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. About three-fourths of the area covered by ocean is deep, permanently dark, and cold. A lock ( One memorable work of pulp fiction has in its title a geographic feature unique in its way to the islands: [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. 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. 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. These are the Yucatn, Cayman, Colombian, Venezuelan, and Grenada basins. Deepest Point: Milwaukee Deep (27,493 feet). 900 3, 930 12, 890. with marginal seas 106. It has over 17,500 species, including sharks, manatees, sea turtles, and humpback whales. 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. A .gov The deepest point in the Caribbean sea is the Cayman Trough between Jamaica and Cuba. 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. The Pacific Ocean is the oldest of all existing oceans. The preferred oceanographic term for the Caribbean is the Antillean-Caribbean Sea, which, together with the Gulf of Mexico, forms the Central American Sea. 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. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. The hurricane season is from June to November, but hurricanes occur most frequently in September. 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 climate of the Caribbean is driven by the low latitude and tropical ocean currents that run through it. The Caribbean sea floor is divided into five basins separated from each other by underwater ridges and mountain ranges. Some of the major rivers that drain into the Caribbean Sea include Magdalene, San Juan, Chagres, Coco, etc. Underwater earthquakes pose a threat of generating tsunamis which could have a devastating effect on the Caribbean islands. Iturralde-Vinent, Manuel (2004), The first inhabitants of the Caribbean, Cuban Science Network . But with each expedition we reach new audiences who are fascinated by what we are seeing in the deep ocean. Average monthly air temperatures in winter vary from +23 in the north to +27 C on the southern coast of the sea. 150m. The northernmost of these, the Yucatn Basin, is separated from the Gulf of Mexico by the Yucatn Channel, which runs between Cuba and the Yucatn Peninsula and has a sill depth (i.e., the depth of the submarine ridge between basins) of about 5,250 feet (1,600 metres). The Leeward Antilles comprising of the three Dutch Islands of Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaao. The Pacific is the deepest basin of the global ocean. The Caribbean Sea is separated from the ocean by several island arcs of various ages. without marginal seas 82. 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 caimito (Chrysophyllum cainito) grows throughout the Caribbean. 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. [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. Deposits on the bottom of the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico have a thickness of about 1km (0.62mi). [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. The area is so deep; that the temperatures reach near freezing levels. 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. Today, this seas abundance of sunshine attracts numerous tourists year-round. New York: Random House. [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. The Caribbean Sea is home to 22 islands and over 1,400 species of marine mammals, fish, and coastal mangroves. The Caribbean Sea is one of the largest seas and has an area of about 2,754,000 km 2 (1,063,000 sq mi). 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. 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. WATCH: Sharks biting alligators, the most epic lion battles, and MUCH more. 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). The salinity of the seawater is about 3.6%, and its density is 1,023.51,024.0kg/m3 (63.9063.93lb/cuft). Despite this, the Caribbean Sea is considered a relatively shallow sea in comparison to other bodies of water. On continental slopes and ridges calcareous silts are found. Some species are threatened with extinction. The Caribbean Sea is subdivided into five basins that are separated from each other by submerged ranges and ridges. As many as 40 scientists ashore are expected to participate remotely in the expedition. According to the National Ocean Service, the oldest rock in this ocean dates back about 200 million years. This Caribbean bottom water also enters the Venezuelan Basin, thus introducing high-oxygen water at depths of 5,900 to 9,800 feet (1,800 to 3,000 metres). 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. With a total area of 106,460,000 sq. 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. 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. The island of Jamaica is home to seals and manatees. The Caribbean Sea is one of the largest seas and has an area of about 2,754,000 square kilometers (1,063,000 square miles). Antigua Yacht Club Marina depth; can accomodate yachts with draft in excess of 25ft. Throughout the Caribbean there is industrial catching of lobster and sardines (off the coast of Yucatn Peninsula). [28] Their populations have been greatly reduced since the 17th century the number of green turtles has declined from 91million to 300,000 and hawksbill turtles from 11million to less than 30,000 by 2006.[29]. Throughout history, the Arabian Sea served as an essential water body for numerous seaports and trade routes. The Caribbean Sea experiences a tropical climate that is highly influenced by elevations, trade winds, and tropical ocean currents. 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 average depth of the Atlantic Ocean is 12,880 feet (3,926 meters) and the deepest point is the Puerto Rico Trench at -28,231 feet (-8,605 meters). Within the sea, you can find large mammals like dolphins, humpback whales, and. On average around nine tropical storms form each year, with five reaching hurricane strength. The rhinoceros iguana from the island of Hispaniola which is shared between Haiti and the Dominican Republic is also endangered. 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. Deepest Point: Wheatley Deep (19,028 feet). The green iguana is invasive to Grand Cayman. There are also some locations that are arid climates with considerable drought in some years. 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. The seas deepest point is the Cayman Trough, between the Cayman Islands and Jamaica, at 7,686 meters (25,220 feet) below sea level. It is bordered by Venezuela, Colombia and Panama to the south, Central American countries (Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Honduras and Belize) on the west; with the Greater Antilles (Cuba, Jamaica, the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico) on the north and the Lesser Antilles on the east. Deepest Point: Calypso Deep (17,280 feet). mi, 3,862,000 sq. We dont know exactly what we can expect to see, said Lt. Brian Kennedy, the expeditions coordinator and a member of NOAAs Commissioned Officers Corps. 600 77. 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. Contact the AZ Animals editorial team. After Christopher Columbus landed in the Bahamas in 1492, the Spanish term Antillas applied to the lands; stemming from this, Sea of the Antilles became a common alternative name for "Caribbean Sea" in various European languages. The Bahamas (Lucayan) Archipelago includes the island of the Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands. It lies between latitudes 30 and 46 N and longitudes 6 W and 36 E. The Caribbean Sea has the worlds second largest barrier reef, the Mesoamerican 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. 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. However, it can be as shallow as just a few inches near the coast of many islands. Updates? As many as 40 scientists ashore are expected to participate remotely in the expedition. NOAAs mission is to understand and predict changes in the Earth's environment, from the depths of the ocean to the surface of the sun, and to conserve and manage our coastal and marine resources. The Gulf Stream is part of a general clockwise-rotating system of currents in the North Atlantic. Sea surface temperature is defined as the average temperature of the top few millimeters of the ocean. In coastal zones there are coconut palms and in lagoons and estuaries are found thick areas of black mangrove and red mangrove (Rhizophora mangle). The average depth is about 2,200 meters (7,220 feet) below the sea's surface. The rainfall varies with the elevation and water current and ranging from less than 12 inches a year on the Bonaire Island to about 350 inches a year in the areas around Dominica. 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. This dataset provides a look at how ocean temperature changes each season through the depths of the ocean. [14] Historically the Caribbean is thought to contain 14% of the world's coral reefs. 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. Water covers about 71% of the Earth. Such storms also have been a major cause of crop failure in the region. Professor of Biology, University of South Florida, Tampa. The geologic age of the Caribbean is not known with certainty. But how deep is the Caribbean Sea, and what mysterious creatures lurk there? Have a comment on this page? Simon Dannhauer . The climate of the area is tropical, varying from tropical rainforest in some areas to tropical savanna in others. In shallow water flora and fauna is concentrated around coral reefs where there is little variation in water temperature, purity and salinity. 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. The South China Sea has over 200 islands, some of which stay submerged. Deepest Point: Factorian Deep (24389 feet). Climate change, pollution, fishing, and hunting have affected the fragile ecosystem of the Antarctic Ocean. Trying to understand the differences and boundaries between multiple oceans and seas is difficult. 3. The Caribbean Tourism Organization calculates that about 12million people a year visit the area, including (in 19911992) about 8million cruise ship tourists. So far, at least 12,046 species have been reported in this sea. The Caribbean has been well-traveled for 300 years, and this historic map by Herman Molls is surprisingly complete and accurate. 100m. It is fed by the westward-flowing North Equatorial Current moving from North Africa to the West Indies. Let us know. Thats precisely why we explore.. All 170 species of amphibians that live in the region are endemic. Director, Florida Institute of Oceanography, St. Petersburg. 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. 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. The entire area of the Caribbean Sea, the numerous islands of the West Indies, and adjacent coasts are collectively known as the Caribbean. The Caribbean region has seen a significant increase in human activity since the colonization period. 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. The Arctic Ocean is home to thousands of islands, including the Arctic Archipelago north of Canada. I graduated from college with an A.A, but I am still pursuing a Bachelors of Marketing degree. Scientific data reveals that over the last 500 years the area has seen a dozen earthquakes above 7.5 magnitude. We have a lot of devoted fans who follow our explorations closely, Leonardi said. I have been a professional content writer for 6 years now, with a large focus on nature, gardening, food, and animals. The Caribbean Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean in the tropics of the Western Hemisphere. The average depth is about 2,200 meters (7,220 feet) below the seas surface. This puts its vulnerable ecosystem at risk, including people living nearby. The majority of our planet's surface is covered in water! The Gulf of Mexico lies to the northwest. The deepest points of the sea lie in Cayman Trough with depths reaching approximately 7,686m (25,220ft). Herman Molls' 1732 Map of the Caribbean. It is estimated that 13,000 species of plants grow in the Caribbean of which 6,500 are endemic. At that time the Americas in general were unknown to most Europeans, although they had been visited in the 10th century by the Vikings. The deepest part of the Caribbean Sea, the Cayman Trench, has an average depth of 2,200 meters, with the deepest point being 7,500 meters below the surface. The Arabian Sea is part of the northern Indian Ocean and sits between the Arabian Peninsula, India, the Gulf of Oman, Pakistan, and Iran. [1] [2] The sea's deepest point is the Cayman Trough, between the Cayman Islands and Jamaica, at 7,686 . Please leave a comment below and lets know what came to you as a surprise. The Mona ground iguana which inhabits the island of Mona, Puerto Rico, is endangered. [33], Human activity in the area also accounts for a significant amount of pollution. Following the colonization of the Caribbean islands, the Caribbean Sea became a busy area for European-based marine trading and transports, and this commerce eventually attracted pirates such as Samuel Bellamy and Blackbeard. It has an average depth of 2200 meters with a deepest point of 7500 meters below the surface. Within the boundaries of the Caribbean itself, Jamaica, to the south of Cuba, is the largest of a number of islands. The age and size of an ocean influence its depth. There are more than 7000 islands in the Caribbean, and they belong to over 28 distinct nations. Coral reefs support some of the most diverse marine habitats in the world, but they are fragile ecosystems. Virtually all temperature extremes were associated with the phenomena of El Nio and La Nia. Transport and trading activities across this sea attracted pirates in the 1560s. It is located 25 km north of the coast of Venezuela and 68 km northwest of Curaao. Did you know that an explorer once traveled to the bottom of the Puerto Rico Trench in a private mission? Interestingly, the deepest point in the Atlantic Ocean is close to the Cayman Trough. Today, large coastal populations, pollution, and intense fishing are the primary concerns in this sea. The emergence of deep basins in the Caribbean occurred during the Middle Jurassic rifting. The Atlantic is home to many seas, islands, gulfs, and bays. [19], After the Mediterranean, the Caribbean Sea is the second most polluted sea. Its home to over 1,769 species, including whales, sharks, sardines, tuna, sea turtles, and wahoo.