Sargasso sea is located in the north Atlantic ocean
north of Bermuda. It's is the only sea bounded not by land but by oceanic
current . The North Atlantic gyre holds the water. It obtained the name from
Portuguese word sagassum which means a seaweed. Sargassum is a brown algae
which is free floating like a plankton River.
It is confined between 20N -35N degree and
30W-70W degree. It is bounded by north equatorial current in the south,
Antilles current in south west, gulf stream in west, north atlantic in the
north, Canary current in the east direction. Sargasso sea is characterised by
depth 1500m-7000m, still water, saline, evaporation rates >>
precipitation rates, horse latitude belt, sargassum seaweed covers 2million
square km area in the sea.
Marine biologist declared sargossa
sea as biological desert because of lack of nutrients, devoid of plankton in
large part of it, absence of large fish. High salinity of Sargasso sea due to
lack of oceanic water mixing, high temperature (26) and higher evaporation
rates. But known for small marine lifeforms such as turtles,shrimp,crab, small
size fishes, eels lay eggs,etc these animals has unique adaptation to high sea
weed(Sargassum). Which is not available anywhere on earth.
It
has great economic value as mention above. The resource is used by carribean
nations such as Bermuda, Antilles islands. This region is highly vulnerable to
pollution, oil spills, etc,.
Measures
adopted to conserve and protect the Sargossa sea unique ecosystem. Since 2005,
IUCN consider this region under loss of biodiversity because it falls away from
the national jurisdiction boundary. Few agreement reached are:
1)
Hamilton declaration in 2014 signed by 5 nations.
2)
Bermuda alliance for Sargasso sea.
3) mission blue
4)
Sargasso sea alliance.