In addition to being home to so many incredible beaches, it is also a very unique region of the world. The Gulf of Mexico covers roughly 615,000 mi (1.6 million km) and is about 930 miles (1,500 km) wide. I'm actually a little scared to get in a boat with you.". A mans world? The Florida Panhandle becomes a magical realm when you put on scuba gear, dive in the ocean, and breathe underwater. Geography of the Gulf of Mexico. Before the Gulf of Mexico exists the landscape was a continuous mountain range that spanned from Central Mexico up to West Texas, Oklahoma, and Alabama where it connected to the Appalachia Mountains. Not only does it border five U.S. states Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida but the Gulf of Mexico also borders Cuba and part of Mexico. The black coral is a notoriously slow grower, growing 2,000 times slower than human fingernails. These plants provide a safe habitat for numerous fishes, planktons, bivalves, shrimps, manatees, and other marine animals. Some bivalve species that are found here include oysters, mussels, clams, and scallops. The strength and wind speed of a hurricane vary from a Category 1, which is 74-95 mph, to Category 5, which has wind speeds over 157 mph. The Gulf is a very accessible body of water. The floor of the Gulf of Mexico is one of the most geologically interesting stretches of the Earth's surface. Fisheries are also extremely productive in the Gulf of Mexico, and many Gulf Coast states have economies centered on fishing in the area. The two designs are sized and analyzed for the new Gulf of Mexico metocean criteria. What Went Wrong? Shannon's experience as a pet parent shapes her writing and empowers her to produce informative and engaging content. Where Is the Gulf of Mexico? The Ultimate Guide to Campgrounds in Gulf Shores & Orange Beach, How to Plan a Budget-Friendly Beach Vacation, 10 Fun Family Activities in Gulf Shores & Orange Beach, 10 Cheap & Free Things To Do in Gulf Shores & Orange Beach, Take The Kids On A Catch & Release Crabbing Adventure On Alabama's Gulf Coast, The Best Restaurants for Fine Dining on Alabama Beaches, The Four Best Coffee Shops in Gulf Shores & Orange Beach, 4 Beach Restaurants Perfect for Date-Night, 10 Things to Know Before Your Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Vacation, 5 Things I Learned From My Alabama Beach Vacation, Easy Options for a Pet-Friendly Beach Vacation, Bike-Sharing at Gulf State Park: Share the Trails, Share the Wheels, 10 Things to do with Teens in Gulf Shores & Orange Beach, 5 Thrilling Amusement Parks Gulf Shores Orange Beach, The Gulf State Park Fishing and Education Pier. Thirty-one nominal species of the benthic harpacticoid family Zosimeidae Seifried, 2003 are known from several coastal systems less than 200 m depth and the deep sea. The average depth of the Gulf of Mexico by shore is roughly 5,200 feet. This in turn stimulates plankton growth and attracts numerous shrimps, small fishes, and squids. The 30A Company | 30A, Beach Happy and Life Shines are Registered Trademarks, By: Shannon Serpette | Posted Dec 17, 2021, The Five Beachiest Birds to Look for in the Sand and Skies, As a beach lover its likely you know that birds, much like other beach features, are never the same at every beach. Scientists warn that the "dead zone" wreaking havoc on marine life in the Gulf of Mexico will cover almost 9,000 square miles this summer. In the paper, Mishonov and his co-authors analyzed the first measurements of bottom nepheloid layers in the central and southern deep waters of the Gulf of Mexico west of the Yucatan peninsula made from Mexican and NOAA research vessels in 2015-2017. Gulfs are large bodies of saltwater that can be navigated and are nearly surrounded by land. "By clicking OK or by using this Website, you consent to the use of cookies. The economics of the area as well as the environment thus are sensitive to pollution. Water depths range from about 170 feet deep to about 450 feet deep. All major bodies of saltwater, including the oceans, are ocean basins. All rights reserved. The Gulf of Mexico has a maximum width of 932.06 miles and a surface area of approximately 600,000 square miles. This entailed pumping cement through a channelknown as a relief wellthat paralleled and eventually intersected the original well. The explosion To its north, northeast, and northwest, the Gulf of Mexico is bordered by the Gulf Coast of the United States (Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida). Get Free Guides to Boost Your SAT/ACT Score. It often raises the Gulf of Mexico water temperature, which can also lead to the formation and strengthening of hurricanes. At that point, the Gulf was probably a separate basin that was filled with seawater that later evaporated, leaving a blanket of salt behind. Climate change that's warming waters further is also making them larger, as in increased intensity and amount of water. The Gulf of Mexico is a large ocean basin near the Southeastern United States. Some of the important fishes include Albacore tuna, Red snapper, greater amberjack, tarpon, grouper, Atlantic spadefish, king mackerel, Gulf flounder, bluefish, etc. "Geography of the Gulf of Mexico." The black coral that lives in the Gulf has been found recently to be in the running for one of the oldest living things on earth. Though fitted loosely over the BOP and allowing some oil to escape, the cap enabled BP to siphon approximately 15,000 barrels of oil per day to a tanker. He was a research editor with Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. from 2008 to 2016 and worked on Britannica Blog from 2010 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. Our area is home to the largest fleet of charter fishing boats on the Gulf of Mexico, with over 100 in the destination. key transcendentalist beliefs, an overview of the movement's history, and key players. With the damaged riser shorn from the LMRPthe top segment of the BOPthe cap was lowered into place. With millions of gallons of oil spilled in the sea, the response effort was large and has lasted for over a decade. They are fragile, ancient, and vital to the marine ecosystem. To the southeast, it's bounded by the Caribbean Sea and Cuba. Its no secret that the Gulf of Mexico is a great vacation spot! Left, scientists launch a seafloor sampling device off a research vessel into the Gulf of Mexico. The Gulf of Mexico is a rich reservoir of natural gas and oil. This has led to the creation of dead zones in the Gulf Region, which runs east-west for over 22,730 km2 along the coasts of Louisiana and Texas. Final Reports FINAL REPORT: Congressional Letters - Offshore Whistleblower Protection They start at the state waterline (nine nautical miles out) and go all the way to the edge of the continental shelf, 100 miles offshore. Without any opposing force, oil began to discharge into the gulf. The Gulf of Mexico contains seven barrier islands located along the Gulfs northwestern part. The average depth of the Gulf of Mexico is approximately 1,600 meters, or 5,200 feet. It has been estimated that the Gulf of Mexico yields more shrimp, finfish, and shellfish per year than the New England, Chesapeake, south, and Mid-Atlantic areas combined. . Home Fishing Ocean Depth Maps Florida and Eastern Gulf of Mexico. The average depth of the Gulf is roughly 5,200 feet, but other parts of the Gulf of Mexico are surprisingly deep. The Gulf of Mexico shares its borders with the United States on the north, northeast, and northwest, and Mexico on the southwest, and the south. Briney, Amanda. 30A has raised over $3 million for coastal charities, and has given away 4 million of its famous blue 30A stickers. But its not just another waterway. It is one of the largest bodies of water in the world and it is a part of the Atlantic Ocean. What SAT Target Score Should You Be Aiming For? The addition of an ancillary collection system comprising several devices, also tapped into the BOP, increased the collection rate to approximately 25,000 barrels of oil a day. Both oceans and gulfs are large bodies of saltwater, but gulfs are smaller and are bordered on three sides by land. The success of these procedures cleared the way for a bottom kill, considered to be the most likely means of permanently sealing the leak. Northern Gulf of Mexico deepwater bathymetry grid created from 3D seismic surveys. Looking at a map you may not realize that the Gulf of Mexico is the ninth largest body of water in the world. Because salt doesnt compact under the weight of overlying layers like sediment does, it ends up being less dense than the sediment above it. Some 1,680 miles of the US coastline and 1,743 miles of the Mexican coastline borders the Gulf of Mexico. Theres a pocket of seawater in the Gulf of Mexico near New Orleans that contains salt content thats 5 times higher than neighboring waters. (April 28, 2010). How did the Deepwater Horizon oil spill affect birds? When does spring start? Today, the most serious pollution threats to the Gulf of Mexico come from oil drilling and agricultural runoff. Still, there are, 30A's Ultimate Guide to The Florida Panhandle Shipwreck. The 'extreme cruelty' around the global trade in frog legs, What does cancer smell like? 10. Where is the deepest part of the Gulf of Mexico? ThoughtCo. . Most of the basin consists of shallow intertidal areas, but its deepest point is called Sigsbee Deep and has an estimated depth of about 14,383 feet (4,384 m). Briney, Amanda. The Gulf was first explored by Amerigo Vespucci in 1497. Have you ever called this the Ocean? Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/geography-of-the-gulf-of-mexico-1435544. The seawater from the Caribbean Sea that enters the Gulf of Mexico via the Yucatn Channel, quickly circulates in a clockwise loop current before exiting the Gulf through the Florida Straits, eventually forming the Gulf Stream. Beach Happy ???????? Copyright 1996-2015 National Geographic SocietyCopyright 2015-2023 National Geographic Partners, LLC. Though the leak had slowed, it was estimated by a government-commissioned panel of scientists that 4,900,000 barrels of oil had already leaked into the gulf. In geographic terms, the Gulf of Mexico is also an ocean basin. Hurricane Harvey in 2017 made land shore as a Category 4 hurricane that caused historic flooding and left Houston and Southeast Texas devastated. Boasting some of the worlds most diverse coral reef ecosystems in the Caribbean and Florida, the Gulf of Mexico also is home to black coral, which is the oldest living marine organism currently known. In 2011, the oil taken from the gulf made up 54 percent of U.S. oil. The Bay of Campeche (Veracruz), 6. The Gulf of Mexico The graphic above shows the varying depths of the Gulf, which can range to over 12,000 feet deep (the darker the blue the deeper the water). To the north of the Gulf of Mexico are the US states of Alabama, Texas, Florida, Louisiana, and Mississippi. SANTA CRUZ, Calif. For the first time, scientists have been able to validate the age of deep-sea black corals in the Gulf of Mexico. Florida and Eastern Gulf of Mexico Grids. "Flaming Oil Rig Sinks in Gulf of Mexico. Its four times as salty as the nearby seawater and is warmer as well. Nearly half of the basin is compromised of shallow continental-shelf waters and due to the separation from the Atlantic Ocean, there are minimal tidal ranges.
