Interesting, Unknown, Obscure, and Enjoyable #2: The Sargasso Sea

The Sargasso Sea is the only “sea” without land boundaries.  It is located in the Atlantic and is bounded by four currents called gyres.  A gyre is a large system of circulating ocean currents, mostly those that involve wind.  The four currents bounding the Sargasso Sea are the Gulf Stream (West), the North Atlantic Current (North), the Canary Current (East), and the North Atlantic Equatorial Current (South).  These four currents make up the North Atlantic Gyre.

The Sargasso Sea gets it’s name from a seaweed called Sargassum.  Sargassum is brown, and generally inhabits shallow water and coral reefs.

Sargassum’s name founding was when Portuguese sailors first found it in the Sargasso Sea.  They named it after the wooly rock rose, that grew in their water wells at home, and that was called sargasco.  The Portuguese also called the Sargasso Sea the “sea of grapes”, because of the sargassum’s pods looked like grapes.  The sargassum, along with its deep blue color are what makes the Sargasso Sea distinctive.

The first known written account of the Sargasso Sea was from Christopher Columbus in 1492, who feared the seaweed would trap his ship and hide the waters around them.  Other accounts before Columbus’s have been reported, but none of them are confirmed.

The Sargasso Sea also contains most of the Bermuda Triangle, including the island of Bermuda.  The legend of the Bermuda Triangle may have something to do with the sea’s still waters, becalming most ships.

The Sargasso Sea plays a role in the migration of certain eels, like the American Eel, European Eel, and American Conger Eel.

The eels hatch in the Sargasso Sea, and as they grow they travel back to Europe or the east coast of North America.  Later in life, they travel back to the Sargasso Sea to spawn.  It is also believed that the Loggerhead Sea turtles use currents like the Gulf Stream to travel to the Sargasso Sea to live hiding in the sargassum until they mature.  The sargassum fish is another species specially adapted to blend in among the sargassum.