatan Basin is partially separated from the Cayman Basin by the Cayman Ridge, which rises above to form the Cayman Islands. From its summit to the sea surface over 2100 m. The straits have a depth of more than one and a half kilometers. National Geophysical Data Center, 1999. The dreaded Bermuda Triangle (the Devils Triangle) lies in this ocean. mi, 3,862,000 sq. Cuba, with an area of 109,884 square kilometers (42,426 square miles), is the largest island in the On average around nine tropical storms form each year, with five reaching hurricane strength. Tropical cyclones that impact the Caribbean often develop off the West coast of Africa and make their way west across the Atlantic Ocean toward the Caribbean, while other storms develop in the Caribbean itself. The Arctic Ocean is in the north polar region and borders North America and Eurasia. The Yucatn Channel between Mexico and Cuba links the Gulf of Mexico with the Caribbean. (2004). The Windward Islands comprising of Trinidad and Tobago, Dominica, Grenada, Saint Lucia, Barbados, Martinique, and Saint Vincent and Grenadines. Interestingly, the deepest point in the Atlantic Ocean is close to the Cayman Trough. Professor of Biology, University of South Florida, Tampa. The larger islands in the northern part of the sea Cuba, Hispaniola, Jamaica and Puerto Rico lie on an older island arc. The Caribbean monk seal which lived in the Caribbean is considered extinct. Herman Molls' 1732 Map of the Caribbean. ADDITIONAL FACTS. Of the endemic species 48 are threatened with extinction including the Puerto Rican amazon, and the Zapata wren. https://www.britannica.com/place/Caribbean-Sea, Florida Museum - Indigenous communities used the Caribbean Sea as an aquatic highway, Caribbean Sea - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11), Caribbean Sea - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up), A 5,000-mile seaweed belt is headed toward Florida. Caribbean Sea 4 - Caribbean Sea (Average Depth: 8,685 ft) Wiki: The Caribbean Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean in the tropics of the Western Hemisphere. Lake Enriquillo, located in the Dominican Republic is the largest lake in the entire Caribbean region. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continents of Asia and Oceania in the west and the Americas in the east.. At 165,250,000 square kilometers (63,800,000 square miles) in area (as defined with a . The average salinity of 35 0 / 00 is recorded between 10 0 -30 0 latitudes in the southern hemisphere. The Caribbean Sea is also considered to be home to a large fishing industry. 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. The emergence of these basins marked the beginning of the Atlantic Ocean and contributed to the destruction of Pangaea at the end of the late Jurassic. As part of the Central American Sea, it is presumed to have been connected with the Mediterranean during Paleozoic times (i.e., about 541 to 252 million years ago) and then gradually to have separated from it as the Atlantic Ocean was formed. 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. Islands are inhabited by some endemic species such as rock iguanas and American crocodile. The average depth of the Caribbean Sea is approximately 7,220 feet. Situated in the southwestern part of the Gulf, the Sigsbee Deep (Mexico Basin) is the deepest region in the Gulf of Mexico that has an estimated depth of over 4,384m. Coral reefs fringe most of the islands. The basins are connected by the submerged Aruba Gap at depths greater than 13,000 feet (4,000 metres). Which is the largest, how deep are they, and how critical are they to the planets sustainability? In shallow water flora and fauna is concentrated around coral reefs where there is little variation in water temperature, purity and salinity. The geologic age of the Caribbean is not known with certainty. The islands of Curaao and Aruba experience arid climates. The surface water colour is blue-green to green. Covering an area of about 2,754,000 sq. The Caribbean Sea region, including islands and adjacent coasts, is known as the Caribbean. This sea has an average depth of 2,200 m, with the deepest point in Cayman Trough descending to 7,686 m. The formation of the Caribbean Sea dates back around 160 and 180 million years. The depth of the Caribbean Sea depends on where you are since there are thousands of islands and countries in the sea. This dataset provides a look at how ocean temperature changes each season through the depths of the ocean. Let us know. (1991). 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. Its natural beauty makes it a popular tourist destination. While the Caribbean Sea may sound never-ending, there is a maximum depth. [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. Climate change, pollution, fishing, and hunting have affected the fragile ecosystem of the Antarctic Ocean. Deepest Point: Wheatley Deep (19,028 feet). Scientific data reveals that over the last 500 years the area has seen a dozen earthquakes above 7.5 magnitude. 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. Clay minerals likely having been deposited by the mainland river Orinoco and the Magdalena River. The Atlantic Ocean basin is the 2nd biggest ocean in the world, covering about 20% of the Earths surface. The island has a total area of 193 km 2 (75 sq mi) and a coast line of 68.5 km (42.6 mi). Below are answers to questions you might ask about the worlds largest Seas and Oceans. The Caribbean Sea had been unknown to the populations of Eurasia until 1492, when Christopher Columbus sailed into Caribbean waters on a quest to find a sea route to Asia. Iturralde-Vinent, Manuel (2004), The first inhabitants of the Caribbean, Cuban Science Network . 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. Subantarctic intermediate water (i.e., water differing in several characteristics from the surface and bottom layers of water that it separates) enters the Caribbean below the Anegada Passage at depths of 1,600 to 3,300 feet (500 to 1,000 metres). Christopher Columbus was the first European to enter the Caribbean Sea and land on the Island of Bahamas in 1492. Halophila baillonii has been found only in the Lesser Antilles.[26]. Underwater earthquakes pose a threat of generating tsunamis which could have a devastating effect on the Caribbean islands. It offers a suitable habitat for over 9,000 species, including dugongs, whales, sea snakes, sharks, and turtles. Within the sea, you can find large mammals like dolphins, humpback whales, and. The habitats of almost all members of the toad family, poison dart frogs, treefrogs. How big is the ocean? However, a devastating tsunami in 2004 led to the loss of over 200,000 deaths and the massive destruction of property. 4. le grand bleu docked there on numerous occasions) the main dock is 380ft. It is estimated that 13,000 species of plants grow in the Caribbean of which 6,500 are endemic. The Caribbean Sea is also massive, with an area of 1,063,000 square miles. In brackish water of harbours and estuaries at depths less than 2.5m (8ft 2in) widgeongrass (Ruppia maritima) grows. 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 Mexicos Yucatan Peninsula in the west; by the Greater Antilles islands in the north; and by the Lesser Antilles islands in the east. [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. The Caribbean is the setting for countless literary efforts often related to piracy acts and swashbuckling. [19], After the Mediterranean, the Caribbean Sea is the second most polluted sea. 100 354. It is not easy to find information about the bottom of the Caribbean Sea, which is why in 2010, a UK group of researchers from the National Oceanography Centre in Southampton (NOCS) used a robot to map out the trench. Connections were established with the Pacific Ocean during the Cretaceous Period (from about 145 to 66 million years ago) but were broken when the land bridges that permitted mammals to cross between North and South America were formed in the Miocene and Pliocene epochs (about 23 to 2.6 million years ago). At that time the Americas in general were unknown to most Europeans, although they had been visited in the 10th century by the Vikings. In the Caribbean, 600 species of birds have been recorded, of which 163 are endemic such as todies, Fernandina's flicker and palmchat. Due to climate change, this ocean has been getting warmer about four times faster than other parts of the world. The Caribbean Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean in the tropics of the Western Hemisphere. Did you know that an explorer once traveled to the bottom of the Puerto Rico Trench in a private mission? The Arabian Sea has an average depth of 2,734 m, with its deepest point in Wheatley Deep descending to about 5,800 m. The formation of this sea took place roughly 50 million years ago. Clay minerals appear to have been washed down by the Amazon and Orinoco rivers, as well as by the Magdalena River in Colombia. North Atlantic deep water enters the Caribbean beneath the Windward Passage and is characterized by its rich oxygen content and by a salinity of slightly less than 35 parts per thousand. Ferdinand Magellan, a Portuguese explorer, named this massive water body Pacific in 1520, meaning peaceful.. Dunbar. Other areas to be explored include the Muertos Trough, Mona Channel and Virgin Islands Trough. There was a very serious eruption of Mount Pele in 1902 which caused many casualties. Warm, moist trade winds blow consistently from the east, creating both rainforest and semi-arid climates across the region. They are also fairly certain the area contains deepwater snapper populations, deepwater corals and geological features such as seamounts and mud volcanoes. The sea is home to several islands, including Lakshadweep Islands, Astola Island, Socotra, and Masirah. 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. Arid climates are found along the extreme southern coast of Venezuela out to the islands including Aruba and Curaao, as well as the northern tip of Yucatn[25]. The deep-sea bottom of the Caribbean Sea is calcareous or slightly manganese silt. The Leeward Antilles comprising of the three Dutch Islands of Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaao. they had been visited in the 10th century, List of Caribbean countries by population, "Tsunamis in the Caribbean? Rainfall varies with elevation, size, and water currents (cool upwelling keep the ABC islands arid). The Caribbean Sea has the world's second largest barrier reef, the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef. 200 3, 330 10, 920. Plunge has significant ecological consequences, Conservation International Caribbean Islands, An Overview of Land Based Sources of Marine Pollution, Reefs at Risk in the Caribbean: Economic Valuation Methodology, Guide to Marine Life: Caribbean-Bahamas-Florida, Defying Ocean's End: An Agenda For Action, Center For Advanced Study on Puerto Rico and the Caribbean, Caribbean Basin Trade and Partnership Act, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Caribbean_Sea&oldid=1148478553, Short description is different from Wikidata, Wikipedia indefinitely move-protected pages, Articles using infobox body of water without alt, Articles using infobox body of water without pushpin map alt, Articles using infobox body of water without alt bathymetry, Articles containing Spanish-language text, Articles containing Haitian Creole-language text, Articles containing Jamaican Patois-language text, Articles containing Papiamento-language text, Articles containing potentially dated statements from 2015, All articles containing potentially dated statements, Wikipedia articles needing clarification from June 2017, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 6 April 2023, at 12:01. Antigua Yacht Club Marina depth; can accomodate yachts with draft in excess of 25ft. Solenodons and hutias are mammals found only in the Caribbean; only one extant species is not endangered. The age and size of an ocean influence its depth. Some species are threatened with extinction. Rainfall varies from about 10 inches (25 cm) per year on the island of Bonaire off the coast of Venezuela to some 350 inches (900 cm) annually in parts of Dominica. Public can watch seafloor discoveries live online from April 10 to 30, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Fear Cay, the eleventh Doc Savage adventure by Lester Dent. From the 16th century, Europeans visiting the Caribbean region distinguished the "South Sea" (the Pacific Ocean south of the isthmus of Panama) from the "North Sea" (the Caribbean Sea north of the same isthmus).[4]. 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 nation with the most Caribbean islands is the Bahamas, with approximately 700 islands. As of 2015[update] the area is home to 22 island territories and borders 12 continental countries. The Pacific is the deepest basin of the global ocean. I graduated from college with an A.A, but I am still pursuing a Bachelors of Marketing degree. The Pacific Ocean is the oldest of all existing oceans. 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. long, while the secondary piers are 338, 335, and 244ft long. 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. Another type shoal grass (Halodule wrightii) grows on sand and mud surfaces at depths of up to 5m (16ft). The name Caribbean has been derived from Caribs, a Native American group of indigenous people that lived in the region during the late 15th century. coral caribbean photos. While the Southern. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. 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. So far, at least 12,046 species have been reported in this sea. Covering an area of about 2,754,000 sq. Today, large coastal populations, pollution, and intense fishing are the primary concerns in this sea. Surface water temperatures in the Pacific vary from 1.4 C in the poleward areas to about 30 C near the equator. 000, 000 sq km 000, 000 sq mi 000, 000 cu km 000, 000 cu mi m ft. Atlantic Ocean. The islands are further divided into three distinct island groups: the Greater Antilles, the Lesser Antilles, and the Bahamas Archipelago. [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. This graphic shows several ocean floor features on a scale from 0-35,000 feet below sea level. 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%. As many as 40 scientists ashore are expected to participate remotely in the expedition. This ocean is relatively calm and offers significant sea routes for transporting materials such as oil, rice, sugar, and silk. There are more than 7000 islands in the Caribbean, and they belong to over 28 distinct nations. It is estimated that 13 thousand species of plants grow in the Caribbean of which 6.5 thousand are endemic. The rhinoceros iguana from the island of Hispaniola which is shared between Haiti and the Dominican Republic is also endangered. 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 Caribbean monk seal which lived in the Caribbean is considered extinct. It has an average depth of 2200 meters with a deepest point of 7500 meters below the surface. The salinity of the seawater is about 3.6%, and its density is 1,023.51,024.0kg/m3 (63.9063.93lb/cuft). Closer to the shore and shallow waters, you can find dolphins, whales, sharks, and other fish species. The Arabian Sea is part of the northern Indian Ocean and sits between the Arabian Peninsula, India, the Gulf of Oman, Pakistan, and Iran. Deepest Point: Milwaukee Deep (27,493 feet). without marginal seas 82. 116 million people living in Caribbean islands live off of the food from the sea. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.. Beginning April 10, scientists aboard NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer will begin a series of 20 dives to investigate previously unseen depths of the Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean and the public can follow along online. Have a question? The Aves Ridge, incomplete at its southern extremity, separates the Venezuelan Basin from the small Grenada Basin, which is bounded to the east by the Antillean arc of islands. The average depth is about 4,280 m. The volume of the Pacific Ocean reaches up to some 714 million cubic kilometers. The sea is one of the largest oil production areas in the world, producing approximately 170million tons[clarification needed] per year. 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Caribbean region the loss of over 200,000 deaths and the Bahamas Archipelago sq km,. The Muertos Trough, Mona Channel and Virgin islands Trough seas and oceans submerged... Temperature, purity and salinity runs 1,000 kilometers ( 620 miles ) toad family, poison dart frogs,.... Sea is also considered to be explored include the Muertos Trough, Mona Channel and Virgin islands Trough diverse habitats! It is estimated that 13 thousand species of plants grow in the Caribbean islands to Celsius... Are 338, 335, and Curaao making it one of the Caribbean sea Republic, France Courland! Rico lie on an older island arc and silk are expected to participate remotely in the Caribbean ; one... The Panamanian isthmus and the massive destruction of property and Africa the Mesoamerican barrier reef on and! / 00 is recorded between 10 0 -30 0 latitudes in the areas. The amazon and Orinoco rivers, as well as by the Cayman Trough moist trade blow...