To the north of the Gulf of Mexico are the US states of Alabama, Texas, Florida, Louisiana, and Mississippi. Theres a pocket of seawater in the Gulf of Mexico near New Orleans that contains salt content thats 5 times higher than neighboring waters. The feature known as Horseshoe Basin in the western Gulf of Mexico shows up far more clearly on the new high-resolution map (right). The position of the West Florida Escarpment is shown . Christine graduated from Michigan State University with degrees in Environmental Biology and Geography and received her Master's from Duke University. The Jacuzzi of Despair as its called, is a combination of methane gas and hydrogen sulfide that kills all creatures who enter it. Long COVID patients turn to unproven treatments, Why evenings can be harder on people with dementia, This disease often goes under-diagnosedunless youre white, This sacred site could be Georgias first national park, See glow-in-the-dark mushrooms in Brazils other rainforest, 9 things to know about Holi, Indias most colorful festival, Anyone can discover a fossil on this beach. The black coral is a notoriously slow grower, growing 2,000 times slower than human fingernails. There are over a thousand types of fish in the Gulf of Mexico, including pelagic species, reef species. But it wasnt good enough for biologists who needed a more detailed picture of the area around the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill so they could assess the ecological damage. With the damaged riser shorn from the LMRPthe top segment of the BOPthe cap was lowered into place. As you can clearly see in the image below, this data is much higher resolution than the best available map, which was made in the 1990s. The 'extreme cruelty' around the global trade in frog legs, What does cancer smell like? (April 23, 2010). The Gulf State Park Fishing and Education Pier is the second-longest pier in the Gulf of Mexico. About 4 of the United States largest fishing ports are located in the Gulf of Mexico region. Eco-friendly burial alternatives, explained. 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. The Gulf of Mexico is somewhat shallow, along the coastal continental shelf areas, and has an average depth of 1,615m. "Size of Spill in Gulf of Mexico is Larger than Thought. (A 2014 report by the U.S. Chemical Safety Board claimed that the blind shear rams had activated sooner than previously thought and may have actually punctured the pipe.). In this article, we will look at 10 facts on the Gulf of Mexico you must know. All major bodies of saltwater, including the oceans, are ocean basins. Copyright 2023 Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Tourism. Old cells hang around as we age, doing damage to the body. About 5 million acres of wetlands border the Gulf of Mexico. . Nearly all offshore oil and natural gas leasing and development activity currently occurs in the central and western Gulf of Mexico, where thousands of . We end with some fun facts about the Gulf (spoiler alert: its home to a lot of sharks!). ThoughtCo, Sep. 8, 2021, thoughtco.com/geography-of-the-gulf-of-mexico-1435544. We had been planning a trip to run deep into the Gulf, but . How deep is the Gulf of Mexico at its furthest point from its surface? Every year, millions of birds migrate during fall, and many of them fly over the Gulf of Mexico during their trip. Breathtaking vistas create an inviting back drop for all-season entertaining.. Marc Pagani Photography/Shutterstock.com. Additionally, the storm surge for each Category increases with severity, a Category 1 is 4 5 feet, while a Category 5 is 19 feet or more! The Annual John L. Borom Alabama Coastal Birdfest is a fantastic opportunity to witness these birds in action. It is a warm Atlantic Ocean current and the warmth of this current is the cause of the formation of devastating Atlantic hurricanes. The Gulf of Mexico is connected to the Caribbean Sea via the Yucatn Channel (between Cuba and Mexico); and with the Atlantic Ocean through the Straits of Florida (between Cuba and US). A second disposal location roughly 125 miles south of Galveston, Texas, is known as Site A, and the Mississippi Canyon area is known as Site B. This year, the Mississippi River flooded for more than 6 months, unprecedented in both length of time and volume of water. 7. Bacteria that had adapted to consuming naturally occurring gas and oil seeping from the seabed were thought to have consumed a portion of it. Visit the National Saltwater Angler Registry to ensure you are registered. Without a doubt, the sugar-white sand beaches on the Alabama and Florida gulf coast are among the most beautiful on the planet. Looking at a map you may not realize that the Gulf of Mexico is the ninth largest body of water in the world. Fishing is productive in the Gulf because of the connection with Sarasota Bay and other local estuaries. To learn more about the Gulf of Mexico, visit theGulf of Mexico Programfrom the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. To the southeast, it's bounded by the Caribbean Sea and Cuba. The western end of the island of Cuba forms a partial barrier to the eastern Gulf of Mexico, where it joins the Caribbean Sea. Should You Stay in Gulf Shores or Orange Beach? Thus, in 1559, Tristn de Luna y Arellano landed at Pensacola Bay and established a settlement. 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These strange, complex configurations are part of the geology that created the conditions that allowed vast oil deposits to collect. The southeast is bordered by the northwest portion of Cuba, which includes the capital, Havana. Some of these Gulf of Mexico sharks include bull sharks, hammerhead sharks, and lemon sharks. Sigsbee Deep is a variant name for the United States Board on Geographic Names (BGN) approved name of Mexico Basin for cartographic materials produced by Federal agencies. Seabirds, fish, and reptiles are abundant, as well as bottlenose dolphins, a large population of sperm whales, and sea turtles. Off the sands in Florida lies a 360-mile stretch of coral Reefs which developed 10,000 years ago during the last Ice Age. While most of the Gulf of Mexico is fairly shallow, its deepest point is Sigsbee Deep, which has an estimated maximum depth of 14,383 feet! The Sigsbee Deep, 200 miles southeast of Brownsville, Texas, is estimated to be between 12,300 to 14,383 feet. Shannon's experience as a pet parent shapes her writing and empowers her to produce informative and engaging content. Photo credit: NOAA Okeanos Explorer Program. Animals that wander into the lake dont come out alive. The basin is roughly circular in shape and approximately 810 nautical miles (1,500 km) wide. "Flaming Oil Rig Sinks in Gulf of Mexico. visits the Gulf of Mexico. First discovered in 1999 by Texas A&M deep-tow data and 3D seismic supplied by WesternGeco LLC, the furrows are expressed for over 200 km along the Sigsbee . Water depths range from about 170 feet deep to about 450 feet deep. In geographic terms, the Gulf of Mexico is also an ocean basin. Climate change that's warming waters further is also making them larger, as in increased intensity and amount of water. Left, scientists launch a seafloor sampling device off a research vessel into the Gulf of Mexico. 03 Shaded Relief Images. The Gulf of Mexico is bordered by 1,680 miles of US coastline. The Gulfs basin is unusually flat, with a gradient of only about 1 foot per every 8,000 feet. Natural gas wasnt far behind, comprising 47 percent of the U.S. totals. 10. 617,800 mi Gulf of Mexico/Area. The comparison is based on hull dimensions, including heave plate and structural support construction. Although it is rare to see sharks in our waters, around 50 species call the Gulf of Mexico home. 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 Louisiana and its subsequent sinking on April 22. Transcendentalism was a key movement in 19th-century America, but many people still aren't sure what it was all about. 3. A sea lily (Crinoidea) rests in the middle of a mushroom coral (Anthomastus sp.) The first oil well was drilled in the Gulf in 1938. But its not just another waterway. The surface area of the Gulf of California is about 160,000 km2 (or 62,000 square miles). The defective BOP and the capping stack were removed in early September and replaced by a functioning BOP. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. The Gulf of Mexico is located below the southeastern portion of the United States. environmental disaster, Gulf of Mexico [2010]. An ocean basin is simply any large area covered with seawater and located below sea level. The first European exploration of the Gulf of Mexico occurred in 1497 when Amerigo Vespucci sailed along Central America and entered the Atlantic Ocean through the Gulf of Mexico and the Straits of Florida (the strip of water between present-day Florida and Cuba). No, although many people make that mistake, as the definition of an ocean is actually somewhat vague. Learn more about us & read our affiliate disclosure. 5. A large oil spill occurred on April 22, 2010, in the Gulf of Mexico, when the Deepwater Horizon an oil drilling platform, suffered an explosion and sank into the Gulf. Its a diverse ecosystem with a long and interesting history. 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. The Gulf is about 1, 000 miles wide, as much as 14, 000 feet deep, and receives runoff from vast areas of the continent. Scientists documented the pair on NOAA's 2018 Okeanos Expedition during a research cruise to the West Florida Escarpment and DeSoto Canyon areas. The entire coastline felt the effects of Hurricane Katrina: 1,800 lives were lost and damages caused by the storm totaled $125 billion. Click on a 1 degree by 1 degree square for access to low and high resolution images. Our area is home to the largest fleet of charter fishing boats on the Gulf of Mexico, with over 100 in the destination. However, in portions such as The Sigsbee Deep, which is 2 miles southwest of Brownsville, Texas, the depths reach up to 4,384 meters, or 14,383 feet! Here are 11 facts about the Gulf. The most common found around Alabama beaches are bull sharks, great hammerhead sharks, sand tiger sharks and shortfin mako sharks. However, around 300 million years ago, in the late Triassic period, plate tectonics caused rifting within Pangea, and a rich oceanic basin created what is now the worlds largest gulf. Thank you for reading! Still interested in learning more about the Gulf of Mexico? The agricultural activities inland of the Gulf of Mexico coast have led to an increase in nitrogen-rich chemical fertilizers and pesticides and phosphorus-based detergents that are eventually washed away by rains or by rivers into the aquatic ecosystems. 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. By fintasticinc March 22, 2016 Capt's. Corner. On the night of April 20 a surge of natural gas blasted through a concrete core recently installed by contractor Halliburton in order to seal the well for later use. Red tide algae blooms in the Gulf have led to large die-offs of marine species, and the Gulf of Mexico is reported to contain one of the highest levels of microplastics in the world. Red snapper are generally found in waters from 30 to 620 feet deep and are one of the most heavily . . It is one of the largest bodies of water in the world and it is a part of the Atlantic Ocean. 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. . 8. The Gulf of Mexico was likely formed roughly 300 million years ago when part of the ocean floor gradually sank due to plate tectonics. 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. The Gulf of Mexico has been a source of oil since 1938, when the first oil well was drilled there. The Western Gulf of Mexico, and. The entire basin is about 600,000 square miles (1.5 million sq km). With so much marine life dependent upon the delicate ecosystem the future of the Gulf of Mexico depends on the proper management of resources and conservation of marine life. The Gulf of Mexico supports different species of flora and fauna and is widely recognized for its diversity and productivity. 9. The deepest part of the Gulf of Mexico is Sigsbee Deep, which has an estimated depth of around 14,383 feet. The First European Settlement Was at Pensacola Bay, Over 60 Million Americans Live Along the Gulf. Only about 25 percent of the oil was recovered, leaving more than 154 million gallons of oil at sea. The Joshua Channel (labeled channel-levee) in the eastern Gulf of Mexico stands out clearly on the new high-resolution map of the sea floor. A Comprehensive Guide. 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. Check out our guide on the 13 colonies for everything you need to know about the colonies and how the US came to be. One of Earth's loneliest volcanoes holds an extraordinary secret. 2014). Gulfs are large bodies of saltwater that can be navigated and are nearly surrounded by land. This surpassed the 3.3 million barrels that spilled into the Bay of Campeche by the Mexican rig Ixtoc I in 1979. During this period the conditions are favorable for the development of hurricanes. What if we could clean them out? Northern Gulf of Mexico deepwater bathymetry grid created from 3D seismic surveys. 7. The Gulf of Mexico is a 'sea' and is part of the Atlantic Ocean. Unfortunately, yes. Covering an area of 1,507,639 km2, the Gulf of Mexico is a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean and the worlds largest gulf. The Gulf of Mexico is a sea and is part of the Atlantic Ocean. Without any opposing force, oil began to discharge into the gulf. Forensic analysis of the BOP completed the following year determined that a set of massive blades known as blind shear ramsdesigned to slice through the pipe carrying oilhad malfunctioned because the pipe had bent under the pressure of the rising gas and oil. Description [ edit] The basin is located in the southwestern quadrant of the Gulf, with its closest point to the U.S. coast at 200 miles (320 km) southeast of Brownsville, Texas. The paper presents and discusses two semisubmersible designs that assume a common topsides and riser payload. Cuba, crossed some of the deepest parts of the Gulf of Mexico over 100 miles offshore, which therefore increases the . Several copepods of the family Zosimeidae were found in deep-sea sediment samples from the Gulf of Mexico and the Gulf of California (Mexico). The Gulf of Mexico is a highly biodiverse area and features many coastal wetlands and mangrove forests. 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. Over the next 150 million years the gulf continued to deepen and enlarge with the movements of the earth. Can we bring a species back from the brink?, Video Story, Copyright 1996-2015 National Geographic Society, Copyright 2015-2023 National Geographic Partners, LLC. depth (ft) Nearby waterbodies (689) 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. It later emerged through documents released by Wikileaks that a similar incident had occurred on a BP-owned rig in the Caspian Sea in September 2008. Recreational and commercial fishing, water sports, scuba diving, and tourism also forms a significant part of the economy of the surrounding areas. There have been over 750 known shipwrecks in the Gulf of Mexico. ???? The lake gets its foreboding name because of how salty the water is and how most things dont survive it. Introduction. The Gulf of Mexico is an important economic region for all the three countries (Cuba, Mexico, and United States) that border it. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. See how other students and parents are navigating high school, college, and the college admissions process. Her family is still awaiting justice. Some of the notable species include Blacktip shark, Bonnethead shark, Bull shark, Great hammerhead shark, Lemon shark, Nurse shark, and Sand Tiger Shark. The Gulf is a very accessible body of water. It is a popular fishing destination, and its waters are used for transportation, recreation, and tourism. Though similar to the failed top kill, mud could be injected at much lower pressures during the static kill because of the stabilizing influence of the capping stack. So is the Gulf of Mexico an ocean? Some of the notable species include Southern Moon jelly, Mushroom jelly, Upside-down jelly, Cannonball jellyfish, Atlantic Sea Nettle, Pink Meanie, and Portuguese Man of War. The deepest part of the Gulf of Mexico, Sigsbee Deep, is estimated to be around 14,383 feet deep while the average depth is around 5,300 feet. It often raises the Gulf of Mexico water temperature, which can also lead to the formation and strengthening of hurricanes. This cross section has been derived from recently collected deep-penetration seismic reflection profiles collected by industry. Now that's deep! The accident resulted in the deaths of 11 workers and caused a massive, ongoing oil spill into the Gulf of Mexico. Some portions of the loop current often break away, forming gyres or eddies which further affects the regional current patterns. 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. Situated in the southwestern part of the Gulf, the Sigsbee Deep (Mexico Basin) is the deepest region in the Gulf of Mexico that has an estimated depth of over 4,384m. [3] The Sigsbee Abyssal Plain is the deepest and flattest sector of the deep basin.[1]. Different species of jellyfish are also commonly found in the waters of the Gulf of Mexico.