The only sea in the world without shore

The Sargasso Sea is a landlocked sea, home to the giant North Pacific Garbage Patch, and lies near the Bermuda Triangle.

Seaweed in the Sargasso Sea. Photo: Ocean Treasures

Because it has no coastline, the Sargasso Sea is characterized by its unique boundary defined by ocean currents rather than land. This sea is also known for its natural and unnatural accumulation of algae and debris, according to IFL Science .

The Sargasso Sea is surrounded by four ocean currents: the North Atlantic Current to the north, the Canary Current to the east, the North Atlantic Equatorial Current to the south, and the Antilles Current to the west. These are known as ocean current loops, large circular ocean current systems formed by global winds and the Earth's rotation, effectively trapping the waters within them.

The Sargasso Sea gets its name from the unique type of algae that live in its waters. Sargasso algae are a type of large, floating algae that form unique, yellowish-brown masses, creating a distinctive marine environment. In fact, the presence of these floating algal masses is likened to a "golden rainforest," providing habitats, feeding grounds, spawning areas, and migration corridors for many organisms. For example, the endangered European eel comes to the Sargasso Sea to breed. Many whale species, such as sperm whales and humpback whales, migrate through here on their transatlantic journeys.

Seaweed has been known for a long time. Columbus mentioned it in his expedition diary from 1492. Encountering a floating mass of seaweed caused fear among his crew. Their ship, the Santa Maria, was stranded in the middle of the ocean for three days due to calm winds. The sailors were terrified when they saw the seaweed, fearing it could entangle the ship and drag them underwater. The Sargasso Sea is also associated with the Bermuda Triangle, located in the southwestern part of this sea.

Although vital to marine life, the Sargasso Sea is threatened by human activity. Not only do ships destroy the environment with noise and chemical pollutants, but ocean currents also draw in large amounts of plastic waste and other debris from humans.

Due to the rotational movement of ocean currents, plastic waste is carried into the Sargasso Sea, forming the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, estimated to be hundreds of kilometers wide and with a density of 200,000 pieces of trash per square kilometer. Despite numerous organizations committed to protecting this unique marine area, cleanup efforts are hampered by the challenges associated with plastic waste at sea, threatening the life in the region.

An Khang (According to IFL Science )

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