The Oceans Surrounding Terre-De-Bas, Guadeloupe
This month's article series will discuss...
the French isle of Terre-de-Bas. Terre de bas translates from French into English into the words bottomland, lowland, or downland. This is most likely due to the shallow elevation of the island. This island is a part of the tiny archipelago of the Terre Islands. These islands may also be known as the Petite Terre Islands due to their small size, these 2 islands have a combined total land mass of 0.71815 square miles (1.859999961 square kilometer). The Terre Islands directly translated from French into English as the Earth islands or the Land islands. However, the name was possibly not meant to be translated. This island itself as well as the Terre Island Group is a part of the Lesser Antilles & is a part of the municipality of Guadeloupe. Guadeloupe is owned by France as of 2024. A good way to see Guadeloupe on a map is to look for the archipelago that is vaguely shaped like a butterfly. This Island is in the Atlantic Ocean. The island also is a part of the Caribbean Sea. It exists in the Caribbean, being approximately 305.90 Nautical / Marine miles from Venezuela. It is also 1221.59 Nautical / Marine miles from Florida, which is a state of the United States. Terre de bas is so minuscule that is often not featured on maps & nautical maps of it are very scarce. The island is extremely biodiverse as it is very untouched by most humans so its natural environment is healthy. It has many nutrients & marine creatures that surround the island. One of the best examples of these intelligent & unique species is the West Indian Manatee. The previous article to this talks completely & solely about the West Indian manatee & its placement in the marine environment of Terre-De-Bas. The flora of these marine ecosystems is also especially unique. The majority of Terre-De-Bas’s coastal areas have been untouched & left alone by the few locals on the island. The marine ecosystems that are in need of maintenance are receiving it & many conservation efforts have been made to protect & ensure the complete safety of the marine wildlife. In this article, we will discuss the salinity, temperature, marine geography & terrain, the most important marine ecosystems, the documented marine flora & fauna, & the utilization of marine resources of the island. With that being said, let us delve into the petite & peaceful island of Terre-De-Bas
The Salinity, Tides, Temperatures, Marine Geography, & Basic Information
The salinity of the island has not been measured & released to the public domain. Since the island is in the Atlantic, it will most likely have a higher salinity than say the Pacific Ocean or the Indian Ocean. Salt deposits / Brine Pools may be more common around the island due to the higher salinity. However, the existence of brine pools around the island has not been proven. The salinity levels of the Atlantic Ocean at any given time are between 35.5 & 34.5 parts per thousand. Salinity is measured in 1,000 grams of water. For every 1000 grams of water, there will be a certain number of grams that are pure salt. This is how salinity or saline level is measured. There are also no ongoing factors that would lead to the salinity level being altered. The oceanic temperatures around the island can be found on a plethora of websites however the easiest to navigate & the most accurate ones are https://www.seatemperature.org, https://seatemperature.net, https://weather-and-climate.com, & https://seatemperature.info. The tidal chart can also be found on the majority of these websites as well. The tides usually never get over 1.5 meters tall (4.92126 feet) due to the strange placement of Terre-de-bas. The surf is never usually dangerously high. The riptide also usually never becomes dangerously prominent to the point where it makes swimming a safety hazard. Currents around the island are not randomly forming & the majority of the existing currents do not go closely to the coastal areas. Swimming & scuba diving are incredibly common recreational activities that take place on Terre-de-bas. There is not very polluted water around the island as can be seen by the thriving wildlife & clear water. The deepest oceanic point within 5 Nautical / Marine miles is 5,291.3 feet (1612.78824 meters or 1.61278824 kilometers) deep. The majority of the marine geographic terrain is composed of coral, mud, sand, & rock. Oceanic mounds are not very common around the island. There are no volcanoes that are oceanic in nature that exist in Guadeloupean waters. The closest oceanic volcano is Kick ‘em Jenny which is just north of the Country of Grenada, as well as the Grenadines. There are a total of 47 designated marine protected areas in Guadeloupe as of 2024. Only 1 of which is extremely highly protected & holds much higher penalties for destruction of the area than the 46 other marine protected areas.
The Most Prominent Marine Ecosystems Of Terre-De-Bas
Coral Reefed Areas
Coral reefed areas are usually located around close coastal areas. They can often be seen from the beaches & the piers of Terre-De-Bas. They are often located within 2,000 feet or less of the coast. All coral reefs found around Terre-De-Bas are fringing type rather than Barrier. It is unknown all the coral species around Terre-De-Bas. Unfortunately, the majority of these coral reefs are in horrible conditions. This is due to rising salinity levels, high sedimentation, & an overload of nutrients in the coastal waters which stems from excessive use of fertilizer. Guadeloupe does however have a barrier reef, just in the northern end of the archipelago which is not where Terre-De-Bas exists.
Seagrass Bedded Areas
There is no specific place where these types of ecosystems are found, this type of ecosystem is incredibly versatile. Many different types of vertebrates & invertebrates are found here. Usually, smaller animals are found here, which makes this ecosystem extremely fragile. Usually, this is an area where animals such as sea horses give birth. It consists mostly of seagrass. It also works as the fish nursery for majority of the fish. The main species of seagrasses around Guadeloupe are Thalassia testudinum (turtle grass),& Syringodium filiform (filament grass). Turtle grass is more prominent & is found as deep as 10 meters (32.8084 feet). Filiment grass, however, makes up the majority of the deeper seagrass meadows. Syringodium Filiform is found as deep as 30 meters (98.4252 feet), this seagrass is usually found further off the coast rather than the other species. Seagrass meadows are also usually found near mangrove forests or are found embellishing coral reefs.
Mangrove Forests
Mangrove forests are areas where the trees & the ocean connect. This creates a unique ecosystem in which there is shallow brackish water, & lots of roots. The tree roots make a sort of underwater labyrinth for the fish & other creatures to enjoy. Mangrove forests are usually found further inland than mangrove coasts. The ocean usually runs off into these areas. Mangrove forests are especially unique because they have excessive nutrients. This is due to the meeting of the forest organisms & the oceanic organisms. The exact species of these mangrove trees have currently not been released to the public domain.
Mangrove Coasts
Mangrove coasts are extremely similar to mangrove forests. However, instead of the ocean running off into the mangrove forests, with mangrove coasts the mangrove trees grow directly along the coast. This provides unique shelter for all oceanic species. The mangrove tree species here are the most likely same here are they are in the mangrove forests—however these areas are at extreme threat levels due to the rising oceans.
The Documented Marine Flora of Terre-De-Bas
There are currently 2 seagrass species known to exist around Terre-De-Bas. These species have been stated in the subsections above. These species are known as Thalassia Testudinum (Turtle grass), & Syringodium Filiform (Filament grass). These grasses are not endemic to Terre-De-Bas & are found throughout the Lesser Antilles. These seagrasses are found in the highest density around the northern most facing side of the island. However, seagrasses aren’t the islands only marine Flora. Many different types of algae surround the island as well. The most prominent type of algae is brown algae, specifically from the genus Sargassum. It is well known for growing around all Caribbean islands & frequently washing up along these isles' shorelines. Sargassum is a a genus that contains most brown macroalgae species. It is unknown the exact amount of brown algae species that occupy Terre-De-Bas.
The Documented Marine Fauna of Terre-De-Bas
In marine fauna ,Terre-De-Bas is extremely diverse. This is due to the diversity of ecosystems which provide shelter as well as food & large amounts of nutrients. However, there are other contributing factors as to the biodiversity of Terre-De-Bas. Most often creatures will migrate up the lesser Antilles toyear-round find more prey, this makes it so that most creatures will not live year round around Terre-De-Bas. However biodiversity is slowly declining due to the increasing sea levels, decreasing amounts of coral, & mismanagement of wastewater. The best places to see these marine creatures that we speak of are in the areas with coral reefs. The reason for that is due to the majority of the creatures hunting in the coral reefs or living in the coral reefs. There are no known marine species that are endemic specifically to the island of Terre-De-Bas. However, there are some marine endemic species in Guadeloupe. The majority of coral reefs are tino the northern areas of the island. For this article, we will not be counting smaller organisms, or organisms that are in low density around the island.
The most prominent marine species that are found around Terre-De-Bas are as follows: Trichechus Manatus (The West Indian manatee), Balaenoptera Acutorostrata (Northern Minke Whale), Balaenoptera Borealis (Sei Whale), Balaenoptera Brydei (Bryde’s whale), Balaenoptera Musculus (Blue Whale), Megaptera Novaeangliae (Humpback Whale), Short-Beaked Common Dolphin (Delphinus Delphis), Fersea Attenuata (Pygmy Killer Whale), Globicephala Macrorhyncus (Short-finned pilot whale), Lagenodelphis Hosei (Frasers Dolphin), Grampus Griseus (Risso’s Dolphin), Orcinus Orca (Killer Whale), Peponocephala Electra (Melon-Headed Whale), Pseudorca Crassidens (False Killer Whale), Stenella Attenuata (Pantropical Spotted Dolphin), Stenella Clymene (Clymene Dolphin), Stenella Coeruleoalba (Striped Dolphin), Stenella Longirostris (Spinners Dolphin), Stenella Frontalis (Atlantic Spotted Dolphin), Steno Bredanensis (Rough-Toothed Dolphin), Tursiops Truncatus (Common Bottlenose Dolphin), Physeter Catodon (Sperm Whale), Kogia Breviceps (Pygmy sperm whale), Kogia Sima (Dwarf Sperm Whale), Mesoplodon Europaeus (Gervais’s Beaked Whale), Ziphius Cavirostris (Cuivers Beaked Whale), Sphyraena Barracuda (Great Barracuda), Chelonia Mydas (Green Sea Turtle), Dermochelys Coriacea (Leatherback turtle), & Finally, Albula Vulpes (Bonefish).
How The Marine Resources Of Terre-De-Bas Were Utilized & How It Affected The Marine Environment
The marine resources of Terre-De-Bas were most often utilized by commercial fishing & fishing for personal uses. Many edible fish are found around Terre-De-Bas which is what attracts the amount of fishermen. This for obvious reasons, causes the marine species to become less prominent in that area, which will cause many issues. A good example of this was when most of the fish that ate the Crown of Thorns starfish around Tutuila were hunted into local extinction, this then caused the population of the Crown Of Thorns to spike. The Crown Of Thorns then went about eating all the coral which caused a large environmental crisis. Another common use is for eco-tourism which is tourism for the specific purpose of visiting the natural environment. However, this eco-tourism can be unethical at times & lead to pollution & destruction of the natural marine environment. Thankfully, most of the marine resources of Terre-De-Bas have been left alone. This gives Terre-De-Bas the ability to support the mass amount of marine animals that it has today.
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