Sargasso Sea
The Sargasso Sea is an anomalous body of water located in the western North Atlantic Ocean. It is characterized by warm temperatures, high salinity, and a lack of a coastal land boundary. It is the only sea in the world that does not have a coastline. The Sargasso Sea is the only sea that is primarily sustained by the marine plant life of the Sargassum, a type of brown algae. This plant life serves as a habitat to many species of fish, reptiles, and marine invertebrates. Additionally, it is believed to act as an important nursery for many species that migrate through the region such as tuna, sea turtles, billfish, and marine mammals like whales and dolphins. The Sargasso Sea is also proposed as an important factor in the redistribution of nutrients in the global ocean system and its effects on ocean climate. Because of its unique features and importance to global ocean health, the Sargasso Sea is often referred to as the "Golden Floating Rainforest of the Ocean".
← International Marine Science Journal