What fish are found in the Caribbean. Caribbean beauties

CARIBBEAN SEA, Caribbean Sea, semi-enclosed marginal sea in the western part of the tropical Atlantic Ocean. In the west and south, it is limited by the mainland coasts of the Central and South America, in the north and east - the ridge of the Greater Antilles (Cuba, Haiti, Puerto Rico) and the Windward Islands from the Lesser Antilles group. It is reported by the Yucatan Strait with the Gulf of Mexico, numerous straits in the archipelagos of the Greater and Lesser Antilles - with Atlantic Ocean, Panama Canal - from The Pacific Ocean... The area is 2777 thousand km 2, the volume is 6745 thousand km 3. Maximum depth 7090 m (Cayman trench).

The shores of Central America are low-lying, wooded, South America is mostly high, steep, with separate low areas covered with mangroves. Most of the islands have mountainous and steep shores. Western and partly southwest coast the seas are bordered by reefs. The main large bays are located in the western and southern parts of the sea: Honduran, Mosquito, Darien, Venezuelan Gulf with Lake Maracaibo, Paria. Of the large islands - Jamaica; many small islands, most of them in the western and southeastern parts of the sea.

The shelf is well expressed only off the coasts of Honduras, Nicaragua and Venezuela (100-240 km), the continental slope is steep, on average about 17 °, in some parts of the slope there is a steepness of up to 45 °. On the bottom, strongly dissected by underwater ridges, there are deep depressions: Yucatan (4800 m), Columbia (4259 m), Venezuelan (5420 m), Grenada (4120 m). In the north Caribbean from west to east, along the southern foot of the underwater ridge of the same name, the deep-water Cayman trench is stretched. Most of the underwater ridges (Aves, Beata, the Marcelino rapids, etc.) seem to be submerged island arcs. Bottom sediments are mainly represented by calcareous foraminiferal silts. Mud flows are an important factor of sedimentation for the flat relief of the basins; the most powerful precipitation was found in the north of the Venezuelan basin (up to 12 km).

The climate is maritime, warm, with low seasonal variability, determined by the location of the Caribbean Sea in the zone of trade wind circulation of the atmosphere. Average air temperatures in February are 24-27 ° С, in August 27-30 ° С. The amount of precipitation increases from east to west from 500 to 2000 mm per year. The greatest average monthly precipitation falls in summer off the coast of Panama (up to 400 mm), the least - in winter off the coast of Cuba (about 20 mm). Northeast trade winds with speeds of 5-7 m / s prevail over the sea. Stormy conditions are usually associated with tropical hurricanes, in which wind speeds reach 40-60 m / s. Hurricanes cross the Caribbean Sea in the western and northwestern directions at a speed of 10-20 km / h with an average recurrence rate of 3 times a year (in some years more than 10).

Water exchange with the Atlantic Ocean is carried out mainly through deep straits: Windward, Sombrero, Dominica, etc .; with the Gulf of Mexico - through the Yucatan. The excitement is predominantly of the eastern and northeastern directions, on average 3-4, rarely 5 points. The magnitude of the annual level fluctuations is small and usually ranges from 8 to 30 cm. Short-term level fluctuations are observed during the passage of tropical hurricanes. Irregular semi-daily tides, off the coast of Venezuela - irregular daily tides, up to 1 m.

The circulation of water is set by the branches of the Antilles Current and the Guiana Current entering the Caribbean Sea through the northern and eastern inter-island straits. These waters spread westward under the name of the Caribbean Current. In the eastern part of the sea, the current moves in two streams at a distance of 200-300 km from each other. At about 80 ° West longitude, both streams merge into one. The current velocity in the western part of the sea reaches 70 cm / s. Off the coast of Cuba and Jamaica, the current forms several anticyclonic gyres, cyclonic eddies are observed along the coasts of Venezuela, Panama and Costa Rica. The waters of the Caribbean Current through the Yucatan Strait are carried into the Gulf of Mexico. In the strait, the highest speed of surface currents from the mainland coast is up to 150 cm / s.

The surface water temperature during the year varies from 26 ° C in winter to 29 ° C in summer. Deep-sea basins are filled with Atlantic waters with a temperature of about 4.3 ° C. The average salinity of water on the surface is from 35.5 to 36.5 ‰. By the end summer season due to the abundance of precipitation and fresh river runoff, salinity decreases by 0.5-1.0 ‰, its lowest values ​​(33-34 ‰) near the islands of Trinidad and Tobago are explained by the large fresh runoff of the Orinoco River. The highest salinity of surface waters is in a narrow strip off the coast of South America and the coasts of Haiti and Cuba (over 36 ‰).

There are about 800 species of fish in the Caribbean, of which more than half are edible. Of the commercial fish, the most important are representatives of the families of snapper, serranaceae, sea carp, several species of mullet, croaker, as well as sardinella, horse mackerel, mackerel, tarpon, anchovies. Fish are widespread open ocean- tuna, marlins, sailfish, common luminous fish, sharks.

The Caribbean coast is famous for its beautiful beaches and is the largest recreational area with numerous resorts. Busy shipping; runs the sea route through the Panama Canal, connecting the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. The main ports are Santiago de Cuba (Cuba), Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic), Maracaibo (Venezuela), Barranquilla and Cartagena (Colombia), Colon (Panama).

Lit .: Zalogin B.S., Kosarev A.N. Morya. Moscow, 1999, M.G. Deev.

And is located in the tropical zone of the Western Hemisphere. In the northwest, the reservoir borders on the Yucatan Peninsula (Mexico) and connects to the Gulf of Mexico through the Yucatan Strait between Yucatan and Cuba. In the north and east are the Greater and Lesser Antilles. In the south, the sea washes the northern coast of South America. In the west and southwest lies the coast of Central America. Here, the Caribbean waters through the Panama Canal are connected to the waters of the Pacific Ocean.

Geography

The reservoir in question is one of the largest in the world. Its area is 2.754 thousand square meters. km. The volume of water is 6.860 thousand cubic meters. km. The maximum depth is 7686 meters. It is recorded in the so-called Cayman trough. It is located between Jamaica and the Cayman Islands. This is an underwater trench between the North American and Caribbean plates. Average depth the reservoir is 2500 meters.

Country

The vast sea washes many countries. In South America, these are Venezuela and Colombia. In Central America: Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Honduras and Belize. The last in this line is the Yucatan Peninsula. Its northern part is occupied by 3 Mexican states, and to the south there are lands belonging to Belize and Guatemala.

In the northern part of the Greater Antilles, there are states such as Cuba, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica and Puerto Rico. The Lesser Antilles is occupied by countries such as Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago.

Caribbean on the map

Islands

Those who are not in the know need to know that Bahamas never belonged to the Caribbean. They are located north of Cuba and south of Florida. These are the waters of the Atlantic, and historically this area is called the West Indies. Here it covers both the Caribbean and the Bahamas. This term appeared after the discovery of America by Columbus.

In the reservoir under consideration, there are the Antilles, which are subdivided into Large and Small. The first includes 4 big islands: Cuba, Haiti, Jamaica and Puerto Rico. This also includes small islands located near Cuba and forming the archipelagos of Los Canarreos and Jardines de la Reina.

The Lesser Antilles are much more numerous. They are influenced by the northwest trade winds and are subdivided into windward and leeward or southern. The first group contains about 50 islands. The southern group stretches along the coast of South America and includes both individual islands and archipelagos.

Closer to west coast reservoir, there are several archipelagos. These are the Cayman Islands (Grand Cayman, Little Cayman, Cayman Brac), the Islas de la Bahia islands belonging to Honduras, as well as the Miskitos and Terneff islands. There are separate islands of San Andres and Providencia.

Rivers

Many rivers flow into a huge reservoir. The largest is the Magdalena River in South America. It flows through Colombia and has a length of 1550 km. Its annual flow is the largest and is equal to about 230 cubic meters. km. The second Colombian river is called Atrato. Its length is 644 km. Some of the rivers flow into Lake Maracaibo (the largest in South America). It is connected with the Venezuelan Gulf of the Caribbean Sea by a shallow strait, the depth of which does not exceed 4 meters.

The reservoir is also fed by about 30 rivers of Central America. There are rivers on the islands. For example, the Cauto River in Cuba. Its length is 343 km. Or the Artibonite River in Haiti with a length of 240 km. There are rivers in Jamaica. These are Milk River and Black River.

Climate

The climate is tropical. It is formed by the subtropical Caribbean Current, which is a continuation of the South Passat Current. Warm waters flow from southeast to northwest and through the Yucatan Strait go to the Gulf of Mexico, where the Gulf Stream is born. That's why annual temperature keeps between 21 and 29 degrees Celsius.

Trade winds dominate the reservoir. Their speed ranges from 16 to 30 km / h. In the northern part of the reservoir, there are tropical hurricanes. Their speed can reach up to 120 km / h. Such strong winds sometimes they carry a real tragedy: people die, houses collapse, crops die. For example, Hurricane Mitch, which formed in the western part of the sea in October 1998, caused a lot of grief. 11 thousand people died and the same number are missing. 2.7 million people were left without housing. These were mainly citizens of Nicaragua and Honduras.

Economy

The Caribbean Sea is inextricably linked with oil production. Its water area produces about 170 million tons of oil per year. In addition, the fishing industry is well developed. Sea waters give up to 500 thousand tons of fish per year. However, human activity pollutes environment... First of all, this negatively affects coral reefs that are steadily discolored and their ecosystem is collapsing.

In the near future, this may not affect the tourism industry in the best way. Up to 40 million tourists visit this area a year. The net profit from them is about $ 30 billion. Many tourists are attracted by diving and the beauty of the coral reefs. Approximately 3 million local residents living on the islands are somehow connected with the tourism business. So the issues related to ecology are quite acute.

The area of ​​the Caribbean Sea is 2,754,000 km². The average depth is 1225 m. The average volume of water is 6860 thousand km³.

The sea is located on the Caribbean lithospheric plate. It is divided into five basins, separated from each other by underwater ridges and a series of islands. The Caribbean Sea is considered shallow compared to other bodies of water, although maximum depth- approximately 7,686 meters (in the Cayman Trench between Cuba and Jamaica).

The shores are mountainous in places, low in places; in the west and in the Antilles are bordered by coral reefs. Coastline heavily indented; in the west and south there are bays - Honduran, Darien, Venezuelan (Maracaibo), etc.

The Caribbean Sea is one of the largest seas of the transition zone, separated from the ocean by a system of island arcs of different ages, of which the youngest has modern active volcanoes, is the Lesser Antilles arc. More mature island arcs form large islands- Cuba, Haiti, Jamaica, Puerto Rico with an already formed mainland ( Northern part Cuba) or the sub-continental crust. The island arc of the Cayman - Sierra Maestra is also young, expressed for the most part by the underwater Cayman ridge, accompanied by the deep-water trench of the same name (7680 m). Other underwater ridges (Aves, Beata, Marcelino Rapids) appear to be submerged island arcs. They divide the bottom of the Caribbean Sea into a number of basins: Grenada (4120 m), Venezuelan (5420 m). Columbian (4532 m), Bartlett with a deep-water Cayman trench, Yucatan (5055 m). The bottoms of the basins have a suboceanic type of crust. Bottom sediments - calcareous foraminiferal oozes, in the southwestern part - weakly manganese, calcareous silts, in shallow water - various coral deposits, including numerous reef structures. The climate is tropical, influenced by the trade wind circulation and is characterized by great homogeneity. Average monthly air temperatures are from 23 to 27 ° С. Cloudiness 4-5 points. Precipitation varies from 500 mm in the east to 2000 mm in the west. From June to October in sowing. parts of the sea are marked by tropical hurricanes. The hydrological regime is highly homogeneous. The surface current under the influence of trade winds moves from east to west. Off the coast of Central America, it deviates to the northwest and goes through the Yucatan Strait to the Gulf of Mexico. The current speed is 1-3 km / h, near the Yucatan Strait up to 6 km / h. The sea is an intermediate basin for waters that flow from the Atlantic Ocean and, when they leave the Gulf of Mexico, give rise to the Gulf Stream. Average monthly water temperatures at the surface are from 25 to 28 ° С; annual fluctuations less than 3 ° С. Salinity is about 36.0 ‰. Density 1.0235-1.0240 kg / m3 Water color from bluish-green to green. Tides are mostly irregular semi-diurnal; their value is less than 1 m. The vertical change in hydrological characteristics occurs down to a depth of 1500 m, below which the sea is filled with homogeneous water coming from the Atlantic Ocean; its temperature is from 4.2 to 4.3 ° С, salinity is 34.95-34.97 ‰. The Caribbean Sea is home to sharks, flying fish, sea turtles and other species of tropical fauna. There are sperm whales and humpback whales, and seals and manatees near the island of Jamaica.

The Caribbean Sea is of great economic and strategic importance as the shortest sea route connecting the ports of the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean through the Panama Canal. The most important ports are Maracaibo and La Guaira (Venezuela), Cartagena (Colombia), Lemon (Costa Rica), Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic), Colon (Panama), Santiago de Cuba (Cuba), etc.

The name "Caribbean" is derived from the Caribbean, one of the dominant American Indian tribes who lived on the coast at the time of Columbus' contact with the aborigines in the late 15th century. After the discovery of the West Indies by Christopher Columbus in 1492, the Caribbean Sea was called the Antilles, in honor of the Spaniards who discovered the Antilles. V different countries The Caribbean Sea is still confused with the Antilles Sea.

Located in the west of the Atlantic Ocean. From the west and south it borders on the coast of Central and South America, from the north and east the Greater and Lesser Antilles. There are reefs from the west and southwest. The largest bays: Honduran, Venezuelan, Darien. Largest: Jamaica.

Satellite map of the Caribbean from Bing
(the map can be moved with the mouse, reduced and enlarged)

The climate here is warm sea. In February it is +24, and in August +30. Most precipitation falls off the coast of Panama, and least of all off the coast of Cuba. Hurricanes occur over the sea three times a year.
Water exchange with the Atlantic Ocean takes place through the Windward, Sombrero and Dominica straits.
The water temperature throughout the year ranges from 26 to 29 degrees.
There are 800 species of fish (mullet, croaker, sardinella, horse mackerel, mackerel).
The Caribbean coast is famous for its beaches. Main ports: Santiago de Cuba in Cuba, Santo Domingo in Dominican Republic, Maracaibo in Venezuela, Barranquilla and Cartagena in Colombia. Cote d'Azur, beautiful beaches, girls in bikinis. Caribbean islands Is a unique, magical place for relaxation and complete relaxation.
And so that your feet do not freeze when you return to our cool lands, you just need to purchase warm and very beautiful ugg boots. You can buy wonderful ugg boots in the online store "UGG" in which you will find wide choose footwear for any, the most demanding taste.

The Caribbean Sea belongs to the seas of the Atlantic. It is semi-closed and marginal. Its waters from the south and west wash South and Central America. The eastern and northern parts of the sea are bounded by the Greater and Lesser Antilles. The Caribbean Sea is considered the most interesting and beautiful tropical sea. It got its name thanks to the Caribbean - representatives of the Indian tribe who lived in the area before the arrival of Columbus. Second title of this sea–Antiilskoe.

Geographic features

A map of the Caribbean Sea shows that the Panama Canal connects to the Pacific Ocean. The sea is united with the Gulf of Mexico with the help of the Yucatan Strait. The area of ​​this sea is 2.7 million square meters. km. From the south, it washes the shores of Panama, Colombia and Venezuela. On west bank such states as Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Mexico, Belize and Guatemala are located. The North of the Caribbean is Cuba, Haiti, Jamaica and Puerto Rico. Eastern sea ​​is the location of the Lesser Antilles. The rugged shores of this reservoir are covered with mountains in some places. Coral reefs can be seen in shallow waters.

Climatic conditions

The Caribbean Sea is located in the tropics. The climate here is shaped by the trade winds. The temperature all year round varies between 23-27 degrees. The weather is influenced by warm ocean currents as well as solar activity. The tides in the Caribbean are low. The idyll of a tropical reservoir is disturbed by frequent storms and hurricanes. The Caribbean Sea is the source of a huge number of hurricanes that pose a threat to the lives of the local population. Hurricanes cause great damage to the inhabitants of the coast and islands, destroying buildings. The ecology of coral reefs is also being disrupted as hurricanes bring in debris, sand and mud.

The coast of the Caribbean Sea is covered with a variety of vegetation. A vibrant life is observed on coral reefs. More than 450 species of fish live in this sea: sharks, sea devils, parrot fish, butterfly fish, etc. Mammals include humpback whales, dolphins and sperm whales. Sardines, lobsters and tuna are of industrial importance. The beauty and richness of marine life attracts divers to the Caribbean. Scuba diving fans from all over the world come here. Swim in the waters of the Caribbean Sea carefully. Sharks such as the Caribbean, gray bull, tiger, sandy, reef, long-finned, and others are found here. All of them are dangerous to people.