Sargasso Sea
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- For the novel by Jean Rhys, see Wide Sargasso Sea.
The Sargasso Sea is an elongated region in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by ocean currents. On the west it is bounded by the Gulf Stream; on the north, it is bounded by the North Atlantic Current; on the east, it is bounded by the Canary Current; and on the south, it is bounded by the North Atlantic Equatorial Current. It is, very roughly, 700 statute miles wide and 2,000 statute miles long (1,100 km wide and 3,200 km long). It stretches from roughly 70 degrees west to 40 degrees west, and from 25 degrees north to 35 degrees north. Bermuda is located near the western fringes of the sea.
The Sargasso Sea, which is very salty, is often regarded as being lifeless, though it is home to some seaweed of the genus Sargassum. This seaweed floats en masse on the surface there. The Sargasso Sea also plays a major role in the migration of the European eel and the American eel; the larvae of both species hatch there and go to Europe and/or the East Coast of North America. Later in life, they try to return to the Sargasso Sea to lay eggs there.
Portuguese sailors were among the first to discover this region in the 15th century. Christopher Columbus and his men also noted the Sargasso Sea, and brought reports of the large amount of seaweed on the surface. The Carthaginian admiral Himilco had earlier made similar reports after sailing through the Pillars of Hercules: "Many seaweeds grow in the troughs between the waves, which slow the ship like bushes {...} Here the beasts of the sea move slowly hither and thither, and great monsters swim languidly among the sluggishly creeping ships" (Rufus Festus Avienus).
Due to its proximity to Bermuda (and its subsequent location in the Bermuda Triangle), the sea is credited with some of the infamous disappearances there; this stigma is further enforced by the sometimes total lack of wind over the sea, and the possibility for modern engines to become entangled in the sargassum, rendering most vessels stranded. For these reasons it is sometimes referred to as the "graveyard of ships."
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The Sargasso Sea is a favored region for scientific observation, exploration and research. The Sargasso Sea Ocean Observatory (S2O2) was formed in 2001 to coordinate these various efforts.
