The Oceans Surrounding The Island of Saint Lucia

Todays article will discuss the oceans that surround the Caribbean island of Saint Lucia. From its closest point it is 186.04 Nautical/Marine miles (214.091009 miles or 344.54608 kilometers) from mainland Venezuela. It is also 1314.27 Nautical/Marine miles (1512.434905 miles or 2434.02804 kilometers) from mainland Florida. It exists in the Caribbean & is one of the safest Caribbean islands to visit. It has a beautiful a bustling ecosystem that is full of colour & many different strange species. Since it is in a tropical area & also it has many oceanic nutrients, it is incredibly appealing to many species for all sorts of purposes. This makes it incredibly biodiverse. It is in the lesser Antilles & is a part of the windward islands. Its oceans are tropical & rather warm giving it a lower oxygen concentration. 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 on the island. With that being said let us delve into the paradise isle of Saint Lucia. The Salinity, Temperature, Tides, Basic Information, & Marine Geography Of Saint Lucia Saint Lucia exists within the Atlantic ocean meaning that the salinity level is likely higher then in any other ocean. The island is located just south of the french island of Martinique & north of Saint Vincent. The actual salinity level has not been released to the public domain. However, it can be assumed that it is between 35.5 & 34.5 parts. The temperatures for Saint Lucia can be found on a variety of websites, however this is the simplest website to navigate https://www.surf-forecast.com. The tidal chart can also be found there. The waves usually never get over 3 feet (0.9144 meters) tall. In that website you may choose whether you would like to see the temperature chart for pigeon point or Commaret point. The deepest point within 5 Nautical/Marine miles (5.7539 miles or 9.26 kilometers) is 3,280.8 feet (999.744 meters) deep. There are not strong currents or any kind of harsh riptide around Saint Lucia. This makes it an ideal swimming & scuba diving area. Scuba diving & snorkelling are common recreational activities that are seen here. However it is advised to listen to any coast guard warnings that are put out at the time. It is also advised to avoid disturbing the marine life. Water pollution overall is not bad & is constantly being improved. There also have not been any oil spills off the coast of Saint Lucia in recent years. There is less then 1 square kilometer of area that is marine protected by Saint Lucia. It ranks 108 on the list of countries with marine protected areas. It is not clear how much of this countries ocean floor has been mapped or discovered. The bottom of the ocean usually consists of coral, clay, sand, rock, and / or mud. The Most Important Marine Ecosystems Of Saint Lucia Coral Reefs Coral reefed areas are found in many places around Saint Lucia. There are no specific large coral reefs however the southern side of the island has many coral reefs. This however, can cause negative affects such as dead coral washing up on beaches & causing injuries to animal species. 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. A factor as to why this might be is that any coral reefs within 100 meters of shoreline are protected by the Saint Lucian Government. Under that law, 44% of the Saint Lucian coast is designated as a coral reef & is protected. The overall health of these reefs are well. 30% of these reefs are in good condition meaning that resources are abundant & they do not require human interference. 35% of these reefs are are in fair condition & do not require human interference conservation wise, however may not fully recover if human impacts are not minimized. Finally, 35% of these reefs are in poor condition & may not recover if human impacts are not minimized & there is no human interference for conservation. Unfortunately, the actual species of these coral are not known. Underwater Caves Oceanic caves are quite common around Saint Lucia, with the most notable being Bat Cave. Many smaller organisms live in underwater caves then out in open ocean. An organism that often does this, is a sea cucumber. Larger animals are not often found here due to there being tight spaces & not enough food to support them. Seagrasses also do not often grow here. Many fish can be found perusing throughout these types of caves looking for food or other things. These caves are mainly found along the western & northwestern sides of the island. It is also important to note that these areas are occasionally not fully underwater & also have dry areas. 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 give birth. It consists mostly of seagrass. The Documented Marine Flora Of Saint Lucia The overall Documented marine flora of Saint Lucia is incredibly diverse & colourful due to the high amount of nutrients in the ocean water. However this does not include seagrass. Many plants have been documented to do something very strange in the lesser Antilles, that thing is that they seem to all be migrating south. This may be due to over fishing or lack of nutrients however the real reason for this is unknown. Unfortunately, their is not very much seagrass diversity along Saint Lucia. There are 3 documented species of seagrass that are found along Saint Lucia. These species are known as Thalassia testudinum (Turtle Grass), Syringodium filiforme (Manatee Grass), & finally Halodule wrightii (Shoal Grass). They are found in an incredibly high concentration off the eastern coast compared to the western coast which they are found infrequently & when found are much smaller. This may be due to the western coast being less maintained then the eastern coast. They are highly diverse when it comes to algae species. Species from the algae genera of Avrainvillea, Udotea, Penicillus, Halimeda, Amphiroa, Sargussum, & Caulerpa can all be traced to Saint Lucian waters. There are not any current issues with invasive marine plant species. The Documented Marine Fauna Of Saint Lucia Many types of marine fauna enjoy Saint Lucia as a sanctuary for living & giving birth to their young. Saint Lucia’s oceans are often protected & there is increased fines for destruction of the oceanic areas. Many creatures migrated from South American areas towards the southern lesser Antilles. This may be a contributing factor as to why Saint Lucia has such extreme biodiversity. Unfortunately, we will not be discussing single celled creatures, bacteria, or amoeba. Saint Lucia appeals especially to marine mammals due to the fact that they can safely give birth to their young & mate in this area. Some of the most notable & important animals that live around Saint Lucia are listed as the following: Hippocampus Reidi (slender sea horse), frogfish of various species, Pomacanthus Paru (french angelfish), Bothus Mancus (peacock flounder), moray eels of various species, Equetus Punctatus (spotted drum), Cardisoma Carnifex (giant mangrove crab), parrotfish of various species, lion fish of various species, Mobula Birostros (giant oceanic manta ray), Dactyloptera Voltians (atlantic flying gurnard), damselfish of various species, Myrichthys Ocellatus (golden spotted eels), Carcharhinus Leucas (bull shark), Megaptera Novaeangliae (humpback whales), & Physeter Macrocephalus (sperm whales). How The Marine Resources Of Saint Lucia Were Utilized Saint Lucian resources have been utilized in many ways, however commercial fishing was the most common use throughout history & is the most common use modernly. Commercial fishing as taken place by domestic & international companies in Saint Lucian waters since the country itself existed. This is due to their large abundance of edible fish. This had long lasting negative affects on the marine ecosystems. From this & many other local extinctions, we can learn that marine resource utilization should have the long lasting factors thought about before it is conducted. Another way that the marine resources were used for purposes, is oil extraction. This also had strange & dangerous affects on the wildlife. Boating has also become rather popular & that has caused many issues for animals that live in what are now harbours. Directories / Credits https://climateknowledgeportal.worldbank.org/country/st-lucia https://www.climateandforests-undp.org/explore/caribbean/saint-lucia https://mpatlas.org/countries/list https://www.agrra.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/STL-Report-Card_2016_WebLowRes.pdf https://www.wri.org/data/shoreline-protected-coral-reefs-st-lucia https://sevenseasmedia.org/st-lucia-coral-spawning/ http://www.oas.org/reia/iwcam/pdf/St.%20Lucia/Chapter%203.PDF https://www.thegef.org/news/communities-innovate-address-sargassum-seaweed-coasts-saint-lucia Strategic Partnerships Reel Guppy Outdoors Our Loyal Patrons Ms. Ochoa ReplyForward