Caribbean SeaFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaCaribbean Sea

TypeSea

Surface area2,754,000km2(1,063,000sqmi)

Max. depth7,686m (25,217ft)

TheCaribbean Seais aseaof theAtlantic Oceanlocated in the tropics of theWestern hemisphere. It is bounded by theYucatn PeninsulaofMexicoandCentral Americato the west and southwest, to the north by theGreater Antillesstarting withCuba, to the east by theLesser Antilles, and to the south by the north coast ofSouth America.[1]The entire area of the Caribbean Sea, the numerous islands of theWest Indies, and adjacent coasts, are collectively known as 'theCaribbean'. The Caribbean Sea is one of the largest seas and has an area of about 2,754,000km2(1,063,000 sq. mi.).[2]The sea's deepest point is theCayman Trough, between the Cayman Islands and Jamaica, at 7,686 m (25,220ft) below sea level. The Caribbean coastline has many gulfs and bays: theGulf of Gonve,Gulf of Venezuela,Gulf of Darin,Golfo de los Mosquitos,Gulf of PariaandGulf of Honduras.

Roadtown,Tortola,British Virgin IslandsThe Caribbean Sea is proven to have the second biggest barrier reef in the world. This is called the Mesoamerican Barrier reef. It run 600 miles along the coasts of Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras.Contents 1History 2Extent 3Geology 4Oceanography 5Ecology 6Weather 7Flora and fauna 7.1Vegetation 7.2Fauna 8Economy and human activity 9Popular culture 10See also 11Gallery 12References 13Further reading 14External linksHistory

Christopher Columbuslanding onHispaniolain 1492.The name "Caribbean" is derived from theCaribs, one of the dominantNative Americangroups in the region at the time ofEuropeancontact during the late 15th century. After the discovery ofAmericaby accidentChristopher Columbusin 1492, the Spanish termAntillaswas assigned to the lands; stemming from this, "Sea of the Antilles" is a common alternative name for the Caribbean Sea in various European languages. During the first century of development, the Spanish dominance was undisputed.

Tulum,Mayacity on the coast of the Caribbean in the state ofQuintana Roo(Mexico)The Caribbean Sea was an unknown body of water to the populations ofEurasiauntil 1492, when Christopher Columbus first sailed into Caribbean waters on a quest to find a sea route to Asia. At that time the Western Hemisphere in general was unknown to Europeans. Following the discovery of the islands by Columbus, the area was quickly colonised by severalWestern cultures(initiallySpain, then laterPortugal,England, theDutch Republic,FranceandDenmark). Following the colonisation of the Caribbean islands, the Caribbean Sea became a busy area for European-based marine trading and transport, and this commerce eventually attractedpiracy.Today the area is home to 22 island territories and borders 12 continental countries. Due to the abundance of sunshine, year-round tropical temperatures moderated by the almost constanttrade winds, and the great variety of scenic destinations to visit, during the second half of the 20th century on into the 21st, the Caribbean Sea became a popular place for tourism.

Coral reefs in theBritish Virgin IslandsExtentTheInternational Hydrographic Organizationdefines the limits of the Caribbean Sea as follows:[3]In theYucatan Channel.The same limit as that described for theGulf of Mexico[A line joiningCape CatocheLight (2137N8704W) with the Light onCape San AntonioinCuba].On the North.In theWindward Channel- a line joining Caleta Point (7415'W) and Pearl Point (1940'N) inHati. In theMona Passage- a line joiningCape Enganoand the extreme of Agujereada (1831N6708W) inPuerto Rico.

Punta Maroma,Riviera Maya. Mxico.

Great Blue Holeoff the coast of BelizeEastern limits.From Point San Diego (Puerto Rico) Northward along the meridian thereof (6539'W) to the 100 fathom line, thence Eastward and Southward, in such a manner that all islands, shoals and narrow waters of theLesser Antillesare included in the Caribbean Sea as far asGalera Point(Northeast extremity of the island ofTrinidad). From Galera Point through Trinidad to Galeota Point (Southeast extreme) and thence to Baja Point (932N610W) inVenezuela.Note that, althoughBarbadosis an island on the same continental shelf, it is considered to be in the Atlantic Ocean rather than the Caribbean Sea.GeologyThe Caribbean Sea is an oceanic sea largely situated on theCaribbean Plate. The Caribbean Sea is separated from the ocean by severalisland arcsof various ages. The youngest of them stretches from theLesser Antillesto theVirgin Islandsto the north east ofTrinidad and Tobagooff the coast ofVenezuela. This arc was formed by the collision of theSouth American Platewith theCaribbean Plateand includes active and extinctvolcanoessuch asMount Pelee,the Quill (volcano)onSint Eustatiusin theCaribbean NetherlandsandMorne Trois PitonsonDominica. The larger islands in the northern part of the seaCuba,Hispaniola,JamaicaandPuerto Ricolie on an older island arc. The geological age of the Caribbean Sea is not known with certainty but is estimated to have an age between 160 and 180 million years and was formed by a horizontal fracture that split thesupercontinentcalledPangeain theMesozoic Era.[4]It is assumed that the proto-caribbean basin existed in theDevonianperiod. In the earlyCarboniferousmovement ofGondwanato the north and its convergence with theEuramericabasin decreased in size. The next stage of the formation of the Caribbean Sea began in theTriassic. Powerfulriftingled to the formation of narrow troughs, stretching from modernNewfoundlandto the west coast of theGulf of Mexicowhich formedsiliciclasticsedimentary rocks. In the earlyJurassicdue to powerfulmarine transgression, water broke into the present area of theGulf of Mexicocreating a vast shallow pool here. The emergence of deep basins in the Caribbean occurred during the era of theMiddle Jurassicrifting. The emergence of these basins marked the beginning of theAtlantic Oceanand contributed to the destruction ofPangaeaat the end of the lateJurassic. During theCretaceousthe Caribbean acquired the shape close to that seen today. In the earlyPaleogenedue toMarine regressionthe Caribbean became separated from theGulf of Mexicoand theAtlantic Oceanby the land ofCubaandHaiti. The Caribbean remained like this for most of theCenozoicuntil theHolocenewhen rising water levels of the oceans restored communication with the Atlantic Ocean.

Theshaded reliefmap of the Caribbean Sea andGulf of Mexicoarea.[5][6]The floor of the Caribbean is composed of sub-oceanicsedimentsofdeep red clayin the deep basins and troughs. On continental slopes and ridgescalcareoussiltsare found.Clay mineralslikely having been deposited by the mainland riverOrinocoand theMagdalena River. Deposits on the bottom of the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico have a thickness of about 1km. Upper sedimentary layers relate to the period from theMesozoicto theCenozoic(250 million years ago to present) and the lower layers from thePaleozoicto theMesozoic.The Caribbean sea floor is divided into fivebasinsseparated from each other by underwater ridges and mountain ranges. Atlantic Ocean water enters the Caribbean through theAnegada Passagelying between theLesser AntillesandVirgin Islandsand theWindward Passagelocated betweenCubaandHaiti. TheYucatan Channelbetween Mexico and Cuba links theGulf of Mexicowith the Caribbean. The deepest points of the sea lie inCayman Troughwith depths reaching approximately 7,686 m (25,220ft). Despite this, the Caribbean Sea is considered a relatively shallow sea in comparison to other bodies of water.

Caribbean Sea view fromBodden Town,Grand Cayman

Caribbean plate tectonicsThe pressure of theSouth American Plateto the east of the Caribbean causes the region of theLesser Antillesto have high volcanic activity. There was a very serious eruption ofMount Pelein 1902 which caused many casualties.The Caribbean sea floor is also home to twooceanic trenches: theCayman TrenchandPuerto Rico Trench, which put the area at a high risk ofearthquakes. Underwater earthquakes pose a threat of generatingtsunamiswhich could have a devastating effect on the Caribbean islands. Scientific data reveals that over the last 500 years the area has seen a dozen earthquakes above 7.5 magnitude.[7]Most recently, a 7.1 earthquake struck Haiti on January 12, 2010. List of islands in the CaribbeanOceanography

Sketch of theNorth Equatorial Currentand theGulf StreamThehydrologyof the sea has a high level of homogeneity. Annual variations in monthly average water temperatures at the surface do not exceed 3C (25-28C). Over the past fifty years the Caribbean has gone through three stages: cooling until 1974; a cold phase with peaks during 1974-1976 and 1984-1986 then; a warming phase with increase in temperature of 0.6C per year. Virtually all temperature extremes were associated with the phenomena ofel Nioandla Nia. The salinity of sea water is about 3.6% and its density is 1.0235-1.0240 103kg/m3. The surface water colour is blue-green to green.Ecology

Sea of San Andrs and ProvidenciaSan Andrs and Providencia, Colombia.

A view of the Caribbean Sea from theDominican RepubliccoastThe Caribbean is home to about 9% of the world'scoral reefscovering about 20,000 square miles (52,000km2), most of which are located off the Caribbean Islands and theCentral Americancoast.[8]Among them stands out theBelize Barrier Reefwith an area of 96,300 ha which was declared aWorld Heritage Sitein 1996. It forms part of theGreat Mayan Reefalso known as theMBRSand being over a thousand km in length is the world's second longest. It runs along the Caribbean coasts ofMexico,Belize,GuatemalaandHonduras.

Hawksbill sea turtle(Eretmochelys imbricata),Morrocoy National Park,Venezuela

Sian Ka'anBiosphere Reserve, MexicoDuring the past ten years, unusually warm Caribbean waters have been increasingly threatening Caribbean coral reefs. Coral reefs support some of the most diverse marine habitats in the world, but they are fragile ecosystems. When tropical waters become unusually warm for extended periods of time, microscopic plants calledzooxanthellae, which are symbiotic partners living within the coral polyp tissues, die off. These plants provide food for the corals, and give them their color. The result of the death and dispersal of these tiny plants is calledcoral bleaching, and can lead to the devastation of large areas of reef. Over 42% of corals are completely bleached and 95% are experiencing some type of whitening.[9]The habitats supported by the reefs are critical to such tourist activities asfishinganddiving, and provide an annual economic value to Caribbean nations of $3.1-$4.6 billion. Continued destruction of the reefs could severely damage the region's economy.[10]AProtocol of the Convention for the Protection and Development of the Marine Environment of the Wider Caribbean Regioncame 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. Currently this protocol has beenratifiedby 15 countries.[11]Also several charitable organisations have been formed to preserve the Caribbean marine life, such asCaribbean Conservation Corporationwhich seeks to study and protectsea turtleswhile educating others about them.[12]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 theInternational 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 findings indicate that heavy metals such as mercury, arsenic and lead, have been identified in the coastal zone of the Caribbean Sea. Analysis of toxic metals and hydrocarbons is based on the investigation of coastal sediments that have accumulated less than 50 meters deep during the last hundred and fifty years. The project results were presented in Vienna in the forum "Water Matters", and the 2011 General Conference of said multilateral organization.[13]Weather

Average sea surface temperatures for the Caribbean Atlantic Ocean (2527 August 2005).[14]Hurricane Katrinais seen just aboveCuba.The Caribbean weather is influenced by theGulf StreamandHumboldt Currentocean currents.[15]The tropical location of the sea helps the water to maintain a warm temperature ranging from the low of 70 to mid-80 Fahrenheit (21-29 C) by the season.The Caribbean is a focal area for manyhurricaneswithin the Western Hemisphere. A series of low pressure systems develop off the West coast of Africa and make their way across the Atlantic Ocean. While most of these systems do not become tropical storms, some do. The tropical storms can develop intoAtlantic hurricanes, often in the low pressure areas of the eastern Caribbean. The Caribbean hurricane season as a whole lasts from June through November, with the majority of hurricanes occurring during August and September. On average around 9 tropical storms form each year, with 5 reaching hurricane strength. According to theNational Hurricane Center385 hurricanes occurred in the Caribbean between 1494 and 1900.Every year hurricanes represent a potential threat to the islands of the Caribbean, due to the extremely destructive nature of these powerful weather systems. Coral reefs can easily be damaged by violent wave action, and can be destroyed when a hurricane dumps sand or mud onto a reef. When this happens, the coral organisms are smothered and the reef dies and ultimately breaks apart.Flora and faunaThe region has a high level ofbiodiversityand many species areendemicto the Caribbean.VegetationThe vegetation of the region is mostlytropicalbut differences intopography, soil and climatic conditions increasespecies diversity. Where there are porous limestone terraced islands these are generally poor in nutrients. It is estimated that 13 thousand species of plants grow in the Caribbean of which 6.5 thousand areendemic. For example, guaiac wood (Guaiacum officinale), the flower of which is the national flower ofJamaicaand the Bayahibe rose (Pereskia quisqueyana) which is the national flower of theDominican Republicand theceibawhich is the national tree of bothPuerto RicoandGuatemala. Themahoganyis the national tree of the Dominican Republic andBelize. The caimito (Chrysophyllum cainito) grows throughout the Caribbean. In coastal zones there arecoconut palmsand inlagoonsandestuariesare found thick areas ofblack mangroveand red mangrove (Rhizophora mangle).In shallow waterfloraandfaunais concentrated aroundcoral reefswhere there is little variation in water temperature, purity and salinity. Leeward side oflagoonsprovide areas of growth forsea grasses. 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 20 metres. Another type shoal grass (Halodule wrightii) grows on sand and mud surfaces at depths of up to 5 metres. Inbrackish waterof harbours and estuaries at depths less than 2.5 metres widgeongrass (Ruppia maritima) grows. Representatives of three species belonging to the genusHalophila, (Halophila baillonii,Halophila engelmaniandHalophila decipiens) are found at depths of up to 30 metres except forHalophila engelmaniwhich does not grow below 5 metres and is confined to theBahamas,Florida, theGreater Antillesand the western part of the Caribbean.Halophila bailloniihas been found only in theLesser Antilles.[16]Fauna

Puerto Rican parrot

Green sea turtle,Grand Cayman IslandMarinebiotain the region have representatives of both theIndianandPacificoceans which were caught in the Caribbean before the emergence of theIsthmus of Panamafour million years ago.[17]In the Caribbean Sea there are around 450 species of fish, includingsharks(bull shark,tiger shark,silky sharkandCaribbean reef shark),flying fish,giant oceanic manta ray,angel fish,spotfin butterflyfish,parrotfish,Atlantic Goliath grouper,tarponandmoray eels. Throughout the Caribbean there is industrial catching oflobsterandsardines(off the coast ofYucatan).There are 90 species ofmammalsin the Caribbean includingsperm whales,humpback whalesanddolphins. The island ofJamaicais home tosealsandmanatees. TheCaribbean monk sealwhich lived in the Caribbean is considered extinct. Thesolenodonisendangered.There are 500 species ofreptiles(94% of which areendemic). Islands are inhabited by some endemic species such asrock iguanasandAmerican crocodile. Thegreen iguanaand theblue iguanaboth endemic to the island ofGrand Caymanare endangered. TheMona ground iguanawhich inhabits the island ofMona, Puerto Ricois endangered. Therhinoceros iguanafrom the island ofHispaniolawhich is shared betweenHaitiand theDominican Republicis also endangered. The region has several types ofsea turtle(loggerhead,green turtle,hawksbill,leatherback turtle,Atlantic ridleyandolive ridley). Some species are threatened with extinction.[18]Their populations have been greatly reduced since the 17th century - the number of green turtles has declined from 91 million to 300,000 and hawksbill turtles from 11 million to less than 30,000 by 2006.[19]All 170 species ofamphibiansthat live in the region are endemic. The habitats of almost all members of thetoadfamily,poison dart frogs,tree frogsandleptodactylidae(a type of frog) are limited to only one island.[20]TheGolden coquiis in serious threat of extinction.In the Caribbean 600 species of birds have been recorded of which 163 areendemicsuch as thetody,Fernandina's flickerandpalmchat. TheAmerican yellow warbleris found in many areas as is thegreen heron. Of the endemic species 48 are threatened with extinction including thePuerto Rican amazon,yellow-breasted crakeand theZapata wren. According to Birdlife International in 2006 inCuba29 species of bird are in danger of extinction and two species officially extinct.[21]Theblack-fronted piping guanis endangered as is theplain pigeon.The Antillesalong withCentral Americalie in the flight path ofmigrating birdsfrom North America so the size of populations is subject to seasonal fluctuations. In the forests are foundparrots,bananaquitandtoucans. Over the open sea can be seenfrigatebirdsandtropicbirds.Economy and human activity

Playa Puerto Cruz,Isla Margarita,Venezuela.

Coral reef, nearSoufrire Quarter,Saint Lucia

West Indian manateeThe Caribbean region has seen a significant increase in human activity since the colonisation period. The sea is one of the largest oil production areas in the world, producing approximately 170 million tons per year.[22]The area also generates a large fishing industry for the surrounding countries, accounting for half a million metric tons of fish a year.[23]Human activity in the area also accounts for a significant amount of pollution, 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.[22]The Caribbean region supports a large tourist industry. TheCaribbean Tourism Organizationcalculates that about 12 million people a year visit the area, including (in 19911992) about 8 million cruise ship tourists. Tourism based upon scuba diving and snorkeling on coral reefs of many Caribbean islands makes a major contribution to their economies.[24]Popular cultureThe Caribbean is the setting for countless literary efforts often related topiracyacts andswashbuckling. One memorable work of pulp fiction has in its title a geographic feature unique in its way to the islands:Fear Cay, the eleventhDoc Savageadventure byLester Dent. ManyJames Bondadventures were set there. All of the action of theMonkey Island seriesvideogames takes place within the Caribbean Sea area. It is also well known as the location of thePirates of the Caribbean films, featuringPort Royal. Less swashbuckling, but not lacking in man-against-the-sea exploits, is Peter Matthiessen'sFar Tortuga(1975), which chronicles the adventures of a turtling crew in the late 1960s.

Saint Thomas, US Virgin Islands

Playa Caribe,Isla Margarita,VenezuelaSee also Piracy in the Caribbean Territorial evolution of the CaribbeanGallery Cayo de Agua inLos Roques archipelago,Venezuela Sunrise over the south beach ofJamaica San Andrs island,Colombia Sunset inCartagena,Colombia Las Aves archipelago,VenezuelaReferences1. Jump up^The Caribbean SeaWorld Wildlife Fund. Website last accessed 5 December 20092. Jump up^The Caribbean SeaAll The Sea. URL last accessed May 7, 20063. Jump up^"Limits of Oceans and Seas, 3rd edition"(PDF). International Hydrographic Organization. 1953. Retrieved7 February2010.4. Jump up^Iturralde-Vinent, Manuel (2004), The first inhabitants of the Caribbean , Cuban Science Network . URL accessed on 28/07/20075. Jump up^National Geophysical Data Center, 1999. Global Land One-kilometer Base Elevation (GLOBE) v.1. Hastings, D. and P.K. Dunbar.National Geophysical Data Center, NOAA. doi:10.7289/V52R3PMS [access date: 2015-03-16]6. Jump up^Amante, C. and B.W. Eakins, 2009. ETOPO1 1 Arc-Minute Global Relief Model: Procedures, Data Sources and Analysis. NOAA Technical Memorandum NESDIS NGDC-24.National Geophysical Data Center, NOAA. doi:10.7289/V5C8276M [access date: 2015-03-18].7. Jump up^Dawicki, Shelley."Tsunamis in the Caribbean? It's Possible.". Oceanus. RetrievedApril 30,2006.8. Jump up^Status of coral reefs in the Caribbean and Atlantic OceanWorld Resource Institute. URL accessed on April 29, 2006.9. Jump up^[1]Inter Press Service News Agency - Mesoamerican Coral Reef on the way to becoming a Marine Desert10. Jump up^Alarm sounded for Caribbean coral. BBC News. URL accessed on April 29, 2006.11. Jump up^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)NOAA Fisheries: Office of Protected Resources. URL accessed on April 30, 2006.12. Jump up^Caribbean Conservation CorporationOrion Online. URL last accessed May 1, 2006.13. Jump up^[2]Analysis of Contaminants in the Caribbean Sea over the last 150 years. National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) 2012 (Spa)14. Jump up^NASA Satellites Record a Month for the Hurricane History Books15. Jump up^Silverstein, Alvin (1998) Weather And Climate (Science Concepts); page 17. 21st Century.ISBN 0-7613-3223-516. Jump up^[3]Caribbean seagrass. Seagrass watch, retrieved Apr 23, 200917. Jump up^[4]Robert James Menzies, John C Ogden. Caribbean Sea. Britannica Online Encyclopaedia18. Jump up^[5]Severin Carrell. Caribbean Sea Turtles Close to Extinction. The Independent 28 Nov. 200419. Jump up^[6]Historic Caribbean Sea Turtle Population falls 99%. Plunge has significant ecological consequences. Mongabay.com (August 1, 2006)20. Jump up^[7]Conservation International Caribbean Islands, Threatened Species21. Jump up^[8]"Birdlife International" - Red List Cuba22. ^Jump up to:abAn Overview of Land Based Sources of Marine PollutionCaribbean Environment Programme. URL last accessed May 14, 1 B.C.23. Jump up^LME 12: Caribbean SeaNOAA Fisheries Northeast Fisheries Science Center Narragansett Laboratory. URL last accessed May 14, 2006.24. Jump up^Reefs at Risk in the Caribbean: Economic Valuation MethodologyWorld Resources Institute 2009.Further readingWikimedia Commons has media related toCaribbean Sea.

Snyderman, Marty (1996) Guide to Marine Life: Caribbean-Bahamas-Florida; page 13-14, 19. Aqua Quest Publications, Inc.ISBN 1-881652-06-8 Glover K., Linda (2004) Defying Ocean's End: An Agenda For Action; page 9. Island Press.ISBN 1-55963-755-2 Peters, Philip Dickenson (2003) Caribbean WOW 2.0; page 100. Islandguru Media.ISBN 1-929970-04-8 Reefs at Risk in the Caribbean: Economic Valuation Methodology, World Resources Institute 2007.External links Center For Advanced Study on Puerto Rico and the CaribbeanCoordinates:15N75WRetrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Caribbean_Sea&oldid=663733233"Categories: Caribbean Sea Geography of the Caribbean Seas of the Atlantic Ocean This page was last modified on 24 May 2015, at 00:06. Text is available under theCreative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to theTerms of UseandPrivacy Policy. Wikipedia is a registered trademark of theWikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.