Today, there are approximately 90 seas and 4 bays that are comparable in size to them. The largest number of seas is located in the waters of the Atlantic Ocean - 32.
Celtic Sea Pilot
This sea is marginal, located in the southern coast of Ireland. The surface area of the Celtic Sea is 190,000 m 2 . The maximum depth is fixed at around 200 m. A photo of the Celtic Sea is presented below.
Geographic location
Geographically located in the North Atlantic Ocean. The coast of three countries at once is washed by the Celtic Sea. These are France, the UK and Ireland. Borders pass along the English Channel, Bristol Bay, St George's Strait. The southern and western outskirts of the water area are located along the Celtic shelf.
Historical facts
The Celtic heritage of bordering lands gives the sea its name, first proposed by E.W. L. Holt at a meeting of 1921 in Dublin, fisheries experts from England, Ireland, Scotland and France. The northern part was previously considered part of the St. George Canal, and the southern part was the nameless part on the “approach” to Great Britain. The need for a common name was felt due to a common theme in marine biology, geology and hydrology. The name that was given to the sea was adopted in France before it was common in English-speaking countries. The name still used was adopted by marine biologists and oceanographers, and then the oil and sea exploration companies were first indicated as "Celtic" in the 1963 British atlas.
Interesting facts about the Celtic Sea
It is noteworthy that:
- This pond is relatively small in size. The area of the Celtic Sea is 190,000 m 2 .
- The sea was formed not so long ago, approximately 10 thousand years ago.
- The name was given in honor of the ancient Celtic tribes that inhabited the coastal zone.
- Many years ago, the sea was signed on the maps of the world as the St George Strait.
- In the Celtic Sea, there was once an abundance of marine mammals.
- Despite the small size of the reservoir, there are four species of cetaceans, including porpoise, common dolphin, bottlenose dolphin and small whale.
- The name of the Celtic Sea was recognized and adopted in France before it became common in any English-speaking country bordering its waters.
Sea bottom
The seabed beneath the Celtic Sea is part of the continental shelf of Europe. The northeastern part has a depth of about 100 m, increasing towards the channel of St. George. The maximum depth is fixed at +200 m. In the opposite direction, sand ridges separated by trenches from 50 m deeper. They were formed by the tides when the sea level was lower.
Climatic conditions
A moderate type of climate is inherent in the region of this sea. In winter, average air temperatures rarely exceed +8 degrees, in summer +16 degrees.
The role of the sea in industry
The Celtic Sea plays a significant role in industry for some coastal regions.
- A significant plus is a strong wind that blows constantly, which drives the turbines of wind generators.
- There are minerals on the shelf.
- In the waters of the sea, industrial fishing is developed.
- The coast of the sea is popular with tourists. Travelers are attracted by the Irish nature, the beauty of Wales, the Brittany Peninsula.
- Catch: cod, horse mackerel, hake, squid and blue whiting plays an important role for the industrial components of nearby settlements.
- The sea has rich fisheries, with a total annual catch of 1.8 million tons as of 2007.
- There are few large ports in this area, among the most famous are Cork and Waterford.
What is mined in the sea?
Oil and gas production in the Celtic Sea has had limited commercial success. The Kinsale Head gas field supplied most of the Republic of Ireland's resource in the 1980s and 1990s.
Salt mining
Celtic sea salt is collected from the water from the coast of Britain to France. This mineral is made from seawater using the Celtic method of production, which uses a wooden rake instead of a metal one. The salt is left to dry naturally using the heat of the sun. It is not exposed to any negative substances.
Celtic sea salt is an unrefined salt and consists of a set of 84 beneficial minerals - such as calcium, magnesium potassium, iron and zinc, which are usually found in sea water, in addition, they do not contain any chemical preservatives and additives. These micronutrients and nutrients help solve many health problems.
Hydrological regime
Water warms up in this area depending on the depth and the temperature can range from +9 to +12 . The water salinity is at 36 36.
Fauna
The Celtic marine ecosystem is a productive shelf region in the Northeast Atlantic. The fauna of the sea is very diverse. It is characterized by a high variety of fish and invertebrates. In addition, there are many seabirds - a small petrel, a fine-billed guillemot, a summer cat that live along the coast of the sea. In the waters of the Atlantic Ocean, to which the Celtic Sea belongs, there is a large amount of plankton. It is the main food of most fish species. Due to this, the catch of fish is well developed on the shelf. Four cetacean species are often found in this area: peroneal whale, bottlenose dolphin and porpoise. Previously, there were much more inhabitants, due to poor environmental conditions it plays a significant role in reducing the fauna of the Celtic Sea.