Infrared satellite image of Hurricane Charley (right) approaching Cuba, Aug. 11, 2004. Of the water passing through the Yucatán Channel each second, only about one-fourth represents the deeper Subantarctic intermediate water. Eakins, 2009. The northeast trade winds dominate the region with an average velocity of 10 to 20 miles (16 to 32 km) per hour. The Colombian Basin is partly separated from the Venezuelan Basin by the Beata Ridge. At that time the Western Hemisphere in general was unknown to most Europeans, although it had been discovered between the years 800 and 1000 by the vikings. Guide to the Oceans. The Mona ground iguana which inhabits the island of Mona, Puerto Rico, is endangered. 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. During the first and second phases the basin was free of deformation. 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 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 sill depth of Anegada Passage is between 6,400 and 7,700 feet (1,950 and 2,350 metres), whereas that of the Windward Passage is between 5,250 and 5,350 feet (1,600 and 1,630 metres). "Tsunamis in the Caribbean? Caribbean Sea is one of the many seas of Atlantic Ocean. The deepest points of the sea lie in Cayman Trough with depths reaching approximately 7,686 m (25,220 ft). It is long – about 180 km – and thin - only about 1.6 km wide in places. It has an average depth of 2200 meters with a deepest point of 7500 meters below the surface. The deepest site in this sea is the Cayman Trench between Cuba and Jamaica at 7500 m below the surface, although average depth is 2200 m (Spalding et al. The name "Caribbean" derives from the Caribs, one of the region's dominant Native American groups at the time of European contact during the late 15th century. Representatives of three species belonging to the genus Halophila, (Halophila baillonii, Halophila engelmannii and Halophila decipiens) are found at depths of up to 30 m (98 ft) except for Halophila engelmani which does not grow below 5 m (16 ft) and is confined to the Bahamas, Florida, the Greater Antilles and the western part of the Caribbean. Where is the Puerto Rico Trench? The climate of the Caribbean is driven by the low latitude and tropical ocean currents that run through it. The youngest stretches from the Lesser Antilles to the Virgin Islands to the north east of Trinidad and Tobago off the coast of Venezuela. That’s created a long, deep trench, along with metallic “chimneys” that belch dark, super-heated water.This busy region is known as the Cayman The tropical rainforest climates include lowland areas near the Caribbean Sea from Costa Rica north to Belize, as well as the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico, while the more seasonal dry tropical savanna climates are found in Cuba, northern Venezuela, and southern Yucatán, Mexico. The Caribbean sea floor is divided into five basins separated from each other by underwater ridges and mountain ranges. Of the endemic species 48 are threatened with extinction including the Puerto Rican amazon, and the Zapata wren. Tropical cyclones are a threat to the nations that rim the Caribbean Sea. Coral reefs support some of the most diverse marine habitats in the world, but they are fragile ecosystems. Get exclusive access to content from our 1768 First Edition with your subscription. Currently this protocol has been ratified by 15 countries. The Caribbean region has seen a significant increase in human activity since the colonization period. Largest selection, any size, custom images, mousepad / neoprene material, free EU and US shipping. [9] It is assumed the proto-caribbean basin existed in the Devonian period. Continued destruction of the reefs could severely damage the region's economy. The Caribbean has fewer hurricanes than either the western Pacific (where these storms are called typhoons) or the Gulf of Mexico. So far, they have conducted four dives in three different sites and have gone as deep as 2.5 miles (4,000 meters). Tourism based upon scuba diving and snorkeling on coral reefs of many Caribbean islands makes a major contribution to their economies. Leeward side of lagoons provide areas of growth for sea grasses. The sea is one of the largest oil production areas in the world, producing approximately 170 million tons[clarification needed] per year. The oceanic trench, the deepest in the Atlantic, is associated with a complex transition between the Lesser Antilles subduction zone to the south and the major transform fault zone or plate boundary, which extends west between Cuba and Hispaniola through the Cayman Trough to the coast of Central America. Guide to the Oceans. 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 Japanese Spider Crab is the largest known crab with a maximum leg span of 3.8m. Over 42% of corals are completely bleached and 95% are experiencing some type of whitening. https://www.britannica.com/place/Caribbean-Sea, World Wide Fund For Nature - The Caribbean Sea, Caribbean Sea - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11), Caribbean Sea - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). (2004). 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). Different areas in the Caribbean have slightly different watercolor due to the area’s currents. 15 mm / 32 mm scale The sea’s deepest point is the Cayman Trough, between the Cayman Islands and Jamaica, at 7,686 meters (25,220 feet) below sea level. Within the boundaries of the Caribbean itself, Jamaica, to the south of Cuba, is the largest of a number of islands. (2004). The Caribbean's floor is composed of sub-oceanic sediments of deep red clay in the deep basins and troughs. Estimates of the sea's age range from 20,000 years to 570 million years. Caribbean spiny lobster are found along the continental shelf of the southeastern United States from North Carolina to Texas, in Bermuda, throughout the Caribbean Sea, and south to Brazil. Way further than you think. Pernetta, John. The yearly average is about eight such storms. 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). Just how deep does the ocean go? 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). Roughly 3.2 million square kilometers (1.2 million square miles) in area, the Caribbean Islands are inhabited by some endemic species such as rock iguanas and American crocodile. Halophila baillonii has been found only in the Lesser Antilles.[22]. The Caribbean Sea (Spanish: Mar Caribe; French: Mer des Caraïbes; Haitian Creole: Lamè Karayib; Jamaican Patois: Kiaribiyan Sii; Dutch: Caraïbische Zee; Papiamento: Laman Karibe) is an American mediterranean sea of the Atlantic Ocean in the tropics of the Western Hemisphere. 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. Media related to Caribbean Sea at Wikimedia Commons In shallow water flora and fauna is concentrated around coral reefs where there is little variation in water temperature, purity and salinity. One of the best places to see this extraordinary juxtaposition is at the Glass Window Bridge. There can be currents that suck a good amount of organisms into shallow depths, which can be a factor. The Central American Sea apparently became separated from the Atlantic before the end of the first phase. Amante, C. and B.W. Former Professor of Oceanography, Florida State University, Tallahassee, 1967–76. Individuals or teams can compete in this four-day tournament. The Caribbean Sea sits below the Gulf of Mexico bordering the Atlantic Ocean to the east and Central and South America to the west. 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 sea became a major transportation route as the Europeans quickly colonized the region. Atlantic deep water is thought to spill into the Caribbean and contribute to the general deep water of its sea. 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, "NASA – NASA Satellites Record a Month for the Hurricane History Books", "Caribbean Sea Turtles Close to Extinction", Historic Caribbean Sea Turtle Population falls 99%. The next stage of the Caribbean Sea's formation began in the Triassic. Throughout the Caribbean there is industrial catching of lobster and sardines (off the coast of Yucatán Peninsula). The best deep sea fishing begins only a half-mile from the shore, with plenty of options for all types of adventurers. The wind-driven surface water accumulates in the Yucatán Basin and the Gulf of Mexico, where it results in a higher average sea level than in the Atlantic, forming a hydrostatic head that is believed to constitute the main driving force of the Gulf Stream. Its deepest point is believed to be even lower than 25,220 ft, 7,686 m. That makes this point one of the lowest points on the surface of the earth, and the Caribbean Sea one of the deepest seas in the world. Coelacanths were thought to be extinct until found alive in 1938. The larger islands in the northern part of the sea Cuba, Hispaniola, Jamaica and Puerto Rico lie on an older island arc. Arid climates are found along the extreme southern coast of Venezuela out to the islands including Aruba and Curaçao, as well as the northern tip of Yucatán[21]. 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.Parrots and bananaquits are found in forests. [13] Among them stands out the Belize Barrier Reef with an area of 963 km2 (372 sq mi) which was declared a World Heritage Site in 1996. [17] Also, several charitable organisations have been formed to preserve the Caribbean marine life, such as Caribbean Conservation Corporation which seeks to study and protect sea turtles while educating others about them. 5. The closely spaced chain of islands, banks, and sills of the Antilles Islands Arc separate the Caribbean from the Atlantic Ocean and act as a sieve for the inflow of Atlantic water (Murphy et … Atlantic Ocean water enters the Caribbean through the Anegada Passage lying between the Lesser Antilles and Virgin Islands and the Windward Passage located between Cuba and Haiti. Elder, Danny and Pernetta, John. [30], A sea of the Atlantic Ocean bounded by North, Central and South America. p. 124. Near the end of the second phase, gentle warping and faulting occurred, forming the Aves and Beata ridges. Another type shoal grass (Halodule wrightii) grows on sand and mud surfaces at depths of up to 5 m (16 ft). The youngest stretches from the Lesser Antilles to the Virgin Islands to the north east of Trinidad and Tobago off the coast of Venezuela. In neither hydrology nor climate, however, does the Caribbean resemble the Mediterranean. [11] The surface water (30 m; 100 feet) 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. [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$3.1–4.6 billion. Many species of fish inhabit the Caribbean Sea and are also very exciting for saltwater fishing.Some types of fish are not edible because of the ciguatera toxin. Please select which sections you would like to print: Corrections? 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. [1][2] The sea's deepest point is the Cayman Trough, between the Cayman Islands and Jamaica, at 7,686 m (25,217 ft) below sea level. mi. The climate of the area is tropical, varying from tropical rainforest in some areas to tropical savanna in others. The light blue waters of the shallow Caribbean Sea on one side of the island stand out in stark contrast to the deep blue of the Atlantic Ocean thousands of feet in depth. The Caribbean Sea has the many islands of the West Indies and its neighboring shores, called as the Caribbean. It is present in the tropics of the western … The Random House atlas of the oceans. Upper sedimentary layers relate to the period from the Mesozoic to the Cenozoic (250 million years ago to present) and the lower layers from the Paleozoic to the Mesozoic. 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 geologic age of the Caribbean is not known with certainty. The green iguana is invasive to Grand Cayman. 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). The Wider Caribbean Region is made up of 35 countries and territories. The Caribbean Sea is an oceanic sea largely situated on the Caribbean Plate. Game mats for all your needs. The emergence of deep basins in the Caribbean occurred during the Middle Jurassic rifting. Solenodons and hutias are mammals found only in the Caribbean; only one extant species is not endangered. In the Caribbean, 600 species of birds have been recorded, of which 163 are endemic such as todies, Fernandina's flicker and palmchat. The water in the Bahamas can be seen fom space, and the islands have numerous beaches that are drop dead gorgeous. It forms part of the Great Mayan Reef also known as the MBRS and being over 1,000 km (600 mi) in length is the world's second longest. 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). ... Top News Videos for how deep is the caribbean sea. 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. All 170 species of amphibians that live in the region are endemic. Live video from a 2013 expedition to deep-sea canyons off the northeast Atlantic coast of the U.S. garnered more than 875,000 views, he said. The Caribbean monk seal which lived in the Caribbean is considered extinct. 177–178. The preferred oceanographic term for the Caribbean is the Antillean-Caribbean Sea, which, together with the Gulf of Mexico, forms the Central American Sea. 00:27. Together with the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean Sea has been erroneously termed the American Mediterranean, owing to the fact that, like the Mediterranean Sea, it is located between two continental landmasses. Caribbean fishing options include deep sea fishing, kayak fishing, night fishing and fly fishing, as well as fishing camps for kids. When is the best time to go fishing in the Caribbean? Just 150 miles due east of Miami and 35 miles northwest of Nassau, Devil's lies in the middle of the Berry Islands, a J-shaped chain of about thirty larger islands and more than a hundred smaller islets and cays, all covering an area of about 30 square miles. This arc was formed by the collision of the South American Plate with the Caribbean Plate and includes active and extinct volcanoes such as Mount Pelee, the Quill (volcano) on Sint Eustatius in the Caribbean Netherlands and NOAA Technical Memorandum NESDIS NGDC-24. And the Caribbean sea tends to be calmer, which makes the water clearer. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. Annual variations in monthly average water temperatures at the surface do not exceed 3 °C (5.4 °F). The hydrology of the sea has a high level of homogeneity. 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. On the western side of the sea the trade winds influence a northerly current which causes an upwelling and a rich fishery near Yucatán.[12]. [28], The Caribbean region supports a large tourism industry. The Caribbean's depth in its wider basins and deep water temperatures are similar to those of the Atlantic. [14] Historically the Caribbean is thought to contain 14% of the world's coral reefs. Many deep-sea creatures cope by creating light themselves - also known as bioluminescence. 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 Yucatán Channel between Mexico and Cuba links the Gulf of Mexico with the Caribbean. The principal ocean current is the North Equatorial Current, which enters the region from the tropical Atlantic. 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