The Gulf of Mexico is an ocean basin located close to the southeastern United States. The basin is located in the southwestern quadrant of the Gulf, with its closest point to the U.S. coast at 200 miles (320km) southeast of Brownsville, Texas. The Gulf is a very accessible body of water. One escarpment has a towering drop of 1,220 meters and extends for 560 kilometers, or 348 miles. The Alabama Gulf Coast boasts the largest artificial reef program in the nation, with 1,136 square miles of artificial reefs located at the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico. Pilots who live in Florida, and especially on the west coast of Florida, have this problem. Briney, Amanda. This striking view of the ocean floor off the coasts of Louisiana and Texas was created by a government agency youve likely never heard of called the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM). What ACT target score should you be aiming for? Here's where to find more lumps to fish in the gulf. Should You Stay in Gulf Shores or Orange Beach? Were here to help! Gulf of Mexico water temperature: The surface water temperature of the Gulf of Mexico, as recorded in February, varies from 18C in the northern part of the Gulf to about 24C off the Yucatn coast. The most common found around Alabama beaches are bull sharks, great hammerhead sharks, sand tiger sharks and shortfin mako sharks. 30A has raised over $3 million for coastal charities, and has given away 4 million of its famous blue 30A stickers. The Flower Garden Banks are brightly colored coral reefs that are located about 185km to the southeast of Galveston, in the northwestern part of the Gulf of Mexico. 11 Geographic Facts About the Gulf of Mexico - ThoughtCo Cuba, crossed some of the deepest parts of the Gulf of Mexico over 100 miles offshore, which therefore increases the . While the Gulf of Mexico was once the source of colonization and discovery for early explorers, today its known for its four major industries oil and gas, shipping, fishing, and tourism. The volume of oil escaping the damaged welloriginally estimated by BP to be about 1,000 barrels per daywas thought by U.S. government officials to have peaked at more than 60,000 barrels per day. . This region consists of about 1,394 miles (2,243 km) of coastline. Today, the most serious pollution threats to the Gulf of Mexico come from oil drilling and agricultural runoff. The gulfs peculiar history gave rise to a landscape riddled with domes, pockmarks, canyons, faults, and channels all revealed in more detail than ever before by a new 1.4 billion-pixel map. of Mexico before you plan a fishing trip. How many miles long is the Gulf of Mexico? - TeachersCollegesj She holds a Certificate of Advanced Study in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) from California State University. Unauthorized use is prohibited. Please select which sections you would like to print: Richard Pallardy received a B.A. Two Dry Tree Semisubmersible Designs for Ultra Deep Water Post-Katrina You can spot them and learn more about their life on the Alabama Gulf Coast on a dolphin cruise. Some of the devastating hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico region include Hurricane Katrina (2005), Hurricane Ike (2008), Hurricane Harvey (2016), Hurricane Michael (2018), Hurricane Rita, Galveston Hurricane, etc. This is twice the size of Texas. and southward under the influence of eddies typical of the deep Gulf of Mexico (Androulidakis et al., 2018). From the floor of the basin rise the Sigsbee Knolls, some of which attain heights of 1,300 feet (400 metres); these are surface expressions of the buried salt domes. The Gulf of Mexico is one of the most important offshore petroleum . Now that youre familiar with the Gulf of Mexico, its time to start planning a beach trip to Gulf Shores and Orange Beach! Not sure where the Gulf of Mexico is? 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. The wetlands along the Gulf of Mexico cover around 5 million acres (2.02 million hectares). America's Sea: The Gulf of Mexico - Texas Aquatic Science Population along the Gulf coast exploded in the 1950s, and the rising number of people living along the Gulf resulted in increased pollution problems. The Gulf of Mexico is the ninth largest ocean basinin the world, covering almost 600,000 square miles. Lines of underwater microphones pulled along the surface behind the ship record how long it takes the reflected waves to reach them, data that can then be translated into topography. Each year millions of migratory birds trek the long journey across the Gulf to feed and mate. Along the south and southwest, the Gulf of Mexico is bordered by the Mexican states of Tamaulipas, Veracruz, Tabasco, Campeche,and Yucatn. These four industries produce nearly $234 billion annually. The 5 Strategies You Must Be Using to Improve 160+ SAT Points, How to Get a Perfect 1600, by a Perfect Scorer, Free Complete Official SAT Practice Tests. So, while the average depth of the Gulf of Mexico is not incredibly deep, there are some areas that are quite deep. The Gulf of Mexico, under ordinary conditions, has tides of two feet or less, but on the wide and shallow shelf such a variation is quite noticeable. WATCH: Sharks biting alligators, the most epic lion battles, and MUCH more. The Gulf of Mexico is believed to contain over 660 quadrillion gallons of water. Click on a 1 degree by 1 degree square for access to low and high resolution images. Do You Know the Different Regions of the US? There are 4,000 drilling platforms there. The success of these procedures cleared the way for a bottom kill, considered to be the most likely means of permanently sealing the leak. . Through the process of upwelling, which occurs near the Florida coast of the Gulf, the cooler nutrient-rich water from the deeper parts of the Gulf is brought to the surface. The wetlands here comprise nearly 30% of all wetlands in the United States. Offshore drilling limited to Gulf of Mexico in Biden - CNN These slow-growing, long-living animals thrive in very deep waters300 meters (984 feet) and . But the Gulf is also a habitat for other sea animals including dolphins, whales, sea turtles, and manatees. (Weird fact: not all black coral is black.). More than 400 species of shellfish are found in the Gulf region. A mans world? One of the most devastating was Hurricane Katrina, which formed in the Gulf of Mexico in 2005 and caused over 1,200 deaths and $125 billion in damage, mostly concentrated in New Orleans, Louisiana and surrounding areas. 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. 7. In addition to the oil, nearly 2 million gallons of toxic dispersants were sprayed into the Gulf's waters. The Gulf of Mexico is an inlet connecting Mexico and the United States to the ocean and is a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean. The Gulf covers approximately 600,000 square miles. To the south and southwest, the Gulf of Mexico is bordered by Mexico. With the damaged riser shorn from the LMRPthe top segment of the BOPthe cap was lowered into place. But its not just another waterway. The Gulf of Mexico is the ninth largest body of water in the world. On April 20, 2010, an explosion on the Deepwater Horizon platform caused the largest oil spill in history. The Gulf of Mexico is somewhat shallow, along the coastal continental shelf areas, and has an average depth of 1,615m. There is a thriving range of wildlife living in the Gulf of Mexico and along its coastlines. All rights reserved. These banks provide critical habitats for many marine animals including commercially valuable fishes, sharks, rays, and sea turtles. Fishermen found Heather Strickland's body in a trash bag miles off the coast of Pinellas County, Florida, in December 2022. The Spanish explorer Tristn de Luna y Arellano landed at Pensacola Bay and established a settlement on August 15, 1559. The oil rig involved in the Deepwater Horizon oil spill was owned and operated by offshore oil-drilling company Transocean and leased by the oil company BP. It is one of the largest bodies of water in the world and it is a part of the Atlantic Ocean. The 'extreme cruelty' around the global trade in frog legs, What does cancer smell like? The dead zones are incapable of supporting aquatic flora and fauna. Not according to biology or history. 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. ABOARD THE WESTERN NEPTUNE, Gulf of Mexico Every 17 seconds, a small armada of ships trawling 130 miles from the Louisiana coast fire powerful air guns toward the bottom of the sea in a. 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. What is wind chill, and how does it affect your body? The area then filled with seawater, forming the Gulf of Mexico. It is the center of the United States oil refining and petrochemical industry and hence more than 18% of the US oil production is derived from the offshore wells in the Gulf of Mexico. . The Gulf of Mexico is the largest gulf in the world, with 600,000 sq miles bordered by 1,680 miles of US coastlines. In the United States the population of the coastal regions surrounding the Gulf of Mexico is estimated to number more than 60 million people by 2025, as states such as Texas (the second most populous state) and Florida (the third most populous state) are growing quickly. Oceans, the largest bodies of water in the world, have no exact boundaries, and they are bordered by seas (the Caribbean Sea separates the Gulf of Mexico from the Atlantic Ocean). Photo credit: NOAA Okeanos Explorer Program. The area of the Gulf of Mexico is about 615,000 square mi (1.6 million square km). 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). 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. Because it is a warm current, sea surface temperatures in the Gulf of Mexico are normally also warm, which feeds Atlantic hurricanes and helps in giving them strength. Go The Distance - Offshore Fishing | Fintastic Fishing Charters The entire coastline felt the effects of Hurricane Katrina: 1,800 lives were lost and damages caused by the storm totaled $125 billion. To learn more about the Gulf of Mexico, visit theGulf of Mexico Programfrom the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 1. 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. The gulf's peculiar history gave rise to a landscape riddled with domes,. The Gulf of Mexico is the largest gulf in the world, as well as the worlds 9th largest body of water. How Deep is the Gulf of Mexico | Gulf of Mexico Depth environmental disaster, Gulf of Mexico [2010]. Omissions? It is so dense with salt that it does not mix with the surrounding water, just sits there as its own pool of despair in the middle of Gulf waters. Several copepods of the family Zosimeidae were found in deep-sea sediment samples from the Gulf of Mexico and the Gulf of California (Mexico). "Size of Spill in Gulf of Mexico is Larger than Thought. Hurricanes are common along the Gulf Coast, such as Katrina in 2005, Ike in 2008, Harvey in 2016, and Michael in 2018. The Gulf Oil Spill - Crime Museum Louisiana is an especially important stop along their journey between Latin America and the breeding grounds in North America with nearly 2.5 million landing each day to rest. Recreational and commercial fishing, water sports, scuba diving, and tourism also forms a significant part of the economy of the surrounding areas. What are the circles in the Gulf of Mexico? Various waterfowl, shorebirds, coral reef, and endangered sea turtles establish their habitats in the Gulf of Mexico which is crucial to their survival. However, it was verified in June that the plumes were in fact from the Deepwater spill. In 2011, the oil taken from the gulf made up 54 percent of U.S. oil. The rig was located approximately 50 miles southeast of Venice, Louisiana, and had a 126-member crew onboard. They found the Gulf is home to 2,000 year-old deep-sea black corals, many of which are only a few feet tall. The position of the West Florida Escarpment is shown . Have you ever called this the Ocean? Oil Platforms In The Gulf Of Mexico - Maritime Page About 5 million acres of wetlands border the Gulf of Mexico. 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. Regardless of region, the Gulf of Mexico has a striking diversity of flora and fauna which support fish, sharks, dolphins, and countless other marine life. It borders the coasts of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida as well as the island of Cuba and parts of Mexico. Fishing in the Gulf of Mexico: - Top spots & species - How to fish (charter fishing, deep sea fishing, shore fishing) - When to come | For beginners and pros . The Gulf of Mexico - National Park Service The distance will be displayed below the map in miles or kilometers. Final Reports FINAL REPORT: Congressional Letters - Offshore Whistleblower Protection Recreational fishing is popular, as are water sports and tourism along the coastal regions. Two days later, following a series of pressure tests, it was announced that the well was completely sealed. The average depth of the Gulf is roughly 5,200 feet, but other parts of the Gulf of Mexico are surprisingly deep. Warning: THIS DATA IS NOT TO BE USED FOR NAVIGATION Both are partially detailed in a lengthy 1975 National Academy of Sciences report on ocean contaminants. Now thats deep! Animals that wander into the lake dont come out alive. Gulf of Mexico - New World Encyclopedia One hundred miles southeast of Galveston's muddy shoreline, the Gulf of Mexico becomes a dazzling, vibrant blue. The Sigsbee Deep[Note 1] (Mexico basin in the U. S. Board on Geographic Names Advisory Committee on Undersea Features (ACUF) Gazetteer),[1] is a roughly triangular basin that is the deepest part of the Gulf of Mexico named for Commander Charles Dwight Sigsbee, USN, Assistant U. S. Coast and Geodetic Survey, commanding officer of the USC&GS George S. Blake which discovered the feature during its mapping of the Gulf of Mexico. Gulf of Mexico | - Sarasota.WaterAtlas.org The Gulf of Mexico is roughly oval-shaped with a long dimension of about 950 mi (1,500 km). The Gulf formed about 300 million years ago, and in all it encompasses 600,000 square miles. The floor of the Gulf of Mexico is one of the most geologically interesting stretches of the Earth's surface. depth (ft) Nearby waterbodies (689) Deepwater Horizon oil spill, also called Gulf of Mexico oil spill, largest marine oil spill in history, caused by an April 20, 2010, explosion on the Deepwater Horizon oil riglocated in the Gulf of Mexico, approximately 41 miles (66 km) off the coast of Louisianaand its subsequent sinking on April 22. (2021, September 8). Although it has its own name and boundaries, the Gulf of Mexico can be considered part of the Atlantic Ocean as oceans have no hard boundaries. Gulfs are large bodies of saltwater that can be navigated and are nearly surrounded by land. Youre probably familiar with the beautiful sandy beaches in Florida or the sprawling coastlines packed with beachgoers in South Padre Island, however, there are countless beautiful beaches along the Gulf of Mexico to be found throughout Mexico, Cuba, and the U.S. With an average temperature between 84F and 88F the Gulf of Mexico is a perfect vacation destination. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. These are not coastal dead zones, like the one that sprawls across the Gulf of Mexico, but great swaths of deep water that can reach thousands of miles offshore. The Deepwater Horizon oil spill occurred after a surge of natural gas blasted through a concrete core recently installed to seal an oil well for later use.
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