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How the Gulf of Mexico was formed -

The Gulf of Mexico took shape approximately 300 million years ago, the result of plate tectonics.

© NL Beeld

Vital statistics -

The Gulf of Mexico averages 5,299 feet (1,615 m) in depth. At 14,383 feet (4,384 m), the Sigsbee Deep, 200 miles (321 km) southeast of Brownsville, Texas, is the deepest and flattest sector of the basin.

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A big basin -

Roughly oval in shape, the basin is approximately 810 nautical miles (930 miles, or 1,500 km) wide.

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The largest gulf in the world -

Considered part of the Atlantic Ocean, the Gulf of Mexico is the largest gulf in the world and the 10th biggest body of water on the planet. It's seen here from the Space Shuttle.

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Which European first explored the Gulf? -

The first alleged European exploration of the Gulf of Mexico was by the Italian explorer and navigator Amerigo Vespucci in 1497, for whom "America" is named.

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First map of the Gulf -

Spanish conquistador and cartographer Alonso Álvarez de Pineda (1494–1520) was the first person to sail along the Gulf of Mexico's coast. By doing so, he created the first map to depict what is now Texas and parts of the Gulf Coast of the United States, in 1519.

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Charting the region -

By the mid-16th century, much of the Gulf Coast had been charted by Spanish conquistadors, including Hernán Cortés, who led an expedition that caused the fall of the Aztec Empire.

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Piracy in the Gulf of Mexico -

During the late 18th century and early 19th century, the Gulf of Mexico was plagued by pirates. One of the most notorious was the French privateer Jean Lafitte (pictured). Another hoodlum of the high seas was the American pirate Charles Gibbs, born James D. Jeffers. Gibbs was among the last persons to be executed for piracy by the United States.

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America's Gulf states -

The Gulf borders five US states—Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida. It also borders Cuba and parts of Mexico. Pictured is Mobile, Alabama.

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Marine life -

The black corals (Antipatharians) that thrive in the Gulf of Mexico rank among the oldest living organisms on Earth. A colony discovered in the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary is estimated to be 2,000 years old.

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Mammal species -

There are 29 marine mammal species found in the Gulf of Mexico, species that include humpback whales, sperm whales, and the West Indian manatee, listed as Vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

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Bottlenose dolphin -

A near-7,500 bottlenose dolphins live in the northern coastal waters of the Gulf of Mexico alone, according to figures released by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

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Shark species -

At least 50 different species of shark, including the Atlantic blacktip (pictured), call the Gulf home. The most commonly found shark is the Atlantic sharpnose.

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Spring migration -

In 2019 over an 18-day period from April 19 to May 7, over one billion birds crossed the entire length of the Gulf Coast at night during the spring migration, according to the journal Global Change Biology.

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Gulf sea turtle species -

Five species of sea turtle—the Kemp's ridley, hawksbill, loggerhead, and leatherback—are found in Gulf waters. All are either critically endangered or threatened.

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Seafood bonanza -

The Gulf has approximately 1,443 different species of fish in its waters. Shellfish, too, thrive in the Gulf. In fact, 75% of the shrimp in the United States comes from the Gulf of Mexico.

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Gulf of Mexico shipwrecks -

Over the centuries, the Gulf of Mexico has claimed numerous ships, including over 2,000 that sunk between 1625 and 1951, according to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM).

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Gulf of Mexico mineral wealth -

The Gulf is a rich reservoir of natural gas and oil. In March 1938, the first production of oil from a well drilled in the basin marked the birth of the offshore industry.

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Oil and gas production -

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), Gulf of Mexico federal offshore oil production presently accounts for 14% of total US crude oil production. Similarly, natural gas production in the Gulf accounts for 5% of total US dry production.

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Refining capacity -

And 48% of the nation's petroleum refining capacity is located along the Gulf Coast, as well as 51% of total US natural gas processing plant capacity.

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Abandoned wells -

There are an estimated 27,000 abandoned oil and gas wells beneath the Gulf. Many of these wells were drilled in the 1950s. Most are unattended and the source of regular small leaks.

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Deepwater Horizon disaster -

On April 20, 2010, an explosion on the Deepwater Horizon oil rig located off the coast of Louisiana killed 11 people, injured 17, and released 134 million gallons (507 million liters) of oil into the Gulf of Mexico. It was the largest US marine oil spill ever.

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Gulf states industry -

Some of the largest industries in areas along the Gulf of Mexico coast are related to oil and gas drilling, shipping, and leisure and hospitality.

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Navarre Beach Pier -

Navarre Beach Pier in Florida is the longest pier in the Gulf of Mexico. It's set 30 feet (9 m) above the water and arrows out 1,545 (470 m) from the coastline.

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Gulf of Mexico coastline -

The total coastline of the Gulf measures approximately 3,540 miles (5,697 km) from the tip of Florida to the tip of the Yucatan Peninsula. And that's not including the additional 236 miles (379 km) along Cuba.

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Population boom -

The population in US states along the Gulf is set to reach 61 million people by 2025, a 40% increase.

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Gulf of Mexico watershed -

The Mississippi River watershed is the largest drainage basin of the Gulf of Mexico watershed. Around 41% of the contiguous US drains into the Mississippi River, bringing with it pollution and significant runoff from farmland.

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The Gulf Stream -

The Gulf Stream, an Atlantic ocean current, originates in the Gulf of Mexico. It carries warm water up the eastern coast of the United states and Canada and on to western Europe. It's one of the strongest ocean currents in the world.

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Extreme weather zone -

The Gulf of Mexico's warm water temperature can feed powerful Atlantic hurricanes such as Katrina, which swept across the region in 2005 and caused 1,392 fatalities and damages estimated at US$125 billion.

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Chicxulub impact crater -

And it's worth noting that the Gulf of Mexico is the scene of the Cretaceous extinction event, when a cataclysmic asteroid impact likely caused the demise of most life on Earth, including the dinosaurs, 65 million years ago. In the upper left portion of this photograph, a faint arc of dark green is visible indicating the remnants of what's known as Chicxulub impact crater, located on the tip of Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula.

Sources: (Associated Press) (Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council) (Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Tourism) (American Association for the Advancement of Science) (IUCN) (BOEM) (Offshore Magazine) (Natural History Museum) 

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