The Caribbean hurricane season as a whole lasts from June through November, with the majority of hurricanes occurring during August and September. In the early Carboniferous movement of Gondwana to the north and its convergence with the Euramerica basin decreased in size. The Windward Islands comprising of Trinidad and Tobago, Dominica, Grenada, Saint Lucia, Barbados, Martinique, and Saint Vincent and Grenadines. URL accessed on 28/07/2007. In summer, the average monthly temperature everywhere is about +28 C. Cloudiness is 4-5 points. Deepest Point: Factorian Deep (24389 feet). NOAA Technical Memorandum NESDIS NGDC-24. The original thought was four, but some people count the Antarctic Ocean as one. The climate of the Caribbean is driven by the low latitude and tropical ocean currents that run through it. The Caribbean Sea floor also features two deep oceanic trenches namely the Puerto Rico Trench and the Cayman Trench, which makes the entire Caribbean Sea region highly seismically active. The Wider Caribbean Region is made up of 35 countries and territories The water of the Caribbean is warm, clear and has lower salinity levels than the neighbouring Atlantic. Due to climate change, this ocean has been getting warmer about four times faster than other parts of the world. 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). [33], Human activity in the area also accounts for a significant amount of pollution. 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. However, a devastating tsunami in 2004 led to the loss of over 200,000 deaths and the massive destruction of property. Buffalo, NY: Firefly Books, Inc. p. 178. The sea is one of the largest oil production areas in the world, producing approximately 170million tons[clarification needed] per year. Throughout history, the Arabian Sea served as an essential water body for numerous seaports and trade routes. Treaty on maritime boundaries between the United States of America and the United Mexican States (Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean), . 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. 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. The next Okeanos Explorer expedition will take place from July to September in the Pacific Ocean in and around Papahnaumokukea Marine National MonumentandHawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary. 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. 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. 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. So far, scientists have discovered that the maximum depth of the Caribbean Sea is 25,217 feet. Lake Enriquillo, located in the Dominican Republic is the largest lake in the entire Caribbean region. The blue iguana, endemic to the island of Grand Cayman, is endangered. Today, this seas abundance of sunshine attracts numerous tourists year-round. 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. Continued destruction of the reefs could severely damage the region's economy. The salinity of the seawater is about 3.6%, and its density is 1,023.51,024.0kg/m3 (63.9063.93lb/cuft). 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. I have been a professional content writer for 6 years now, with a large focus on nature, gardening, food, and animals. Buffalo, NY: Firefly Books, Inc. pp. Following the regions discovery by Columbus, the Caribbean islands began to be colonized by several countries including Spain, Dutch Republic, France, England, Denmark, etc. 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. It covers about 1/3 of the Earth. Copyright 2023. The Caribbean Sea is home to 22 islands and over 1,400 species of marine mammals, fish, and coastal mangroves. New York: Random House. 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. The Southern Ocean basin (Antarctic Ocean) encircles Antarctica and extends to parts of the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans. This Triangle has mysteriously led to the disappearance of many ships and airplanes. According to Birdlife International in 2006 in Cuba 29 species of bird are in danger of extinction and two species officially extinct. The Caribbean's depth in its wider basins and deep-water temperatures are similar to those of the Atlantic. Politically, Aruba is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The Caribbean Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean in the tropics of the Western Hemisphere. American Oceans, Stingray vs Manta Ray: Their Differences Explained. Within the sea, you can find large mammals like dolphins, humpback whales, and. 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. Guide to the Oceans. The coral reef in Caribbean Sea is threatened due to the increased temperature of the sea because of global warming effect. 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. The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. 40m. (2004). 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. The preferred oceanographic term for the Caribbean is the Antillean-Caribbean Sea, which, together with the Gulf of Mexico, forms the Central American Sea. [9] It is assumed the proto-caribbean basin existed in the Devonian period. Since 2005 unusually warm Caribbean waters have been increasingly threatening Caribbean coral reefs. The project is estimated to prevent and remove at least 15 000 tonnes of marine trash, benefiting at least 20 000 individuals.[20]. Covering an area of about 2,754,000 sq. The entire area of the Caribbean Sea, the numerous islands of the West Indies, and adjacent coasts are collectively known as the Caribbean. 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. 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. [14] Historically the Caribbean is thought to contain 14% of the world's coral reefs. 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]. 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 Pacific Ocean is the oldest of all existing oceans. The Panama Canal connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. The yearly average is about eight such storms. The average salinity of 35 0 / 00 is recorded between 10 0 -30 0 latitudes in the southern hemisphere. It lies between latitudes 30 and 46 N and longitudes 6 W and 36 E. Deepest Point: Sunda Trench (23,920 feet). 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. 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. 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. All maps, graphics, flags, photos and original descriptions 2023 worldatlas.com. During the first and second phases the basin was free of deformation. 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. Did you discover a fact in this list about the largest oceans and seas that surprised you? There are many bays and gulfs along the sea's coastline. [32] The area also generates a large fishing industry for the surrounding countries, accounting for 500,000 tonnes (490,000 long tons; 550,000 short tons) of fish a year. 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. The Caribbean Sea is nowhere near being the largest sea in the world, but it is still very deep! 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. The sea is one of the largest oil production areas in the world, producing approximately 170 million tons per year. The mahogany is the national tree of the Dominican Republic and Belize. This sea began forming around 45 to 17 million years ago, leaving a V-shaped basin. The Colombian Basin is partly separated from the Venezuelan Basin by the Beata Ridge. How Deep Can We Go? 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. 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 Arctic Ocean is home to thousands of islands, including the Arctic Archipelago north of Canada. Surface. Following the discovery of the islands by Columbus, the area was quickly colonised by several Western Pernetta, John. From there it divides to fill the Yucatn, Cayman, and Colombian basins at depths near 6,500 feet (2,000 metres). It lies between Western and Eastern Europe, Anatolia, North Africa, and the Levant. Amante, C. and B.W. The Atlantic Ocean basin is the 2nd biggest ocean in the world, covering about 20% of the Earths surface. 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 basins are connected by the submerged Aruba Gap at depths greater than 13,000 feet (4,000 metres). [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. without marginal seas 82. Below are answers to questions you might ask about the worlds largest Seas and Oceans. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS So far, at least 12,046 species have been reported in this sea. Youll also discover their deepest point, the marine life available, their economic purposes, and more. Located in the northern part of the Caribbean Sea is the Greater Antilles Island group. The age and size of an ocean influence its depth. Deepest Point: Bougainville (29,986 feet). ADDITIONAL FACTS. Contact the AZ Animals editorial team. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Enter your email in the box below to get the most mind-blowing animal stories and videos delivered directly to your inbox every day. Tropical cyclones are a threat to the nations that rim the Caribbean Sea. The region has several types of sea turtle (loggerhead, green turtle, hawksbill, leatherback turtle, Atlantic ridley and olive ridley). 830 324. It is also well known as the location of the Pirates of the Caribbean films. [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. Some of the major rivers that drain into the Caribbean Sea include Magdalene, San Juan, Chagres, Coco, etc. The Yucatn Channel between Mexico and Cuba links the Gulf of Mexico with the Caribbean. Interestingly, the deepest point in the Atlantic Ocean is close to the Cayman Trough. It offers a suitable habitat for over 9,000 species, including dugongs, whales, sea snakes, sharks, and turtles. 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 two largest islands, in both area and population, are Sicily and Sardinia . 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. 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 Sea mostly occupies the Caribbean Plate and features many island arcs which separate it from the ocean. Over the open sea can be seen frigatebirds and tropicbirds. Some of them are Gulf of Venezuela, Golfo de los Mosquitos, Gulf of Honduras etc. depth; 21ft capability; it can accomodate yachts in excess of 380ft. mi, 3,862,000 sq. Omissions? Fear Cay, the eleventh Doc Savage adventure by Lester Dent. The Yucatan Basin is partially separated from the Cayman Basin by the Cayman Ridge, which rises above to form the Cayman Islands. Three phases of sedimentation have been identified. Well be exploring an area of the United States Exclusive Economic Zone that science knows very little about, said Alan Leonardi, Ph.D, director of NOAAs Office of Ocean Exploration and Research, the federal program responsible for coordinating this expedition. The next stage of the Caribbean Sea's formation began in the Triassic. Cayman Trough (located between the Jamaica and Cayman Islands) is the deepest point of the Caribbean Sea with a depth of 25,220 feet or 7,686 meters. Covering an area of about 2,754,000 sq. Interesting facts about the American black bear, Interesting facts about Peter Paul Rubens. The Caribbean Sea is connected with the Gulf of Mexico in the north via the Yucatan Channel. It has over 17,500 species, including sharks, manatees, sea turtles, and humpback whales. 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