Sargasso Sea

Sar·gas·so Sea

S0091000 (sär-găs′ō) A part of the northern Atlantic Ocean between the West Indies and the Azores. The relatively calm sea is noted for the abundance of gulfweed floating on its surface.

Sargasso Sea

n (Placename) a calm area of the N Atlantic, between the Caribbean and the Azores, where there is an abundance of floating seaweed of the genus Sargassum

Sar•gas′so Sea′

(sɑrˈgæs oʊ)
n. a relatively calm area of water in the N Atlantic, NE of the West Indies: central part covered with sargassum.

Thesaurus

Noun

Sargasso Sea - a vast area of the North Atlantic from the West Indies to the Azores that is dense with gulfweedAtlantic, Atlantic Ocean - the 2nd largest ocean; separates North and South America on the west from Europe and Africa on the east

Sargasso Sea

(särgăs`ō), part of the N Atlantic Ocean, lying roughly between the West Indies and the Azores and from about lat. 20°N to lat. 35°N, in the horse latitudeshorse latitudes,
two belts of latitude where winds are light and the weather is hot and dry. They are located mostly over the oceans, at about 30° lat. in each hemisphere, and have a north-south range of about 5° as they follow the seasonal migration of the sun.
..... Click the link for more information. . The relatively still sea is the center of a great swirl of ocean currents known as the North Atlantic Subtropical Gyre, and is a rich field for the marine biologist. It is noted for the abundance of gulfweed (Sargassum species; see seaweedseaweed,
name commonly used for the multicellular marine algae. Simpler forms, consisting of one cell (e.g., the diatom) or of a few cells, are not generally called seaweeds; these tiny plants help to make up plankton.
..... Click the link for more information. ) on its surface. The thick masses of gulfweed are home to a distinctive and specialized group of marine forms specifically adapted to their environment, and are a nursery for young migratory sea turtles. The sea is also the spawning ground for eels, dolphin fish (or dorado), and other fish. The Bermuda islands are in the northwestern part of the sea.

Sargasso Sea

an area of the Atlantic Ocean situated in tropical latitudes between the Canaries Current, the North Equatorial Current, and the Gulf Stream—that is, between 23°-35° N lat. and 30°-68° W long. The area fluctuates from 6 to 7 million sq km owing to seasonal changes in the currents. The winds and currents are weak and unstable, since the region is located in the center of the anticyclone cycle of surface waters. The water temperature is 18°-23°C in the winter and 26°-28°C in the summer. The salinity is 36.5–37.0 pro mille.

The Sargasso Sea received its name from the extensive aggregates of the seaweed Sargassum that float on or near the surface. The abundance of seaweed is due to the convergence of surface currents in the area. The sea is inhabited by many different types of animals. Free-swimming animals include mackerel, flying fishes, sea urchins, crabs, and sea tortoises; animals that live attached to seaweed include sea anemones and bryozoans.

The Sargasso Sea was at one time exceptionally clean, with visibility to a depth of 60 cm. Now the sea is severely contaminated with heavy oils.

Sargasso Sea

[sär′ga·sō ′sē] (geography) A region of the North Atlantic Ocean; boundaries are defined in the west and north by the Gulf Stream, in the east by longitude 40°W, and in the south by latitude 20°N.

Sargasso Sea

a calm area of the N Atlantic, between the Caribbean and the Azores, where there is an abundance of floating seaweed of the genus Sargassum

Sargasso Sea

Sar·gas·so Sea

Sargasso Sea

Sar•gas′so Sea′

Sargasso Sea

Sargasso Sea

Sargasso Sea

Sargasso Sea

Sargasso Sea

Sargasso Sea

Words related to Sargasso Sea

noun a vast area of the North Atlantic from the West Indies to the Azores that is dense with gulfweed

Related Words