Gulf of Mexico in 3D perspective.

The Gulf of Mexico is the ninth largest body of water in the world. A body of water is any significant accumulation of Water, usually covering the Earth or another planet Considered a smaller part of the Atlantic Ocean, it is an ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. The Republic of Cuba (ˈkjuːbə or) consists of the island of Cuba (the largest and second-most populous island of the Greater Antilles) Isla de la It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. The Gulf Coast region of the United States comprises the coasts of states which border the Gulf of Mexico. The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America. The Republic of Cuba (ˈkjuːbə or) consists of the island of Cuba (the largest and second-most populous island of the Greater Antilles) Isla de la The shape of its basin is roughly oval and approximately 810 nautical miles (1,500 km) wide and filled with sedimentary rocks and debris. A nautical mile or sea mile is a unit of Length. It corresponds approximately to one minute of Latitude along any meridian. It is part of the Atlantic Ocean through the Florida Straits between the U. The Straits of Florida, Florida Straits, or Florida Strait is a Strait located south-southeast of the North American Mainland, generally accepted S. and Cuba, and with the Caribbean Sea (with which it forms the American Mediterranean Sea) via the Yucatan Channel between Mexico and Cuba. For the region see Caribbean. The Caribbean Sea (kəˈrɪbiən or /ˌkærɨˈbiːən/ is a tropical Sea in the Western Hemisphere For the Mediterranean Sea between Europe and Africa, see the Mediterranean Sea. The Yucatán Channel is a Strait between Mexico and Cuba. It connects the Caribbean Sea with the Gulf of Mexico. Tidal ranges are extremely small due to the narrow connection with the ocean. Characteristics A tide is a repeated cycle of sea level changes in the following stages Over several hours the water rises or advances up a beach in the flood The gulf basin is approximately 615,000 mi² (1. The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. 6 million km²). Almost half of the basin is shallow intertidal waters. At its deepest it is 14,383 ft (4,384 m) at the Sigsbee Deep, an irregular trough more than 300 nautical miles (550 km) long. The Sigsbee Deep is the deepest part of the Gulf of Mexico. The actual maximum Depth is disputed and estimates range between 3750 to 4384 meters A nautical mile or sea mile is a unit of Length. It corresponds approximately to one minute of Latitude along any meridian. It was probably formed approximately 300 million years ago as a result of the seafloor sinking. ^[1] There is evidence that the Chicxulub Crater was formed when a large meteorite hit the earth 65 million years ago which may have led to the Cretaceous–Tertiary extinction event. The Chicxulub Crater (tʃikʃuˈlub is an ancient Impact crater buried underneath the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico. A meteorite is a natural object originating in Outer space that survives an impact with the Earth 's surface The Cretaceous–Tertiary extinction event, which occurred approximately ( Ma) was a large-scale mass extinction of animal and plant species in a geologically ^[2]

History

Formation

Little is known about the geologic history of the Gulf of Mexico Basin before Late Triassic time. The Late Triassic (also known as Upper Triassic, or Keuper) is the third and final of three epochs of the Triassic period. Some authors have postulated the presence of a basin in the area during most of Paleozoic time, but most evidence seems to indicate that Paleozoic rocks do not underlie most of the Gulf of Mexico basin and that the area was, at the end of Paleozoic time, part of the large supercontinent of Pangea, the result of the collision of several continental plates. The Paleozoic or Palaeozoic Era (from the Greek palaio (παλαιο "old" and zoe (ζωη "life" meaning "ancient life" Pangaea, Pangæa or Pangea (pænˈdʒiːə from παν pan, meaning entire, and Γαῖα Gaea, meaning Earth in ^[3]

The present Gulf of Mexico basin is believed to have had its origin in Late Triassic time as the result of rifting within the North American Plate at the time it began to crack and drift away from the African and South American plates. The North American Plate is a Tectonic plate covering most of North America, Greenland and part of Siberia. South America is a Continent of the Americas, situated entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a Rifting probably continued through Early and Middle Jurassic time with the formation of "stretched" or "transitional" continental crust throughout the central part of the basin. The Jurassic is a geologic period and system that extends from about Ma (million years ago to  Ma that is from the end of the Triassic to the beginning The continental crust is the layer of granitic, Sedimentary, and Metamorphic rocks which form the Continents and the areas of shallow seabed Intermittent advance of the sea into the continental area from the west during late Middle Jurassic time resulted in the formation of the extensive salt deposits such as the Brine pool. Brine pools are large areas of Brine on the ocean basin. These pools are concentrations of water having an extremely high Salinity as compared to the It appears that the main drifting episode, during which the Yucatan block moved southward and separated from the North American Plate and true oceanic crust formed in the central part of the basin, took place during the early Late Jurassic, after the formation of the salt deposits. Yucatán is one of the 31 states of Mexico, located on the north of the Yucatán Peninsula. The Late Jurassic (or Malm) Epoch of the Jurassic Period is the unit of geologic time from 161 ^[3]

Since Late Jurassic time, the basin has been a stable geologic province characterized by the persistent subsidence of its central part, probably due at first to thermal cooling and later to sediment loading as the basin filled with thick prograding clastic wedges along its northwestern and northern margins, particularly during the Cenozoic. The Cenozoic (also Caenozoic or Cainozoic) Era (ˌsiːnəˈzoʊɪk/ /ˌsɛn- (meaning "new life" ( Greek ( kainos) "new" ^[3]

To the east, the stable Florida platform was not covered by the sea until the latest Jurassic or the beginning of Cretaceous time. Florida ( is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the The Cretaceous (kriːˈteɪʃəs, usually abbreviated 'K' for its German translation "Kreide" is a geologic period and system, reaching from the end of The Yucatan platform was emergent until the mid-Cretaceous. After both platforms were submerged, the formation of carbonates and evaporites has characterized the geologic history of these two stable areas. In Chemistry, a carbonate is a salt or Ester of Carbonic acid. Evaporites (iˈvæpəraɪt are water-soluble Mineral sediments that result from the Evaporation of bodies of surficial Water. Most of the basin was rimmed during the Early Cretaceous by carbonate platforms, and its western flank was involved during the latest Cretaceous and early Tertiary in a compressive deformation episode, the Laramide Orogeny, which created the Sierra Madre Oriental of eastern Mexico. The chuprichondira geological time interval covers roughly the time span between the demise of the non- avian Dinosaurs and beginning of the most recent Ice Age, approximately The Laramide orogeny was a period of Mountain building in western North America, which started in the Late Cretaceous, 70 to 80 million years ago and ended The Sierra Madre Oriental is a Mountain range in northeastern Mexico, spanning 1000 km from Coahuila south through Nuevo León, southwest The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America. ^[3]

Today, there are 7 main areas of the gulf:^[3]

• Gulf of Mexico Basin, which contains the Sigsbee Deep and can be further divided into the continental rise, the Sigsbee Abyssal Plain, and the Mississippi Cone. The Sigsbee Deep is the deepest part of the Gulf of Mexico. The actual maximum Depth is disputed and estimates range between 3750 to 4384 meters

• Northeast Gulf of Mexico, which extends from just east of the Mississippi Delta near Biloxi to the eastern side of Apalachee Bay. The Mississippi Delta is the distinct northwest section of the state of Mississippi that lies between the Mississippi and Yazoo Rivers Technically

• South Florida Continental Shelf and Slope, which extends along the coast from Apalachee Bay to the Straits of Florida and includes the Florida Keys and Dry Tortugas. The Straits of Florida, Florida Straits, or Florida Strait is a Strait located south-southeast of the North American Mainland, generally accepted The Florida Keys are an Archipelago of about 1700 islands in the southeast United States. The Dry Tortugas are a small group of islands located at the end of the Florida Keys, USA, about west of Key West, and west of the Marquesas Keys

• Campeche Bank, which extends from the Yucatan Straits in the east to the Tabasco-Campeche Basin in the west and includes Arrecife Alacran. Campeche Bank is part of the Gulf of Mexico and extends from the Yucatan Straits in the east to the Tabasco-Campeche Basin in the west and includes Tabasco is a state in Mexico. It is bordered by the states of Veracruz to the west Chiapas to the south and Campeche to the

• Bay of Campeche, which is an isthmian embayment extending from the western edge of Campeche Bank to the offshore regions just east of the port of Veracruz. The Bay of Campeche (Bahía de Campeche (sometimes confused with Sonda de Campeche) is the southern bight of the Gulf of Mexico. Headlands and bays are two related features of the coastal environment Campeche Bank is part of the Gulf of Mexico and extends from the Yucatan Straits in the east to the Tabasco-Campeche Basin in the west and includes The city of Veracruz is a major port city and municipality on the Gulf of Mexico in the Mexican state of Veracruz.

• Western Gulf of Mexico, which is located between Veracruz to the south and the Rio Grande to the north.

• Northwest Gulf of Mexico, which extends from Alabama to the U. Alabama (formally the State of Alabama;) is a State located in the southern region of the United States of America. S. -Mexico border.

European exploration

Although Christopher Columbus was credited with the discovery of the Americas, the ships in his four voyages never reached the Gulf of Mexico. Christopher Columbus (1451 &ndash May 20 1506 was an Italian Navigator, colonizer Instead, Columbus sailed into the Caribbean around Cuba and Hispaniola. The Caribbean (ˌkærəˡbiən kæ'rəbiən Cariben|Caraïben or Caraïben; Caraïbe or more commonly Antilles; Caribe is a Region consisting The Republic of Cuba (ˈkjuːbə or) consists of the island of Cuba (the largest and second-most populous island of the Greater Antilles) Isla de la Hispaniola (from Spanish, La Española) is the second-largest and most populous Island of the Antilles, lying between the islands of

The first European exploration of the Gulf of Mexico was Amerigo Vespucci in 1497. The Explorer and Cartographer Amerigo Vespucci ( March 9, 1454 - February 22, 1512) was the first person to demonstrate He followed the coastal land mass of central America before returning to the Atlantic Ocean via the Straits of Florida between Florida and Cuba. The Straits of Florida, Florida Straits, or Florida Strait is a Strait located south-southeast of the North American Mainland, generally accepted Florida ( is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the The Republic of Cuba (ˈkjuːbə or) consists of the island of Cuba (the largest and second-most populous island of the Greater Antilles) Isla de la In his letters, Vespucci described this trip, and once Juan de la Cosa returned to Spain, a famous world map, depicting Cuba as an island, was produced. Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula.

In 1506, Hernán Cortés took part in the conquest of Hispaniola and Cuba, receiving a large estate of land and Indian slaves for his effort. Hernán Cortés de Monroy y Pizarro 1st Marqués del Valle de Oaxaca ( 1485&ndash December 2, Hispaniola (from Spanish, La Española) is the second-largest and most populous Island of the Antilles, lying between the islands of The Republic of Cuba (ˈkjuːbə or) consists of the island of Cuba (the largest and second-most populous island of the Greater Antilles) Isla de la For indigenous peoples in the United States other than Hawaii and Alaska see also Native Americans in the United States. In 1510, he accompanied Diego Velázquez de Cuéllar, an aide of the governor of Hispaniola, in his expedition to conquer Cuba. For the Spanish painter see Diego Velázquez. Diego Velázquez de Cuéllar (1465 Cuéllar, In 1518 Velázquez put him in command of an expedition to explore and secure the interior of Mexico for colonization. The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America.

In 1517, Francisco Hernández de Córdoba discovered the Yucatán Peninsula. The Yucatán Peninsula, in Southeastern Mexico, separates the Caribbean Sea from the Gulf of Mexico. This was the first European encounter with an advanced civilization in the Americas, with solidly-built buildings and a complex social organization which they recognized as being comparable to those of the Old World; they also had reason to expect that this new land would have gold. The European peoples are the various Nations and Ethnic groups of Europe. The Americas are the lands of the Western hemisphere or New World, consisting of the Continents of North America and South America The Old World consists of those parts of Earth known to Europeans Asians and Africans in the 15th century Gold (ˈɡoʊld is a Chemical element with the symbol Au (from its Latin name aurum) and Atomic number 79 All of this encouraged two further expeditions, the first in 1518 under the command of Juan de Grijalva, and the second in 1519 under the command of Hernán Cortés, which led to the Spanish exploration, military invasion, and ultimately settlement and colonization known as the Conquest of Mexico. Juan de Grijalva (born around 1489 in Cuéllar - January 21 1527) was a Spanish Conquistador. Hernán Cortés de Monroy y Pizarro 1st Marqués del Valle de Oaxaca ( 1485&ndash December 2, Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. The Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire was one of the most important campaigns in the Spanish colonization of the Americas. Hernández did not live to see the continuation of his work: he died in 1517, the year of his expedition, as the result of the injuries and the extreme thirst suffered during the voyage, and disappointed in the knowledge that Diego Velázquez had given precedence to Grijalva as the captain of the next expedition to Yucatán. Diego Rodríguez de Silva y Velázquez ( June 6, 1599 &ndash August 6, 1660) was a Spanish painter who was the leading

In 1523, Ángel de Villafañe sailed to Mexico City and shipwrecked along the coast of Padre Island, Texas in 1554. Ángel de Villafañe (b c 1504 the Spanish Conquistador of Florida, Mexico, and Guatemala,was an Explorer, Mexico City (in Spanish: Ciudad de México, México DF, México or simply Méjico) is the Capital city of Mexico Padre Island (the world's longest Barrier island) is part of the U Texas ( is a state geographically located in the South Central United States and is also known as the Lone Star State. When word of the disaster reached Mexico City, the viceroy requested a rescue fleet and immediately sent Villafañe marching overland to find the treasure-laden vessels. Villafañe traveled to Pánuco and hired a ship to transport him to the site, which had already been visited from that community. He arrived in time to greet García de Escalante Alvarado (a nephew of Pedro de Alvarado), commander of the salvage operation, when Alvarado arrived by sea on July 22, 1554. Events 1099 - First Crusade: Godfrey of Bouillon is elected the first Defender of the Holy Sepulchre of The Kingdom of The team labored until September 12 to salvage the Padre Island treasure. This loss, in combination with other ship disasters around the Gulf of Mexico, gave rise to a plan for establishing a settlement on the northern Gulf Coast to protect shipping and more quickly rescue castaways. As a result, the expedition of Tristán de Luna y Arellano was sent and landed at Pensacola Bay on August 15, 1559. Tristán de Luna y Arellano (1519 – 1571 was a Spanish Conquistador of the 16th century Pensacola Bay is a Bay located in the northwestern part of Florida, known as the Florida Panhandle. Events 778 - The Battle of Roncevaux Pass, at which Roland is killed

On December 11, 1526, Charles V granted Pánfilo de Narváez a license to claim what is now the Gulf Coast of the United States, known as the Narváez expedition. Events 359 - Honoratus, the first known Prefect of the City of Constantinople, takes office Charles V may refer to Charles V of France Charles V Holy Roman Emperor Charles V Duke of Lorraine Pánfilo de Narváez (1470 &ndash 1528 was a Spanish conqueror and soldier in the Americas. The Gulf Coast region of the United States comprises the coasts of states which border the Gulf of Mexico. The Narváez expedition was a Spanish attempt to install Pánfilo de Narváez as Adelantado (governor of Spanish Florida during The contract gave him one year to gather an army, leave Spain, be large enough to found at least two towns of one hundred people each, and garrison two more fortresses anywhere along the coast. Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. On April 7, 1528, they spotted land north of what is now Tampa Bay. Events 529 - First draft of Corpus Juris Civilis (a fundamental work in Jurisprudence) is issued by Eastern Roman Emperor Tampa Bay is a large natural Harbor and Estuary along the Gulf of Mexico on the western coast of Florida, comprising Old Tampa Bay They turned south and traveled for two days looking for a great harbor the master pilot Miruelo knew of. Sometime during these two days, one of the five remaining ships was lost on the rugged coast, but nothing else is known of it.

In 1697, Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville sailed for France and was chosen by the Minister of Marine to lead an expedition to rediscover the mouth of the Mississippi River and to colonize Louisiana which the English coveted. Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville ]] (b 16 July 1661 - d (probably 9 July 1706)founder of the colony of French Louisiana, was born at This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. The Mississippi River is the second longest River in the United States, with a length of from its source in Lake Itasca in Minnesota to The State of Louisiana ( or, État de Louisiane, pronounced) is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Iberville's fleet sailed from Brest on 24 October 1698. Events 69 - Second Battle of Bedriacum, forces under Antonius Primus the commander of the Danube armies loyal to Vespasian, defeat On January 25, 1699, Iberville reached Santa Rosa Island in front of Pensacola founded by the Spanish; he sailed from there to Mobile Bay and explored Massacre Island, later renamed Dauphin Island. Events 41 - After a night of negotiation Claudius is accepted as Roman Emperor by the Senate Pensacola is the westernmost city in the Florida Panhandle and the County seat of Escambia County. Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Mobile Bay is an inlet of the Gulf of Mexico, lying within the state of Alabama in the United States. Dauphin Island is a town in Mobile County, Alabama, United States, located on a Barrier island also named Dauphin Island He cast anchor between Cat Island and Ship Island; and on February 13, 1699, he went to the mainland, Biloxi, with his brother Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville. Events 1258 - Baghdad falls to the Mongols, and the Abbasid Caliphate is destroyed Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville ]]( February 23, 1680 &ndash March 7, 1767) was a colonizer born in Montreal, Quebec On May 1, 1699, he completed a fort on the north-east side of the Bay of Biloxi, a little to the rear of what is now Ocean Springs, Mississippi. Events 305 - Diocletian and Maximian retire from the office of Roman Emperor. Ocean Springs is a city in Jackson County, Mississippi ( USA) about east of Biloxi. This fort was known as Fort Maurepas or Old Biloxi. Also see Fort Maurepas (Canada. The settlement of Fort Maurepas or Old Biloxi in colonial French Louisiana (New France A few days later, on May 4, Pierre Le Moyne sailed for France leaving his teenage brother, Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne, as second in command to the French commandant. Events 1256 - The Augustinian monastic order is constituted at the Lecceto Monastery when Pope Alexander IV

Principal features

Gulf beach near Sabine Pass.

The Gulf of Mexico's eastern, north, and northwestern shores lie along the US states of Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas. Florida ( is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the Alabama (formally the State of Alabama;) is a State located in the southern region of the United States of America. Mississippi ( is a state located in the Deep South of the United States The State of Louisiana ( or, État de Louisiane, pronounced) is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America Texas ( is a state geographically located in the South Central United States and is also known as the Lone Star State. This coastline spans 1,680 miles (2,700 km), receiving water from thirty-three major rivers that drain 31 states. ^[4] The Gulf's southwestern and southern shores lie along the Mexican states of Tamaulipas, Veracruz, Tabasco, Campeche, Yucatán, and the northernmost tip of Quintana Roo. The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America. Tamaulipas is one of the 31 states of Mexico, it is located in the northeast Veracruz, formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave is one of the 31 states that constitute the republic of Mexico. Tabasco is a state in Mexico. It is bordered by the states of Veracruz to the west Chiapas to the south and Campeche to the Campeche is the name of both a state in Mexico and its capital city Yucatán is one of the 31 states of Mexico, located on the north of the Yucatán Peninsula. Quintana Roo (kinˈtana ˈro is a state of Mexico, on the eastern part of the Yucatán Peninsula. On the southeast it is bordered by Cuba. The Republic of Cuba (ˈkjuːbə or) consists of the island of Cuba (the largest and second-most populous island of the Greater Antilles) Isla de la It supports major American, Mexican and Cuban fishing industries. The outer margins of the wide continental shelves of Yucatán and Florida receive cooler, nutrient-enriched waters from the deep by a process known as upwelling, which stimulates plankton growth in the euphotic zone. A nutrient is food or chemicals that an organism needs to live and grow or a substance used in an organism's metabolism which must be taken in from its environment Upwelling is an oceanographic phenomenon that involves wind-driven motion of dense cooler and usually nutrient-rich water towards the ocean surface replacing the warmer This attracts fish, shrimp, and squid. ^[5] River drainage and atmospheric fallout from industrial coastal cities also provide nutrients to the coastal zone.

The Gulf Stream, a warm Atlantic Ocean current and one of the strongest ocean currents known, originates in the gulf, as a continuation of the Caribbean Current-Yucatán Current-Loop Current system. The Gulf Stream, together with its northern extension towards Europe the North Atlantic Drift, is a powerful warm and swift Atlantic Ocean current that An ocean current is continuous directed movement of Ocean water. The Caribbean Current is a warm water current that flows into the Caribbean Sea from the east along the coast of South America. Part of the Gulf Stream, the Loop Current is a warm ocean current in the Gulf of Mexico that flows northward between Cuba and the Yucatán Other circulation features include the anticyclonic gyres which are shed by the Loop Current and travel westward where they eventually dissipate, and a permanent cyclonic gyre in the Bay of Campeche. A gyre is any manner of swirling Vortex. It is often used to describe large-scale Wind or Ocean currents. Part of the Gulf Stream, the Loop Current is a warm ocean current in the Gulf of Mexico that flows northward between Cuba and the Yucatán A gyre is any manner of swirling Vortex. It is often used to describe large-scale Wind or Ocean currents. The Bay of Campeche (Bahía de Campeche (sometimes confused with Sonda de Campeche) is the southern bight of the Gulf of Mexico. The Bay of Campeche in Mexico constitutes a major arm of the Gulf of Mexico. The Bay of Campeche (Bahía de Campeche (sometimes confused with Sonda de Campeche) is the southern bight of the Gulf of Mexico. Additionally, the gulf's shoreline is fringed by numerous bays and smaller inlets. A number of rivers empty into the gulf, most notably the Mississippi River in the northern gulf, and the Grijalva and Usumacinta Rivers in the southern gulf. The Mississippi River is the second longest River in the United States, with a length of from its source in Lake Itasca in Minnesota to Grijalva River, also Tabasco R ( Spanish: Río Grijalva, known locally also as Río Chiapa is a 480 km The Usumacinta River is a River in southeastern Mexico and northwestern Guatemala. The land that forms the gulf's coast, including many long, narrow barrier islands, is almost uniformly low-lying and is characterized by marshes and swamps as well as stretches of sandy beach.

The Gulf of Mexico is an excellent example of a passive margin. A Passive margin is the transition between oceanic and Continental crust which is not an active plate margin The continental shelf is quite wide at most points along the coast, most notably at the Florida and Yucatán Peninsulas. The continental shelf is the extended perimeter of each Continent and associated Coastal plain, which is covered during interglacial periods such The Yucatán Peninsula, in Southeastern Mexico, separates the Caribbean Sea from the Gulf of Mexico. The shelf is exploited for its oil by means of offshore drilling rigs, most of which are situated in the western gulf and in the Bay of Campeche. Petroleum ( L petroleum, from Greek πετρέλαιον, lit The Bay of Campeche (Bahía de Campeche (sometimes confused with Sonda de Campeche) is the southern bight of the Gulf of Mexico. Another important commercial activity is fishing; major catches include red snapper, amberjack, tilefish, swordfish, and various grouper, as well as shrimp and crabs. Amberjack is the name of 3 species of Atlantic Fish of the Carangidae family which includes the jacks and the Pompanos Greater amberjacks Tilefishes, also known as blanquillo, are mostly small Perciform marine Fish comprising the family Malacanthidae. Swordfish ( Xiphias gladius) are large highly migratory Predatory Fish characterized by a long flat bill. For other meanings see Grouper (disambiguation. Groupers are Fish of any of a number of genera in the subfamily Epinephelinae of True shrimp are swimming decapod Crustaceans classified in the Infraorder Caridea, found widely around the world in both fresh Crabs are decapod Crustaceans of the infraorder Brachyura, which typically have a very short projecting "tail" (βραχύ / brachy Oysters are also harvested on a large scale from many of the bays and sounds. The common name oyster is used for a number of different groups of Bivalve Mollusks most of which live in marine habitats or Brackish water. Other important industries along the coast include shipping, petrochemical processing and storage, military use, paper manufacture, and tourism.

Graph showing the overall water temperature of the Gulf between Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was the costliest hurricane, as well as one of the five deadliest in the history of the United States Hurricane Rita was the fourth-most intense Atlantic hurricane ever recorded and the most intense Tropical cyclone ever observed in the Gulf of Mexico Although Katrina cooled waters in its path by up to 4 °C, they had rebounded by the time of Rita's appearance.

The gulf's warm water temperature can feed powerful Atlantic hurricanes causing extensive human death and other destruction as happened with Hurricane Katrina in 2005. A tropical cyclone is a storm system characterized by a low pressure center and numerous Thunderstorms that produce strong winds and Flooding Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was the costliest hurricane, as well as one of the five deadliest in the history of the United States In the Atlantic, a hurricane will draw up cool water from the depths and making it less likely that further hurricanes will follow in its wake (warm water being one of the preconditions necessary for their formation). However, the Gulf is shallower and its entire water column is warm. When a hurricane passes over, although the water temperature may drop it soon rebounds and becomes capable of supporting another tropical storm. ^[6]

The Gulf is considered aseismic: however, mild tremors have been recorded throughout history (usually 5. Geology, aseismic creep is measurable surface displacement along a fault in the absence of notable Earthquakes An example is along the Calaveras 0 or less on the Richter scale). The Richter magnitude scale, or more correctly local magnitude M L scale assigns a single number to quantify the amount of seismic energy released A 6. 0 tremor was recorded on September 10, 2006, 250 miles (400 km) off the coast of Florida which caused no damage, but could be felt throughout the Southeastern United States. Events 506 - The Bishops of Visigothic Gaul meet in the Council of Agde. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Florida ( is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the The US Southeast is the eastern portion of the Southern United States, but the Census Bureau does not provide a standard definition of a "Southeast" region No damage or injuries were reported. ^[7] Earthquakes such as this may be caused by interactions between sediment loading on the sea floor and adjustment by the crust. ^[8]

Pollution

Because of the ever increasing amount of nitrogen and phosphates dissolved in the waters of the Gulf of Mexico, pollution has more than doubled since 1950. Nitrogen (ˈnaɪtɹəʤɪn is a Chemical element that has the symbol N and Atomic number 7 and Atomic weight 14 A phosphate, an Inorganic chemical, is a salt of Phosphoric acid. Current estimates suggest that three times as much nitrogen is being carried into the Gulf today compared with levels 30 years ago or at any time in history in the water. Every summer there is now an area south of the Louisiana coastline, larger than the U.S. state of Massachusetts at over 10,000 mi² (16,000 km²) that is hypoxic. A US state is any one of the fifty subnational entities of the United States of America that share Sovereignty with the federal government The Commonwealth of Massachusetts ( is a state located in the New England region of the northeastern United States. For other uses of the term "hypoxia" see Hypoxia. Hypoxia or oxygen depletion is a phenomenon that occurs in aquatic environments Because of nutrient-rich run-off from upstream farms, algae grows explosively in the Gulf of Mexico. As the algae dies, it depletes oxygen from the water faster than it can be drawn from the surface, and thus the waters do not carry enough oxygen to sustain marine life. Oxygen (from the Greek roots ὀξύς (oxys (acid literally "sharp" from the taste of acids and -γενής (-genēs (producer literally begetteris the ^[9]

Fishing boats in Biloxi

Also, there are frequent "red tide" algae blooms^[10] that kill fish and marine mammals and cause respiratory problems in humans and some domestic animals when the blooms reach close to shore. "Red tide" is a common name for a phenomenon known as an Algal bloom, an event in which estuarine marine or fresh water algae accumulate rapidly in the Water This has especially been plaguing the southwest Florida coast, from the Florida Keys to north of Pasco County, Florida. The Florida Keys are an Archipelago of about 1700 islands in the southeast United States. Pasco County is a County located in the US state of Florida. As of 2000, the population was 344765

2006 earthquake

On September 10, 2006, the U.S. Geological Survey National Earthquake Information Center reported that a strong earthquake, ranking 6. Events 506 - The Bishops of Visigothic Gaul meet in the Council of Agde. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. The United States Geological Survey ( USGS) is a scientific agency of the United States government. An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth 's crust that creates Seismic waves Earthquakes are recorded with a Seismometer 0 on the Richter scale, occurred about 250 miles west-southwest of Anna Maria, Florida around 10:56 AM EDT. The Richter magnitude scale, or more correctly local magnitude M L scale assigns a single number to quantify the amount of seismic energy released Anna Maria, is a city in Manatee County, Florida, United States.

The quake was reportedly felt from Louisiana to Florida. The State of Louisiana ( or, État de Louisiane, pronounced) is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America Florida ( is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the There were no reports of major damages or casualties^[11]. Items were knocked from shelves and seiches were observed in swimming pools in parts of Florida ^[12]. Seiche is also a French term for a type of Cuttlefish (Sepiida The earthquake was described by the USGS as a midplate earthquake, the largest and most widely felt recorded in the past three decades in the region^[12].

According to the September 11, 2006 issue of The Tampa Tribune, earthquake tremors were last felt in Florida in 1952, recorded in Quincy, 20 miles northwest of Tallahassee. Events 9 - The Battle of the Teutoburg Forest ends 506 - The Bishops of Visigothic Gaul Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. The Tampa Tribune published in Tampa Florida is one of two major Newspapers published in the Tampa Bay area second in circulation and readership Year 1952 ( MCMLII) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Quincy is a city in Gadsden County, Florida, United States. The population was 6982 at the 2000 census.

See also

• Brine pool
• Charlotte Harbor Estuary, Florida
• Gulf Coast
• Jack 2 (a test well in the deep waters of the Gulf of Mexico)
• Outer Continental Shelf

References

External links

• Resource Database for Gulf of Mexico Research
• 6.0 Earthquake reported on 9-10-2006
• GSA article on Gulf seismic activity from 1982
• EPA factsheet on hypoxia
• Gulf of Mexico hypoxia
• Gulf of Mexico Integrated Science
• Northern Gulf Institute

Gallery

Hurricane Katrina on Gulf Coast. Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was the costliest hurricane, as well as one of the five deadliest in the history of the United States

Mississippi river watershed. The Mississippi River is the second longest River in the United States, with a length of from its source in Lake Itasca in Minnesota to

Gulf of Mexico beach.