The Sargasso Sea Lauren Seyler

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The Sargasso SeaLauren Seyler
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A Sea Without Shores

• 1,100 km wide by 3,200 km long
• 70W to 40W, 25N to 35N
• Bounded by currents
• West Gulf Stream
• North North Atlantic Current
• East Canary Current
• South North Atlantic Equatorial Current
• gt North Atlantic Subtropical Gyre
• Depths of 1,500-7,000 m

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Characteristics

• Separation from rest of Atlantic
• Indigenous currents weak, mostly entropious
• What goes in, wont go out
• Plus low ppt, high evaporation, light winds
• No mixing!
• Warm, saline, nutrient-poor water

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Sargassum

• Brown seaweed with small, berry-like bladders
• Travels with wind and current
• Not brought in by Gulf Stream
• Unique ecological niche
• J. Craig Venter
• 1800 species, 148 previously unknown bacterial
  phylotypes

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Deadly Doldrums

• Sea of Lost Ships- contains Bermuda Triangle
• Dreaded by seafarers for centuries
• Columbuss crew feared seaweed
• Not seaweed, but calms
• Horse Latitudes
• Even today, airplanes and cargo ships lost
• WHY?

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