The Sargasso Sea – a Sea of Mystery

The Sargasso Sea is the earth’s only sea without a land boundary – it is an isolated area in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean.  The Sargasso is surrounded by the cold and hostile North Atlantic, but the sea is warm, clear blue and calm.  At the bottom of the sea is the Nares Abyssal Plain, which is about 3.6 miles deep.  Various ocean currents swirl around the edges of the sea – on the western edge is the Gulf Stream; on the northern edge is the North Atlantic Current; on the eastern edge is the Canary Current; and on the southern edge is the North Atlantic Equatorial Current.  These currents swirling around the parameters of the sea create a calm spot in the middle of the ocean.  The seaweed genus “Sargassum” is indigenous only to this sea, which grows thick and abundantly, can be seen floating on the surface of the water.  For centuries, scientists thought the area was a vast desert with sparse nutrients, but today they have discovered the opposite – the currents that swirl around the sea feed into it, creating and sustaining many varieties of plant and animal life.  Apparently, the thick seaweed provides a haven and food for many sea creatures.  Scientists were also puzzled at the amount of plankton that bloomed in the sea, until they discovered that this part of the ocean is more productive then they once thought.  A new study has revealed that eddies, strong underwater currents that rise up, carry nutrients from the bottom of the ocean to the top and give life to the sea.  The Sargasso Sea was always thought to be a desert, but after extensive study it was revealed that much life exists in this body of water.  The Sargasso Sea has now been compared to the rich teaming life of the rainforests!  As we increase our knowledge, we begin to realize the true miracle of life!!