| HOME | CONTACT US | SITEMAP | SEARCH | ENEWSLETTER | |
 | |
 Photo: NOAA/Department of Commerce
A sergeant major and an angelfish.  Queen Angel.  Photo: NOAA/Department of Commerce
Spotfin Butterfly Fish. |
 |
Wider Caribbean 
OVERVIEW The Caribbean Sea, also know as the wider Caribbean, is one of the largest salt water seas in the world expanding over an area of 3,259,214 kmē (2,020,712 square miles). The deepest point, the Cayman Trough, lies between Cuba and Jamaica, reaching depths of 7,686 meters (25,220 ft). The complex geologic history of the region has prompted the evolution of a vast number of species found nowhere else in the world. These unique species can be found in coral reefs, mangroves and seagrass beds, and in less known deeper shelf ecosystems and partially isolated deep basins. Unique species include Bocon toadfish (Amphichthys cryptocentrus), Hogfish (Cachnolaimus maximus), manatees, and six different sea turtles species. The Caribbean region is classified as a low productivity ecosystem, however, the area along Venezuela is considerably more productive due to a coastal upwelling, as well as nutrient run off from rivers and estuaries. Although considered a low productive ecosystem, there are over 170 species caught for commercial purposes. Most of the catch in this area is comprised of less than 50 species. The most popular fisheries in this region are the spiny lobster, coralline reef fishes, and conch.
Human presence can be traced back over six millennia, but in the last 3-4 decades, this region has suffered considerably from human impacts. Widespread overfishing; pollution (only about 10% of the region's sewage is treated); sediment runoff from coastal development and tourism place an incredible amount of pressure on the environment. Disease outbreaks, such as region-wide death of branching corals and long-spined sea urchin are indicative of an ecosystem already stressed by other factors. Destructive fishing practices, the dredging of harbors and estuaries, and laying pipelines along the seafloor also threaten marine life as development spreads throughout the region. Another challenge the Caribbean Sea faces is the region lacks a unified governance system, this is the result of a large number of countries which govern in the region. There are 38 countries and dependencies found in the wider Caribbean, many possessing independent sovereignty claims and in many cases autonomous marine conservation management schemes. Without a comprehensive and over arching management plan in effect, conservation actions are fragmented and at times ineffective. |
| ||||||||||||||||||||||
 © 2007 Defying Ocean's End | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy |
