The name Coral came from the numerous coral reefs, including the worlds largest known as the Great Barrier Reef. 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. 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. Caribbean. During the first century of European colonization, Spanish dominance in the region remained undisputed. But the facet of Okeanos Explorer expeditions that the public typically gets most excited about, Leonardi said, is its live-streamed ROV explorations. Technically, the Caribbean Sea is a suboceanic basin of the Atlantic Ocean. 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]. Click the numbers to find out more. 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 maps show the seafloor in detail, making them useful for biologists, geologists, oceanographers and geophysicists. Average depth: 8,685 feet (2,647 m) Ocean: Atlantic Ocean The Caribbean Sea averages eight hurricanes per year, with most happening in September; the season extends from June to November. 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. 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 entire area of the Caribbean Sea, the numerous islands of the West Indies, and adjacent coasts are collectively known as the Caribbean. Contact the AZ Animals editorial team. The coral reef in Caribbean Sea is threatened due to the increased temperature of the sea because of global warming effect. Updates? Since 2005 unusually warm Caribbean waters have been increasingly threatening Caribbean coral reefs. The ancient sediments overlying the seafloor of the Caribbean, as well as of the Gulf of Mexico, are about a half mile (about one kilometre) in thickness, with the upper strata representing sediments from the Mesozoic and Cenozoic eras (from about 252 million years ago to the present) and the lower strata presumably representing sediments of the Paleozoic and Mesozoic eras (from about 541 to 66 million years ago). The habitats supported by the reefs are critical to such tourist activities as fishing and diving, and Oceans are divided into three zones based on depth and light level. 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. Interesting facts about the American black bear, Interesting facts about Peter Paul Rubens. Some of the major rivers that drain into the Caribbean Sea include Magdalene, San Juan, Chagres, Coco, etc. 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. Public can watch seafloor discoveries live online from April 10 to 30, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Global Land One-kilometer Base Elevation (GLOBE) v.1. The Caribbean Sea is separated from the ocean by several island arcs of various ages. Corrections? It lies between Western and Eastern Europe, Anatolia, North Africa, and the Levant. [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 remainder is the surface water that passed over the Antillean arc at depths of less than 2,600 feet (800 metres). I have been a professional content writer for 6 years now, with a large focus on nature, gardening, food, and animals. As part of the expedition, Kennedy and the two lead scientists aboard the ship will be leading a Reddit Ask Us Anything, or AUA, session on April 16, from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm EDT. Previous Okeanos Explorer 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.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. The Pacific Ocean has numerous shipping routes that connect the bordering continents, oceans, and seas. The yearly average is about eight such storms. km, the Atlantic Ocean contains several notable marginal seas. Victor Vescovo used his private submersible, the Limiting Factor, to reach the bottom of the trench safely. 600 77. This article explores ten of the worlds largest oceans and seas, including the Pacific Ocean, Mediterranean Sea, Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, and Indian Ocean. 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. They are also fairly certain the area contains deepwater snapper populations, deepwater corals and geological features such as seamounts and mud volcanoes. From there it divides to fill the Yucatn, Cayman, and Colombian basins at depths near 6,500 feet (2,000 metres). The emergence of deep basins in the Caribbean occurred during the Middle Jurassic rifting. Deepest Point: Factorian Deep (24389 feet). For example, guaiac wood (Guaiacum officinale), the flower of which is the national flower of Jamaica and the Bayahibe rose (Pereskia quisqueyana) which is the national flower of the Dominican Republic and the ceiba which is the national tree of both Puerto Rico and Guatemala. The blue iguana, endemic to the island of Grand Cayman, is endangered. Iturralde-Vinent, Manuel (2004), The first inhabitants of the Caribbean, Cuban Science Network . Have some feedback for us? (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. mi, 3,862,000 sq. Most hurricanes form in the eastern Atlantic near the Cape Verde Islands and follow the path of the trade winds into the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico, although the exact path of any hurricane is unpredictable. The Lesser Antilles are further divided into three major island groups: the Leeward Islands comprising of Anguilla, British Virgin Islands, Guadeloupe, US Virgin Islands, Antigua and Barbuda, Saint Martins, Saint Kitts, and Nevis, Saint Barthelemy, and Montserrat. The Cayman Trough, also known as the Bartlett Deep, is an interesting point in the sea because it sits on multiple tectonic plates, including the North American Plate and the Caribbean Plate. Keep reading to find out! ( the 377ft. Thank you for reading! The ocean borders various countries in America, Europe, and Africa. The Caribbean Sea is also considered to be home to a large fishing industry. On the western side is the Gulf of Aden, which connects this sea to the Red Sea. The International Hydrographic Organization defines the limits of the Caribbean Sea as follows:[5], Note that, although Barbados is an island on the same continental shelf, it is considered to be in the Atlantic Ocean rather than the Caribbean Sea.[6]. The Puerto Rico Trench, located just north of Puerto Rico, is the deepest point in the Atlantic Ocean. The Bahamas (Lucayan) Archipelago includes the island of the Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands. The islands of Curaao and Aruba experience arid climates. 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. they had been visited in the 10th century, List of Caribbean countries by population, "Tsunamis in the Caribbean? The South China Sea has over 200 islands, some of which stay submerged. 100 354. These submarine basins are the Colombian Basin, Cayman Basin, Grenada Basin, Venezuela Basin, and Yucatan Basin. 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). It covers about 1/3 of the Earth. In the tropical waters of the Caribbean Sea the average temperature is 27C (81F) and it varies no more than 3C. The Caribbean Sea is also massive, with an area of 1,063,000 square miles. 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. [20] Non-governmental organizations, universities, public institutions, civil society organizations, and the corporate sector are all eligible for financing. 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. 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. It is estimated that 13,000 species of plants grow in the Caribbean of which 6,500 are endemic. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Scientific data reveals that over the last 500 years the area has seen a dozen earthquakes above 7.5 magnitude. The region has several types of sea turtle (loggerhead, green turtle, hawksbill, leatherback turtle, Atlantic ridley and olive ridley). The Caribbean Sea is famous around the world as a tourist destination. One memorable work of pulp fiction has in its title a geographic feature unique in its way to the islands: Guide to the Oceans. The average depth of the Caribbean Sea is approximately 7,220 feet below the seas surface. Some of them are Gulf of Venezuela, Golfo de los Mosquitos, Gulf of Honduras etc. The Mediterranean sea covers 0.7% of the planets ocean surface, making it one of the largest seas globally. 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. Many James Bond adventures were set there. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). The basins are connected by the submerged Aruba Gap at depths greater than 13,000 feet (4,000 metres). 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. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Located in the northern part of the Caribbean Sea is the Greater Antilles Island group. URL accessed on 28/07/2007. The sea is home to several islands, including Lakshadweep Islands, Astola Island, Socotra, and Masirah. The Caribbean monk seal which lived in the Caribbean is considered extinct. Here is the list of All Caribbean Charts marine charts and fishing maps available on iBoating : Caribbean Marine & Fishing App.Marine charts app now supports multiple plaforms including Android, iPhone/iPad, MacBook, and Windows/PC based chartplotter.The Marine Navigation App provides advanced features of a Marine Chartplotter including adjusting water level offset and custom depth shading. The Caribbean hurricane season as a whole lasts from June through November, with the majority of hurricanes occurring during August and September. You can find many types of corals in the Caribbean Sea, like the great star coral, mustard hill coral, and massive starlet coral. The Yucatn Channel between Mexico and Cuba links the Gulf of Mexico with the Caribbean. Several islands dot the Mediterranean Sea, some of which formed through volcanic eruptions. 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. The Mona ground iguana which inhabits the island of Mona, Puerto Rico, is endangered. The average depth of the ocean measures about 12,100 feet (3600 meters) or about 2.3 miles down! Forces producing the Panamanian isthmus and the Antillean arc were vertical, resulting in no ultimate horizontal movement. Caribbean, followed by Hispaniola and Jamaica. The Caribbeans greatest known depth is Cayman Trench (Bartlett Deep) between Cuba and Jamaica, approximately 25,216 feet (7,686 metres) below sea level. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. 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. Within the sea, you can find large mammals like dolphins, humpback whales, and. Parrots and bananaquits are found in forests. The preferred oceanographic term for the Caribbean is the Antillean-Caribbean Sea, which, together with the Gulf of Mexico, forms the Central American Sea. 21st Century. Area: 1,491,000 sq. The climate of the Caribbean generally is tropical, but there are great local variations, depending on mountain elevation, water currents, and the trade winds. [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. The area is so deep; that the temperatures reach near freezing levels. long, while the secondary piers are 338, 335, and 244ft long. Elder, Danny and Pernetta, John. The Gulf of Mexico is somewhat shallow, along the coastal continental shelf areas, and has an average depth of 1,615m. 1m. However, a devastating tsunami in 2004 led to the loss of over 200,000 deaths and the massive destruction of property. As many as 40 scientists ashore are expected to participate remotely in the expedition. The Cayman Trough, located between Jamaica and the Cayman Islands, is the sea's deepest point. Virtually all temperature extremes were associated with the phenomena of El Nio and La Nia. [20][21][22][23], KfW took part in a 25.7 million funding agreement to eliminate marine trash and boost the circular economy in the Caribbean's Small Island Developing States. Of the endemic species 48 are threatened with extinction including the Puerto Rican amazon, and the Zapata wren. The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. 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 remained like this for most of the Cenozoic until the Holocene when rising water levels of the oceans restored communication with the Atlantic Ocean. 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