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What is the Gulf of Mexico and where is it located?
The Gulf of Mexico (GOM) is a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean bordered by five states of the United States on the northern and the eastern border, five Mexican states on its western and southern border, and Cuba to the southeast (Fig.
What is the Gulf of Mexico considered?
Although the Gulf of Mexico is considered to be a part of the Atlantic Ocean, since an ocean has no boundaries, the Gulf and the Atlantic are still separated by the Caribbean Sea.
What is the Gulf of Mexico known for?
The Gulf of Mexico is a rich reservoir of natural gas and oil. In 2011, the oil taken from the gulf made up 54 percent of U.S. oil. Natural gas wasn’t far behind, comprising 47 percent of the U.S. totals. The first oil well was drilled in the Gulf in 1938.
What’s the difference between a bay and a Gulf?
The difference between a bay and a gulf is not clearly defined, but the term bay usually refers to a body of water somewhat smaller than a gulf. Numerous exceptions, however, are found throughout the world, such as the Bay of Bengal, which is larger than the Gulf of Mexico and about the same size as the Arabian Sea.
Is the Gulf of Mexico a bay?
Bays of the Gulf of Mexico — a bay of the Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean in North America.
Where does Gulf of Mexico start?
The Gulf of Mexico is a unique, semi-enclosed sea located between the Yucatan and Florida peninsulas, at the southeast shores of the United States. The Gulf of Mexico borders five of the 50 United States (Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas), and also Cuba and the eastern part of Mexico.
Is swimming in the Gulf of Mexico safe?
DePaola, who lives on Mobile Bay, said almost all cases of infection by the bacteria occur in brackish water, rather than the full saltwater of the Gulf of Mexico. “There are absolutely safe places to swim, which are the front Gulf beaches. Vibrio bacteria perish in the salty waters of the open ocean.
What is wrong with the water quality in the Gulf of Mexico?
A record-breaking, New Jersey-sized dead zone was measured by scientists in the Gulf of Mexico this week—a sign that water quality in U.S. waterways is worse than expected. The Gulf of Mexico hypoxic or low-oxygen zone, also called a dead zone, is an area of low to no oxygen that can kill fish and other marine life.
Why is the Gulf of Mexico in danger?
The Gulf is now more vulnerable than ever. Today, the Gulf continues to face ongoing threats such as invasive species, extreme storms and flooding, and land loss. Future issues like sea level rise and a growing coastal population add further stress to the people and wildlife who call the Gulf home.