The Oceans Surrounding The Island Of Antigua
- ThePersaudCatalog
- Sep 20, 2023
- 6 min read
The Oceans Surrounding The Island Of Antigua
Todays article will discuss the oceans surrounding the Caribbean island of Antigua. This island makes up the country of Antigua & Barbuda. The island is approximately 185.22 Nautical/Marine miles (213.147369 miles or 343.02744 kilometers) from Venezuela. It is also approximately 1311.36 Nautical/Marine miles (1509.086137 miles or 2428.63872 kilometers) from mainland Florida. Antigua is a part of the lesser Antilles & the island group known as the Leeward islands. The etymology of the name is that Antigua means ancient in Spanish. This choice of name was most likely a remanent of the Spanish conquest of the Caribbean. This name was given to them by the Spanish when they first landed on Antigua. It is tropical & for this reason it has extreme biodiversity. Its oceans are also somewhat undiscovered. This makes it a common place to find strange & interesting marine species. It also has many interesting oceanic nutrients that say northern Caribbean countries would not have. In this article we will discuss the salinity, temperature, marine geography & terrain, the most important marine ecosystems, the documented marine flora & fauna, the ocean acidification & climate change, & the utilization of marine resources on the island. With that being said, let us delve into the Land of the 365 Beaches.
The Salinity, Temperature, Tides, Basic Information, & Marine Geography Of Antigua
Antigua is an island that exists just northeast of Montserrat . The actual salinity level of Antigua is undocumented. However, it is most likely between 34 & 35 parts per thousand. The reason for that is due to that being the average salinity level of the Caribbean sea. Antigua, exists in the Caribbean sea. There are also no factors that would Interfere with the salinity levels. The marshlands that exist do not release very much water, which is a reason as to the constant stability of the salinity of Antigua. The temperature of Antigua can be found on a multitude of sites, such as https://seatemperature.net, https://www.seatemperature.org, https://seatemperature.info, https://www.seatemperatu.re, & https://weather-and-climate.com. The tides are also found on those websites. They usually do not get over 2.73 feet (0.832104 meters). The deepest point within 12 Nautical/Marine miles (13.8094 miles or 22.224 kilometers) of Antigua is 2296.6 feet (700.00368 meters) deep. It does not have very many currents around it, & when currents do form they are rather predictable. The riptide is not very bad & is not present to a dangerous extent. Swimming & other recreational activities such as surfing & leisure boating often take place on the oceans surrounding Antigua. The eastern most sides of the island however, do get large waves. This is great for an activity such as surfing however it may be dangerous to an average swimmer. The water is relatively unpolluted & has incredible visibility. This additionally provides amazing views as to the marine ecosystems. Sand walls & drop offs within close proximity of shoreline are not common either. Oceanic mounts can occasionally be found off the coast of Antigua. However, these mounts are never volcanic in nature. Most of the time, the sea floor will consist of sand, rock, mud, & coral.
The Most Important Marine Ecosystems Of Antigua
Coral Reefed Areas
Coral reefed areas are found in many places around Antigua. There are no specific large coral reefs however the southern, eastern, & northern sides of the island have many coral reefs & types of coral shelving. This however, can cause negative affects such as dead coral washing up on beaches & causing injuries to animal species. This can also disrupt the laying behaviours of turtles. These coral reefs are usually found anywhere from 5 feet deep to 40 feet deep. They are usually found off shore by a few hundred meters. However in certain areas they are found much closer to the shoreline. They can also occasionally, be spotted from harbours. The only type of coral reefs that are found are fringing coral reefs. 76 square kilometers of Antigua & Barbuda’s oceans are designated coral reefs.
Seagrass Beds
There is no specific place that 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, this makes this ecosystem extremely fragile. Usually, this is an area where animals such as sea horses or fish give birth. These areas are mostly found 100 to 7000 feet (30.48 meters to 2133.6 meters) off shore. However, they can be found in open ocean as well. The Most common documented seagrass species found in Antiguan waters is Halophila stipulacea.
Mangrove Forests
The mangrove forests are mostly on the north west area, near Hanson’s bay. There is a total of 10 square kilometers of mangrove forest near Hansons bay. These mostly consist of mangrove trees, swampland like conditions. Many animals filter in from the ocean through streams to these areas, alligators are commonly found here. Antigua does apparently, have alligators, however they do not have crocodiles. Seagrasses are commonly found in these mangrove areas as well. Nutrients are in abundance in this area. At its deepest these areas are usually 15 feet deep.
The Documented Marine Flora Of Antigua
Antigua is not very diverse when it comes to marine flora. There is only 1 known seagrass species found in any Antiguan waters. That species is known as Halophila stipulacea. It is an invasive species that made its way over from the Mediterranean. The Most likely way that is got to Antigua is through human introduction. Macro algae however, are a bit more plentiful. 2 species from the macro algae genus of Halimeda have been found in Antigua. These species are what is known as green algae. Green algae however, look very similar to seagrass. A unique characteristic of green algae, is that the algal body known as the thallus is composed of green calcified segments. It has calcium carbonate deposits deep in its tissues. This renders it inedible to most herbivores. There are no kelp species found nearby Antigua. Also, we will not be including coral as they are technically classifed under the kingdom of Animalia. There are no endemic marine plants to Antigua.
The Documented Marine Fauna Of Antigua
Antigua is incredibly biodiverse when it comes to marine fauna due to the high amounts of sheltered areas & food. Due to this, Antigua has a total of 35 marine protected areas. This totals less then 0.1% of the Antiguan & Barbudan ocean. Marine fauna often flourishes around Antigua, due to this reason there are many migratory schedules that animals have in which they live temporarily in Antigua. We unfortunately will not be discussing organisms that are single celled or that are categorized are plankton. Antigua’s appeal for animals is also that they are often extremely protected compared to in other national waters. This provides a safe domain for the creatures to live & thrive. There are also no known marine animals that are endemic to Antigua. The most notable & common marine species that are found in the oceans surrounding Antigua are: Megaptera Novaeangliae (Humpback Whale), Tursiops Truncatus (Common Bottlenose Dolphins), Stenella Longirostris (Spinner Dolphins), Eretmochelys Imbricata (Hawksbill Turtle), Dermochelys Coriacea (Leatherback Turtle), Chelonis Mydas (Green Turtle), Aetobatus Narinari (Spotted Eagle Rays), Hypanus Americanus (Southern Stingrays), Ocyurus Chrysurus (Yellowtail Snapper), Parrotfish of various species, Holocentrus Rufus (Longspine Squirrelfish), Enchelycore Carychroa (Caribbean Chestnut Moray Eels), Heteroconger Longissimus (Brown Garden Eels), Equetus Punctatus (Spotted Drum), (Honeycomb Cowfish), Lactophrys Triqueter (Smooth Trunkfish), Epinephelus Striatus (Nassau Grouper), Mulloidichthys Martinicus (Yellow Goat Fish), Chromis Cyanea (Blue Chromis), Chromis Multilineata (Brown Chromis), Halichoeres Garnoti (Yellow Headed Wrasse), Bothus Mancus (Peacock Flounder), Myripristis Jacobus (Black Bar Soldierfish), Halichoeres Radiatus (Puddingwife Wrasse), Carangoides Ruber (Bar Jack) & Heteropriacantus Cruentatus (Glasseye Snapper).
How The Marine Resources Of Antigua Were Often Utilized
Antigua has many marine resources that have been utilized in many different ways throughout the centuries. Historically, whalers often used Antigua for the purpose of hunting whales. These whales would often be used for whale oil, whale bones, & whale meat. Otherwise, commercial fishing was & still is incredibly popular due to the high density of edible fish. It is used for marine tourism as eco tourism makes up a large percent of their total GDP.
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