Facts about Gulf of Mexico

It borders Cuba, Mexico, and five states of the U.S.–Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas.

It is the largest gulf in the world.

The deepest part of the Gulf is the Sigsbee Deep, which is estimated at 4,4 kilometers.

They are, for instance, the Mississippi River, the Rio Grande, the Grijalva River, or the Usumacinta River.

It supports approximately 17%-25% of U.S. domestic oil production. The first oil well was drilled in 1938.

It is 3,7 meters deep, with a circumference of 30 meters. Its salinity is about five times higher than the rest of the water, and thus it is unable to sustain any form of life, apart from bacteria, tubeworms, and a few kinds of shrimp. It is known as the Hot Tub of Despair.

Scientists conclude that black corals found in the Gulf of Mexico may be one of the oldest organisms on Earth, being over 2,000 years old.

It is also the third-largest continental coral reef system in the world, spanning 576 kilometers.

The marine life of the gulf consists of more than 51 species of sharks (such as tiger sharks, lemon sharks, bull sharks, hammerhead sharks, or blacktip sharks), over 1443 fish species (including bluefish, albacore tuna, and groupers), and about 49 species of rays (such as stingrays, manta rays, or the cownose rays) and skates, 29 species of marine mammals (including blue whales, humpbacks, killer whales, sperm whales, Bryde’s whales, bottlenose dolphins). Apart from that, it also supports sea turtles (such as the hawksbills, loggerheads, green turtles, leatherbacks, or Kemp’s ridleys), manatees (like West Indian manatees), and a wide variety of native and migrating birds.

Most of the seafood consumed in both North and South America comes from the Gulf.

There are over 80 species living in the Gulf, like the Ribbon sawtail fish, or the Threadfin dragonfish.

Over 750 known shipwrecks can be found on the gulf’s bottom, the earliest dating back to the 16th century.

One of the most recently discovered shipwrecks of an unknown origin, named the Mardi Gras, was discovered during an oilfield inspection in 2002. After a thorough inspection of the items pulled out of the shipwreck, scientists believe it is a vessel from the early 19th century.

The Gulf is both warmer and shallower than the Atlantic Ocean, which prevents cooling off the surface waters and thus leads to increased hurricane activity.

One of the most devastating was Hurricane Katrina in 2005–a category 5 Atlantic hurricane, and Hurricane Harvey in 2017–a category 4 Atlantic hurricane, both of which caused US$125 billion in damage.

Tourism alone generates over $100 billion in income each year.