Gulf of Mexico Carved Wood Maps for Sale

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• Early Beginning of the Gulf of Mexico
• Bioecological Diversity

Surrounded by the North American continent, the Gulf of Mexico is an ocean basin that splits the Atlantic Ocean. The Gulf of Mexico has a very strategic location; it’s on the north and northwest of the US Gulf Coast, southeast of Cuba, south, and southwest of Mexico. 

The five US states, Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Texas, and Mississippi surrounds the Gulf of Mexico on the north. It’s often referred as the “Third Coast”, “South Coast” and even the “North Coast” in association with the Great Lakes.

Scientists and geographical experts believed that the Gulf of Mexico formed about 300 million years ago because of tectonic plate movements in the northern hemisphere. It holds around 2,500 quadrillion liters of waters, in a surface area of 1.6 million km2 of the shallow continental shelf waters. One of the most important characteristics of the gulf is the Gulf Stream. It’s known for its warm Atlantic current that starts in the area and flows outward into the Atlantic Ocean. Due to its temperature, the water temperature in the Gulf feeds the hurricanes that form in the Atlantic Ocean and giving them more intensity. Hurricanes are the most common natural phenomenon that occurs along the Gulf Coast. 

Scientists can’t help but marvel at the gulf’s amazing history and rich biological diversity. Here are some of the facts about the gulf.

Early Beginning of the Gulf of Mexico 

The Gulf of Mexico is the 9th largest body of water on Earth, stretching around 600,000 square miles it borders five US states in the north, five Mexican states in the west and the country of Cuba in its southern part. 

About 30 million years ago, colliding continental plates and with the sea, floor sinking created the gulf during the Late Triassic period. The gulf is partially landlocked ocean basin with a very narrow connection to the Atlantic Ocean that surrounds North America and Cuba. One of the main features of the gulf is its shallow waters and a trough that measures a plunge as deep as over 14,000 feet. 

Bioecological Diversity

The gulf serves as a home to 29 marine mammal species including humpback whales, minke whales, sperm whales, bottlenose dolphins, and the West Indian manatee. Most of these species are protected by the government which is either threatened or endangered. Five species of endangered sea turtles including Hawksbill sea turtles, Green sea turtles, Kemp's ridley sea turtles, Leatherback sea turtles and Loggerhead sea turtles live deep in its waters. Because of this, the Gulf of Mexico is one of the most highly priced bio ecological locations on the planet. 

With over 5 million acres of wetlands, the gulf also has a wide range of habitats that include submerged vegetation, marine areas, and vital upland areas for different species of animals. Its coastal wetlands are the equivalent 28% of the total wetlands in the US. While the gulf’s open sea water represents 41% of the US total. In order to protect the very diverse ecological life in the Gulf, the government put 31 major estuarine watersheds. As many as 2.5 million birds each day travel the Gulf of Mexico during seasonal migrations and landing on Louisiana to rest. 

The sea waters in the Gulf have a big contribution to the fishing industry that surrounds its area. It has one of the four largest fishing ports in the US. The gulf is one of the largest shrimp and oysters producers in the world.

Reasons Why You Need to Visit the Gulf of Mexico| 3-D Nautical Wood Chart for that Special Someone

Navigation:

• The Gulf of Mexico early beginnings
• The most interesting facts about the Gulf of Mexico

The Gulf of Mexico is an ocean basin in North America and the bordering sea of the Atlantic Ocean. Three countries share its mineral rich waters; the Gulf Coast of the United States, Cuba in the southeast and Mexico in the southwest.

It serves a very important part of North and South America trading system. The Gulf links the port of five US states and six Mexican states.  It also serves as the passageway for these ports going to the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea.

The Gulf of Mexico early beginnings

About 300 million years ago tectonic plates shifted which created the Mexican basin known as the Gulf of Mexico. When the mega-continent called Pangea started to spread about 180 million years ago it formed the Gulf's basin. Experts considered the Gulf of Mexico as a true ocean basin because of sea-floor spreading theory.

Million years ago, a 6,000 km long cracked the two supercontinents, Laurentia and Gondwana. Laurentia became the North America we know today while Gondwana created South America and Africa. The separation created a roughly oval basin measuring 1,500 km wide in rich sedimentary rocks.

The most interesting facts about the Gulf of Mexico

·        The Gulf of Mexico is considered as the 9th largest body of water in the world. 

·        The US state of  Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Texas, and Louisiana borders the Gulf.  As well as Vera Cruz, Tabasco, Campeche, Tamaulipas, Quintana Roo, and Yucatán in Mexico. These places had interconnected ports along the gulf.

·        33 major rivers and 207 estuaries which compose 60% of the inland bodies of water in the US drains into the Gulf of Mexico. Other freshwater sources of the Gulf came from the Yucatan Peninsula and Cuba. 

·        The Gulf's shorelines measures about 5 million acres of coastal wetlands. It serves as a significant habitat for 75% migratory waterfowl crossing the US. It houses hundreds of fish and wildlife species on the continent.

·        Due to a narrow passageway to the Atlantic Ocean, the Gulf of Mexico experiences very little tidal ranges. The 615,000 square miles basin composes of nearly half shallow continental shelf waters. 

·        The Gulf only holds 2,500 quadrillion liters of water or 600,000 cubics mi. 

·        Traversing to the Gulf is relatively easy with only 1,000 miles distance from east to west.

·        The shortest distance between the US and Mexico is about 500 miles from Mississippi Delta to the tip of the Yucatan Peninsula. 

·        The “Grand Canyon under the Sea”, the deepest part of the Gulf lies 200 miles southeast of  Brownsville Texas. It has a depth measuring 12,000 feet underwater.

·        Resembling the Mediterranean Sea, the Gulf of Mexico is also partially land-locked, semi-enclosed and intercontinental marginal sea. 

·        The neighboring towns of Mexico and the US form the Gulf’s mainland shore. From the Florida Keys to Cabo Catoche, the northwestern area of the Yucatan Peninsula, it stretches about 4,000 miles of land. 

·        The Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary houses the tropical coral reef in the northern part of the US.

·        At least 49 shark species dwell in the Gulf of Mexico. Other marine mammals and turtles also inhabit the waters of the Gulf. Some 24 species are already considered as threatened, endangered or species of concern.

·        The BP Deepwater disaster spilled oil for three months discharging at least 4.9 million barrels of oil into the gulf. To date, the disaster remains as the largest accidental marine oil spill. 

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The Devastating Effect of Deepwater Horizon in the Gulf of Mexico|Custom Topographical Wood Charts

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• Oil Spill Effects in Marine Animals
• Clean-up Operation and its Benefits

The worst environmental disaster in the United States happened on 2010 when Deepwater Horizon exploded. Releasing an estimated 4.9 million barrels of crude oil in the Gulf of Mexico, it was the largest marine oil spill. Even the clean-up efforts set a new high record in history. 

The former White House energy adviser, Carol Browner described the disaster as “the worst environmental disaster the US has faced.” 

Harry Roberts, a professor at Louisiana State University for Coastal Studies claimed that 4 million barrels of oil would greatly impact the environment. He said that the oil release into the Gulf was enough to “"wipe out marine life deep at sea near the leak and elsewhere in the Gulf, along hundreds of miles of coastline." 

Deepwater Horizon disaster was 20 times greater than the Exxon Valdez oil spill. Environmentalist claimed that petroleum toxicity and oxygen depletion as the main cause of damage to the environment.

With the already polluted Gulf of Mexico, the disaster brought another environmental concern in the country. 

How exactly devastating the Deepwater Horizon oil spill? The film Deepwater Horizon was based on the real life events of the oil spill, showing the world how gruesome the disaster is. But here are the facts about the largest oil spill in history. 

Still, in its cleaning-up operations authorities collected oil residue from June 2011 to March 2013 as follows: 

· Louisiana - 9,810,133 pounds.

· Alabama - 941,427 pounds.

· Mississippi - 112,449 pounds.

· Florida - 73,341 pounds.

Oil Spill Effects in Marine Animals

Marine animals suffered the most because of the oil spill as more than 400 animal species inhabited the Gulf of Mexico. The damages in the Gulf’s natural resources resulted in an estimated amount of $17.5 billion. 

In 2011, the nature journal, BioScience, researchers from the University of New Hampshire released a publication about the aftermath of the spill. According to them, the oil spill threatened 39 marine species which include 14 federally protected animals.

In the publication, it stated that threatened species ranged from ‘whale sharks to seagrass’. The report highlighted the impact of the oil spill in the animal food chain. Researchers claimed that a break in the food chain can affect the rest of the animals. 

· The oil spill affected eight US National Park and more than 400 animal species including the endangered turtle species. Affected species of turtles include green turtle, loggerhead turtle, hawksbill turtle, leatherback turtle and Kemp’s Ridley turtle.

· At least 34,000 birds are at risk to perish which include pelicans, gulls, roseate spoonbills, egrets, terns and blue herons. 

·  The spill affected 8,332 species, including 1,500 crustaceans, 1,400 mollusks, 1,200 fish, 200 birds, 29 marine mammals and 4 sea turtles.

· At least 900 bottlenose dolphins died or found stranded in the oil spill. 

· Loons, Birds exposed on Louisiana coast during the oil spill has a higher concentration of toxic oil in their blood. 

· Sperm whales that swam near the oil spill develop more DNA-damaging metals in their bodies compare in the past. Metals like chromium and nickel are present in their blood that can kill them. 

· The oyster and shrimp fisheries along the Louisiana coastline suffered the most after the oil spill disaster. Sadly, those fisheries have not yet recovered from the oil spill.

These are some of the devastating effects of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Since the disaster happened during mating and nesting season, it disrupts the usual pattern of migratory birds. Even with modern day technology, it still impossible to access it long term effects in the environment. 

Clean-up Operation and its Benefits

With all the environmental, economic, and political chaos BP Company did not leave unscathed. The federal judged approved a very hefty fine for the negligence of the company. 

· A settlement amounting to $20 billion remains as the largest environmental settlement in US history. This includes a $5.5 billion fine for violating the Clean Water Act and $ 8.8 billion for damaging the natural resource. 

· BP’s total of environmental damage reaches a staggering amount of $17.2 billion because of the Deepwater Horizon disaster.

· On top of the heavy fine, the federal government required BP to pay $500 million to fund independent research spreading to 10 years. The money will be put to use for research in the environment in the Gulf of Mexico.

· The independent research made in the Gulf already resulted in the discovery of more than 60 species of fish. 

· The money from the fine also helps fund the research of pioneering methods for managing the fish population in the Gulf of Mexico.

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