Where is the Gulf of Mexico located?
The Gulf of Mexico borders the southeastern coast of North America. It is connected to the Atlantic Ocean by the Straits of Florida, running between the peninsula of Florida and the island of Cuba, and to the Caribbean Sea by the Yucatán Channel, which runs between the Yucatán Peninsula and Cuba.
Who does the Gulf of Mexico belong to?
The Gulf of Mexico is a unique, semi-enclosed sea located between the Yucatan and Florida peninsulas, at the southeast shores of the United States. The Gulf of Mexico borders five of the 50 United States (Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas), and also Cuba and the eastern part of Mexico.
What is the Gulf of Mexico known for?
The Gulf of Mexico is a major source of oil for the United States. In fact, it's responsible for 54% of oil production in the U.S., and 47% of natural gas production. However, this does have a downside, such as the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010 which poured an estimated 4.9 million barrels of oil in the Gulf.
Where does the Gulf of Mexico start and end?
Where does the Atlantic Ocean end and the Gulf of Mexico begin? The Gulf of Mexico is connected to the Caribbean Sea via the Yucatán Channel (between Cuba and Mexico), and with the Atlantic Ocean through the Straits of Florida (between Cuba and the US).Nov 23, 2021
Is the Gulf of Mexico in USA?
The Gulf Coast of the United States is the coastline along the Southern United States where they meet the Gulf of Mexico. The coastal states that have a shoreline on the Gulf of Mexico are Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida, and these are known as the Gulf States....Gulf Coast of the United States.Gulf Coast• Total64,008,3459 more rows
Does Mexico control the Gulf of Mexico?
There has been a long-standing dispute over control of the Gulf, between the United States of America, Mexico, the Caribbean islands, Cuba, and other surrounding nations. This is partly due to the presence of large oil fields in the region.Dec 6, 2021
Why is the Gulf of Mexico so dirty?
It was caused by high levels of nutrient runoff into the Mississippi River that left the water emptying into the Gulf of Mexico with high levels of nitrogen. Those nitrogen levels cause overgrowth of algae and other vegetation that deplete much of the oxygen from the water and kills fish.
What big animals live in Gulf of Mexico?
Gulf of Mexico Marine MammalsBlue whale.Bryde's Whale.Atlantic spotted dolphin.Fin whale.Killer whale.Minke whale.Humpback whale.Fraser's Dolphin.More items...
Do great white sharks live in the Gulf of Mexico?
TRACKING SHARKS IN THE GULF Currently, there are three tagged sharks in the Gulf of Mexico, with a fourth swimming near the Florida Keys. All are Great Whites. The largest and closest is Scot, a 12-foot Great White who most recently pinged about 100 miles off the Naples coast.Feb 26, 2022
Is the Gulf of Mexico considered part of the ocean?
Although the Gulf of Mexico is considered to be a part of the Atlantic Ocean, since an ocean has no boundaries, the Gulf and the Atlantic are still separated by the Caribbean Sea. In addition to their boundaries, there are numerous ways these two bodies of water vary and therefore, the beaches we enjoy are unique.
Is the Gulf of Mexico an ocean or sea?
The Gulf of Mexico (GOM) is a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean bordered by five states of the United States on the northern and the eastern border, five Mexican states on its western and southern border, and Cuba to the southeast (Fig. 18.1).
Can you swim in the Gulf of Mexico?
Yes, it is completely safe to swim in the Gulf of Mexico. Very rarely do we experience red tide or any other issues.
What happened to the Ixtoc I oil platform?
In June 1979, the Ixtoc I oil platform in the Bay of Campeche suffered a blowout leading to a catastrophic explosion, which resulted in a massive oil spill that continued for nine months before the well was finally capped. This was ranked as the largest oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico until the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010.
How is the Gulf of Mexico connected to the Atlantic Ocean?
It is connected to part of the Atlantic Ocean through the Florida Straits between the U.S. and Cuba, and with the Caribbean Sea via the Yucatán Channel between Mexico and Cuba. Because of its narrow connection to the Atlantic Ocean, the Gulf experiences very small tidal ranges.
What happened to the Deepwater Horizon?
On April 20, 2010, the Deepwater Horizon oil platform, located in the Mississippi Canyon about 40 miles (64 km) off the Louisiana coast, suffered a catastrophic explosion; it sank a day and a half later. It was in the process of being sealed with cement for temporary abandonment, to avoid environmental problems. Although initial reports indicated that relatively little oil had leaked, by April 24, it was claimed by BP that approximately 1,000 barrels (160 m 3) of oil per day were issuing from the wellhead, about 1-mile (1.6 km) below the surface on the ocean floor. On April 29, the U.S. government revealed that approximately 5,000 barrels (790 m 3) per day, five times the original estimate, were pouring into the Gulf from the wellhead. The resulting oil slick quickly expanded to cover hundreds of square miles of ocean surface, posing a serious threat to marine life and adjacent coastal wetlands and to the livelihoods of Gulf Coast shrimpers and fishermen. Coast Guard Rear Adm. Sally Brice O'Hare stated that the US government will be "employing booms, skimmers, chemical dispersants and controlled burns" to combat the oil spill. By May 1, 2010, the oil spill cleanup efforts were underway but hampered by rough seas and the "tea like" consistency of the oil. Cleanup operations were resumed after conditions became favorable. On May 27, 2010, The USGS had revised the estimate of the leak from 5,000 barrels per day (790 m 3 /d) to 12,000–19,000 barrels per day (3,000 m 3 /d) an increase from earlier estimates. On July 15, 2010, BP announced that the leak stopped for the first time in 88 days.
What basin is the Sigsbee?
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. Northeast Gulf of Mexico, which extends from a point east of the Mississippi River Delta near Biloxi to the eastern side of Apalachee Bay.
What is the third coast of the United States?
The US states of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida, which border the Gulf on the north, are often referred to as the " Third Coast " of the United States (in addition to its Atlantic and Pacific coasts). The Gulf of Mexico took shape approximately 300 million years ago as a result of plate tectonics.
How many states are there in the Gulf of Mexico?
The US portion of the Gulf coastline spans 1,680 miles (2,700 km), receiving water from 33 major rivers that drain 31 states.
What are the states that border Mexico?
It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States; on the southwest and south by the Mexican states of Tamaulipas, Veracruz, Tabasco, Campeche, Yucatan, and Quintana Roo; and on the southeast by Cuba .
Where Is The Gulf of Mexico?
The Climate of The Gulf of Mexico
- The climate of the Gulf of Mexico region varies from tropical to subtropical type. The seawater from the Caribbean Sea that enters the Gulf of Mexico via the Yucatán Channel, quickly circulates in a clockwise loop current before exiting the Gulf through the Florida Straits, eventually forming the Gulf Stream. The Gulf Stream is one of the most powerful and warm ocean currents that flo…
Marine Life
- The Gulf of Mexico supports different species of flora and fauna and is widely recognized for its diversity and productivity. The biota of the Gulf includes different chemosynthetic and non-chemosynthetic organisms ranging from microorganisms like benthos, meiofauna to other macro-organisms like crabs, sea pens, crinoids, and other marine fauna. The marine flora in the …
Dead Zones in The Gulf of Mexico
- The agricultural activities inland of the Gulf of Mexico coast have led to an increase in nitrogen-rich chemical fertilizers and pesticides and phosphorus-based detergents that are eventually washed away by rains or by rivers into the aquatic ecosystems. These nutrients favor the growth of algae and results in an algal bloom. When these algae die, they lead to deterioration in the wa…
Islands in The Gulf of Mexico
- The Gulf of Mexico contains seven barrier islands located along the Gulf’s northwestern part. These islands are Galveston, Follet’s, Matagorda, St. Joseph’s (San José), Mustang, Padre, and Brazos. The Padre Island is the world’s longest barrier island.It has been estimated that these islands were formed about 5,000 - 8,000 years ago.
Gulf of Mexico Crater
- The Chicxulub Crater is a large impact crater that is buried underneath the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico. Half of the crater is located on land while the other half is under the waters of the Gulf of Mexico. It is widely believed, that the impact that led to the creation of this crater had triggered a series of catastrophic events, which ultimately led to the mass extinction at the end of the Creta…
Brief History
- It has been estimated by researchers that the Gulf of Mexico was formed as a result of seafloor subsidence, due to the movement of the Tectonic Plates over 300 million years ago. The Gulf was first explored by Amerigo Vespucci in 1497. It was used by the early Europeans as an exploration route to explore the Americas. After the discovery of Cuba and Mexico by the early Europeans, S…
Human Settlements
- The coastal population of the five US states on the Gulf of Mexico is projected to increase from 44.2 million in 1995 to about 61.4 million in 2025. The US states of Texas and Floridaare recognized as the most rapidly growing states. Houston, New Orleans, Cancun, Tampa, Key West, Havana, San Francisco de Campeche, Mobile, Gulfport, Tampico, Veracruz, Ciudad del Carmen, …
Economy
- The Gulf of Mexico is an important economic region for all the three countries (Cuba, Mexico, and United States) that border it. The Gulf of Mexico is exploited for oil and hence several offshore oil drilling rigs have been drilled for exploration and mining in the Bay of Campeche and the western Gulf region. It is the center of the United States’ oil refining and petrochemical industry and henc…
Overview
The Gulf of Mexico (Spanish: Golfo de México) is an ocean basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, largely surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States; on the southwest and south by the Mexican states of Tamaulipas, Veracruz, Tabasco, Campeche, Yucatan, and Quintana Roo; and on the southea…
Geology
The consensus among geologists who have studied the geology of the Gulf of Mexico is that before the Late Triassic, the Gulf of Mexico did not exist. Before the Late Triassic, the area now occupied by the Gulf of Mexico consisted of dry land, which included continental crust that now underlies Yucatán, within the middle of the large supercontinent of Pangea. This land lay south of a continu…
Extent
The International Hydrographic Organization defines the southeast limit of the Gulf of Mexico as:
A line joining Cape Catoche Light (21°37′N 87°04′W / 21.617°N 87.067°W ) with the Light on Cape San Antonio in Cuba, through this island to the meridian of 83°W and to the Northward along this meridian to the latitude of the South point of the Dry Tortugas (24°35'N), along this parallel Eastward to Rebecca Shoal (82°35'W) thence through the shoals and Florida Keys to the mainla…
History
As early as the Maya Civilization, the Gulf of Mexico was used as a trade route off the coast of the Yucatán Peninsula and present-day Veracruz.
Although the Spanish voyage of Christopher Columbuswas credited with the discovery of the Americas by Europeans, the ships in his four voyages never reached the Gulf of Mexico. Instead, the Spanish sailed into the Caribbean aro…
Geography
The Gulf of Mexico's eastern, northern, and northwestern shores lie along the US states of Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas. The US portion of the Gulf coastline spans 1,680 miles (2,700 km), receiving water from 33 major rivers that drain 31 states. The Gulf's southwestern and southern shores lie along the Mexican states of Tamaulipas, Veracruz, Tabasco, Campeche, Yucatán, …
Shipwrecks
A ship now called the Mardi Gras sank around the early 19th century about 35 mi (56 km) off the coast of Louisiana in 4,000 feet (1,200 m) of water. She is believed to have been a privateeror trader. The shipwreck, whose real identity remains a mystery, lay forgotten at the bottom of the sea until it was discovered in 2002 by an oilfield inspection crew working for the Okeanos Gas Gathering Company (OGGC). In May 2007, an expedition, led by Texas A&M University and funde…
Biota
Various biota include chemosynthetic communities near cold seeps and non chemosynthetic communities such as bacteria and other micro – benthos, meiofauna, macrofauna, and megafauna (larger organisms such as crabs, sea pens, crinoids, demersal fish, cetaceans, and the extinct Caribbean monk seal) are living in the Gulf of Mexico. Recently, resident Bryde's whaleswithin the gulf were classified as an endemic, unique subspecies and making them as one of the most end…
Pollution
The major environmental threats to the Gulf are agricultural runoff and oil drilling.
There are frequent "red tide" algae blooms that kill fish and marine mammals and cause respiratory problems in humans and some domestic animals when the blooms reach close to shore. This has especially been plaguing the southwest and southern Florida coast, from the Florida Keys to north of Pasco …