The Oceans Surrounding The Greek Island Of Crete
Todays Article Will Discuss, The Oceans Surrounding Island Of Crete. Crete is approximately 52.33 Nautical/Marine miles from mainland Greece. It is also approximately 96.98 miles from mainland Turkey. The island of Crete is owned by Greece as of 2023. Crete is in the Mediterranean sea. It is in the eastern Mediterranean. It is the 5th largest island in the Mediterranean sea. Crete is incredibly biodiverse & interesting due to species that are only found throughout the Mediterranean, such as the Mediterranean monk seal. Crete has a coastline that stretches over 650 miles (1046.07 kilometers) long. It is also common place for recreational oceanic activities. This is due to how unpolluted & beautiful the waters generally are. However, Cretes waters are somewhat mysterious & have many strange tales told of it. The Minoans of Crete made sculptures of what looked to be sea monsters. There are also many different types of greek oceanic monsters that were believed in by the greeks. The Minoans, followed greek mythology. 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 greek isle of Kriti.
The Salinity, Temperature, Tides, Basic Information, & Marine Geography Of Crete
Crete is one of the most southern greek islands. It is also the largest greek island. The actual salinity of the waters within a 5 Nautical/Marine mile radius has not been measured or has not been released to the public domain. There are no factors that would cause a change in the salinity level around the island. Salt deposits also seem to be more common around the island. However, the average salinity of the Mediterranean sea at any given time is 38 parts per thousand. So it can be assumed that the salinity of the island is around 38 parts per thousand. Salinity is measured in 1,000 grams. For every 1000 grams of water there will be a certain number of grams that are pure salt. The temperature chart for crete can be found a plethora of websites, here are a few that are the simplest to navigate: https://www.seatemperature.org, SeaTemperature.infohttp, WaterTemperature.nethttps,
SeaTemperatu.rehttps, & finally https://weather-and-climate.com. The tides are very calm & there is barely any tide at all. Waves larger then 2 feet are very unusual. There is very rarely a high surf that would cause danger to a person. This makes it a great place for recreational swimmers. The deepest oceanic areas of the island are located on the northeastern edge of the island. The ocean reaches a maximum depth of 10,000 feet (3,048 meters). However some nautical maps claim a maximum depth of a mere 8,500 feet (2590.8 meters). There is not a current around the island & sudden currents are not common. There is also very low riptide which makes recreational swimming easier. However, just because swimming is usually safe it does not mean that you should not listen to any advisories or warnings put out by the greek government. Oceanic pollution on Crete is not bad at all. The water is perfectly safe to swim in & as of 2023 has some of the cleanest water among the greek islands.
The Most Important Marine Ecosystems Of Crete
Wetlands / Marshland
Crete has beautiful wetlands & estuaries all throughout the island. There are countless of these found along river banks on the island. These wetlands usually have wading birds, various fish, & water snakes. Many aquatic birds live in this area, making it somewhat delicate. These areas are commonly used for bird watching. They are mostly salt water however a few are freshwater. These wetlands usually filter off into smaller pond areas. They are incredibly biodiverse & also a few of them effectively function as dams. The most common seagrass found in this area is known as Posidonia Oceanica (Mediterranean Tapeweed). These areas are mostly located in the western areas of Crete.
Underwater Rocky Areas
These areas are found close off the coast of Crete. They usually consist of small rock formations which fish will use as shelter. Oftentimes these areas are found anywhere from 10 feet (3.048000 meters) to 240 feet (73.152 meters deep. However they can be found deeper. Oftentimes this is the hunting ground of squid & octopi. This ecosystem is one of the most commonly found. This area is one of the most versatile.
Seagrass Beds
This area can be found anywhere off the coast of Crete. The only seagrass species found here is known as Posidonia Oceanica. These areas are usually home to many species & are often the most egg-laying grounds for species. This ecosystem is also often one of the most delicate types of ecosystems. The seagrass has many unique uses to different species.
Coral Reefed Areas
These areas are found dotted off the coast of the island. They are usually found between 1/2 of a mile to 4 miles off shore. However the coral are not like the corals off the tropics. These corals are calcified algae colonies. This was discovered during an experiment by the Thalassa Foundation. One of the divers Dimitris Poursanidis, said this. “These formations are biogenic structures, Their base is mainly red, orange & purple algae, which have a special characteristic. They coat their cell walls with calcite, one of the crystalline forms of calcium carbonate which is found dissolved in seawater.”. This creates a unique effect as creatures can safely make shelters in the coral while it is still growing. These structures will also create natural bumps & holes which later get occupied by marine animals.
The Documented Marine Flora Of Crete
Crete is not very biodiverse when it comes to marine plants. There is only 1 native seagrass species that is found near Crete. That species is known as Posidonia Oceanica. This species is found all around the island, including around the marshes. It provides many things for different species, such as food, shelter, attracting other species, & generally enriching the oceanic ecosystem. However seagrasses aren’t the only marine plants, The Pancratium Maritmium (Sea daffodil) has also naturalized itself throughout the island. This species isn’t exactly a “marine” plant because it doesn’t live underwater, however it does live on coastal sand dunes on different parts of Crete. It sprouts in the sand & grows on the beach, getting nutrients from the ocean in the process. It often gets covered in sand so that makes it sort of scarce. It look similar to an average lily that would be found on land.
The Documented Marine Fauna Of Crete
Crete is extremely biodiverse when it comes to marine fauna. Crete is one of the nutrient rich areas which attracts creatures from all throughout the Mediterranean. Most namely the Mediterranean monk seal. Crete appeals to many different species of smaller fish which is most likely how it got so diverse today. It is also marine protected which provides a sense of security. This is much better then say a bit further northwest or really anywhere else in the Mediterranean where fishing takes place more often. Many of these species live here year round however there are a few that will migrate out of the Mediterranean. With that being said, let us get into the most important species to the marine ecosystems of Crete. They are as follows: Monachus Monachus (Mediterranean monk seal), Caretta Caretta (Loggerhead turtle), Octopus Vulgaris (Common octopus), Ornate Wrasse ( ), Loligo Vulgaris (European squid), Sardina Pilchardus (European pilchard), Spicara Smaris (Picarel), Mullus surmuletus (red mullet), Pagellus Erythrinus (common pandora), Dentex Macrophthalmus (Large-eye dentex), Dentex Dentex (Common Dentex), Merluccius merluccius (Whiting), Epinephelus aeneus (white grouper), Epinephelus marginatus (dusky geouper), Conger Conger (European conger), Scomber Japonicus (chub mackerel), Seriola dumerelli (yellowtail amberjack), Sarda Sarda (Atlantic Bonito), Xiphias Gladius (swordfish), Thunnus thynnus (northern bluefin tuna), Mustelus mustelus (smooth hound), Squalus Acanthias (piked dogfish), Prionace glauca (blue shark), Exocoetus Voltians (tropical two-wing flying fish), Zeus Faber (John dory), Mola Mola (ocean sunfish), Chelidonichthys lastoviza (Streaked gurnard), Balistes carolinensis (Grey Triggerfish), Torpedo Nobiliana (Atlantic torpedo), Paracentrotus lividus (purple sea urchin), species from the seahorse genus of hippocampus, Sepia officinalis (cuttlefish), & Finally Loligo Duvauceli (Indian ocean squid).
How The Marine Resources Of Crete Were Utilized Historically & Modernly
The Minoans were great sailors without a doubt. They occupied the island for a long period of time. These oceans would act as a source of food & transport for them. They valued the ocean & would often display their love for the ocean in their arts. Modernly, humans have used the ocean surrounding Crete for commercial fishing, cruises, scuba diving, & snorkelling. However, the harbours on Crete have slowly been running out the wild life. Humans have also somewhat terrorized the wildlife with overfishing, oil spills, & boat fuel. Most notably, in 2017 when a tanker left a trail of oil that totalled a mile in length. This shows that humans should evaluate the benefits that they get from hunting a certain creature & then evaluate what the outcome would be for that species. This also shows that humans should improve their ways of carrying oil via ocean.
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