The Gulf of Mexico
Introduction
The Gulf of Mexico’s unique location between the USA, Mexico and Cuba makes it a valuable resource that allows for water transport, oil exploration, fishing and tourism. The gulf uniqueness can is as a result of its formation, which is a result of the movement of two tectonic plates, the North America plate and the Yucatan plate. Due to its usefulness, the Gulf has suffered a lot of pollution from pollution. There are warm currents that affect productivity and the regional climate of the Gulf. These warm currents interact with the physical features to form upwelling and downwelling zones that are essential for the circulation of nutrients hence affecting production that supports life in the Gulf. There is a complicated relationship between the marine life, currents, global warming, hurricanes and human activities hence the need to ensure sustainable utilization by taking deliberate conservation efforts that reverses the impact of pollution.
The USA, Mexico, and Cuba border the Gulf of Mexico which is a body of water in the southern part of the North American continent at coordinates 25.681137,-89.890137. The ocean basin border the US to its north, Mexico to its west and south side and Cuba and is, therefore, a valuable resource that provides medium for water transport, sustains biodiversity and impacts the climate of the region. The southern states of the US enclose Gulf, Mexican coastal areas and the northern shores of Cuba and Bahamas (Latlong.net, n.d.). Its unique geographic location presents both opportunities and challenges in its utilization and conservation as a resource.
The surface water currents within 200 m in the Gulf of Mexico consists of the warm loop current which moves northwards between the western shores of Cuba and the Yucatan Peninsula. Typical to most currents in the northern hemisphere, the loop current moves in a clockwise direction primarily influenced by Local winds and by rivers and tides on a lower scale. The current creates a loop at the centre of the ocean basin before exiting the Florida straits located between Florida and Cuba (Love et al., 2013). These movements result in a regular and continuous flow allowing for prediction of its trajectory. The currents in the Gulf of Mexico raise the temperature and humidity in the region, creating a warm and humid climate with frequent hurricanes. The influence on the environment is due to the interplay of warm currents and air through evaporation. The atmosphere of the Gulf of Mexico region varies from tropical to subtropical, characterized by hurricanes (Broadus, Geyer, & LaMourie, 2020). The effects of the warm currents, therefore, spill over to create a considerably warm climate in the region. The water temperature, on the other hand, has some variation with the lowest being 59Fand the highest 87F. The Gulf attains the lowest temperature in winter and the highest in summer due to differences in sunlight. The western side of the gulf records approximately 85F-87 F during summer and 59F-62F during winter (Water Temperate, n.d). The water temperature is therefore relatively stable and can be described as warm all year round.
The shorelines in the Gulf of Mexico are generally irregular. The irregular shape of the coastline is due to physical features in the adjacent areas and the presence of a large number of inlets. The shores of the GuHAby bays, rivers, barrier islands and marshlands. (United States Department of Agriculture, 2020). The interaction of the physical features and the effects of seawater creates a rugged shoreline
The topography of the basin is generally shallow with a broad continental shelf with few dark areas. The continental shelf descends gradually through the continental slope that is characterized by numerous rises such as the coral reefs and deposits. Sigsbee deep is the deepest part of the Gulf, estimated at 4000 meters below sea level. These features of the deep sea affect movement of currents, sunlight, nutrients and pollutants. The major producers in this area include chemosynthetic communities. The insufficient sunlight cannot support photosynthesis, the primary way through which plants create energy. Primary producers, therefore, synthesize Energy-rich carbon compounds in the deep sea through chemical processes (Love et al., 2013). The organisms in the deep sea, therefore, can convert chemicals into these forms of energy and passes them on to other animals.
The tectonic plates that shape the Gulf of Mexican are the North American plate and the Yucatan Peninsula block. The relative movement of these two plates at the boundaries forms the ocean basin into its oval shape. The Yucatan moved in a counter-clockwise rotation away from the North American block creating the bowl (Bird et al., 2005). Therefore, the tectonic events and trajectory of the Yucatan Peninsula are responsible for the formation of the basin and other landforms.
Fransico Hernandez pioneered the exploration the Gulf of Mexico and his efforts were extended by Alonso Alvarez de Pineda who sketched the map and map and discovered the Mississipi river which he named as the ‘River of the Holy Spirit’. His goal was to find the route through to the Pacific Ocean, which he believed existed. Pineda began the journey in March 1519 moved northwards through the Yucatan channel to Florida, then turning back westwards after realizing that Florida was part of the mainland (Carson, 2017). Pineda, therefore, receives the credit for mapping the Gulf and confirming that it is enclosed.
There is periodic algae bloom in the Gulf of Mexico due to excessive nutrient loads which can cause death for humans and marine life. The increase of nutrients such as phosphorous and nitrogen above natural levels triggers a significant increase in algae. For instance, there is a rapid growth of harmful algae called Karenia Brevis in the Gulf of Mexico, which can cause respiratory illness and even death for marine life (Tides & Currents, n.d). Apart from causing diseases, algae bloom also starves other forms of life by consuming a lot of oxygen during decay.
The Gulf of Mexico is home to sea mammals, and fishes such as vampire squid and Sperm whales. Their adaptations allow them to survive in the Gulf of Mexico despite the low oxygen levels caused by excess algae and oil spills. The vampire squid adapts to the cold low oxygen areas of the Gulf by drifting with the currents and feeding on the faecal matter (Baldera, 2019). Moving with the currents allows it to conserve energy while feeding on waste is a survival tactic in areas where energy supply is low. The Sperm Whale, on the other hand, is a mammal that has evolved to be able to use high-frequency sound as a way of detecting obstructions, prey and danger in water (Wursig, 2017). These adaptations are essential for the survival of the animals in the highly dynamic ecosystem. The sea animals depend on algae as their primary source of energy either directly or indirectly. The energy, therefore, is transmitted to the different ranks of animals. For instance, the sperm whale feed on fish, squid, shrimp and crab, which in turn forage on algae (Love et al., 2013). Algae, therefore, sustain animal life in the sea by providing them with the energy that they need.
The environmental concerns in the Gulf of Mexico are pollution caused by oil spills and nutrient runoffs. The forms of contamination are mainly due to human activities within the basin and the farming practices around it. For instance, The BP Deepwater Horizon oil disaster affected the various forms of life negatively by cutting oxygen supply, while excess nutrients encourage the overgrowth of algae (Love et al.,2013). The US government has initiated conservation measures reducing nutrients discharged into the area and safeguarding against more oil spills.
The projections suggest that sea level of the Gulf of Mexico will rise due to Global warming. Continued emission of greenhouse gases raises global temperature leading to thermal expansion and melting of ice, consequently increasing the sea level significantly. For instance, it that global sea level will rise by about 20 to 60 cm in the next century (Love, et al.,2013). The rise of temperature and sea level affects all forms of marine life and communities living around the basin as it can lead to more substantial and more dramatic hurricanes.
The surface currents, including the loop current and the resulting eddy, affect the primary production in the Gulf of Mexico. The westwards currents consisting of cold-core clockwise and warm-core whirls create upwelling and downwelling respectively due to the dynamics of temperature and density. The loop current and its influence affect biological production in the basin and causes an upwelling and downwelling through the interaction of the wet bound eddies and the edge of the shelf. (Love, et al.,2013). Upwelling and downwelling allow the mixing of water resulting in oxygen and nutrients supply to primary producers.
The Gulf of Mexico’s is a vital resource utilized for oil exploration, water transport fishing and tourism. The movement of The Yucatan plate in a counter-clockwise direction relative to the North American plate resulted in the formation of its semi-enclosed oval shape. However, due to human activities, the Gulf has suffered a lot of pollution, which includes oil spills and nutrient runoffs. Warm northern bound currents move through the water body affecting the climate and causing frequent hurricanes. These currents are also instrumental in ensuring the circulation of oxygen and nutrients hence changing the different forms of life. There is an interweb of relationships between the various phenomena, including gulf complex relationships between its many aspects like marine life, currents, global warming, hurricanes and human activities. There is a need, therefore, to utilize the resource sustainably for the benefit of the ecological balance.
References
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Broadus, J., Geyer, R. & LaMourie, M. (2020). Gulf of Mexico: Gulf, North America. Britannica. Retrieved on 28 April 2020, from https://www.britannica.com/place/Gulf-of-Mexico
Latlong.net. (n.d). Gulf of Mexico, USA. Retrieved 28 April 2020, from https://www.latlong.net/place/gulf-of-mexico-usa-10461.html
United States Department of Agriculture. (2020). Coastal & Shoreline | NRCS Plant Materials Program.Retrieved 29 April 2020, from https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/plantmaterials/technical/publications/?cid=stelprdb1044304
Water Temperature. (n.d.). Gulf of Mexico water temperature. Watertemperature.net. Retrieved on 28 April 2020 from https://www.watertemperature.net/united-states/gulf-of-mexico.html
Wursig, B. (2017). Marine mammals of the Gulf of Mexico. In H. Ward(Eds.), Habitats and biota of the Gulf of Mexico: Before the deepwater oil spill (pp. 1489-1587). New York: Springer. Doi:10.1007/978-1-4939-3456-0_5
Love, M. S., Baldera, A., Yeung, C., & Robbins, C. (2013). The Gulf of Mexico Ecosystem: A Coastal & Marine Atlas. Ocean Conservancy, Gulf Restoration Center.
Bird, D. E., Burke, K., Hall, S. A., & Casey, J. F. (2005). Gulf of Mexico tectonic history: Hotspot tracks, crustal boundaries, and early salt distribution. AAPG Bulletin, 89(3), 311-328.
Carson, D. (2017). The discovery of the Americas, 1492-1518. Texas counties.net. Retrieved on 28 April 2020 from http://www.texascounties.net/articles/discovery-of-texas/gulfofmexico.htm
Tides and currents. (n.d). Gulf of Mexico harmful algal bloom forecast. tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov. Retrieved on 28 April 2020 from https://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/hab/gomx.html