Gulf of Mexico

In 2002, geologist Michael Stanton in his essay expressed an alternative hypothesis of the origin of the bay as a result of a collision with a large meteorite around the end of the Permian period ^[4] . However, bay geology experts did not support the hypothesis. The universally accepted opinion is that the bay was formed as a result of the movement of lithospheric plates (plate tectonics) ^{[3] [5] [6] [7]} . Stanton’s unproven hypothesis should not be confused with the large impact crater Chiksulub with a diameter of about 180 km on the Yucatan coast of the bay, probably formed about 65 million years ago as a result of the fall of a 10-km asteroid ^[8] .

Before the beginning of the era of the great geographical discoveries of Europeans, the coast of the gulf was inhabited by the most diverse American Indian tribes, which were at different stages of development. In the south - in Mexico, on the Yucatan Peninsula , the rather advanced economically advanced slaveholding civilizations of the Mayans and Aztecs with large cities and developed infrastructure flourished. In Cuba, the Karaib and Arawak tribes lived. On the northern, cool shore of the gulf, there lived tribes of hunters and gatherers ( Choctaw ), who were at the stage of a tribal / communal system. The arrival of Europeans and especially the struggle between the European powers for control over the waters and shores of the bay led to a gradual breakdown of the traditional ways of life of the Indian communities of the region. And if the Spanish ( Spanish Mexico , Spanish Florida ) and French ( French Louisiana , New France ) colonial models largely allowed the natives, African slaves and Europeans to coexist within the framework of a single colonial empire, partly making concessions in the form of plazas and mestizatsii , then more aggressive the Anglo-American model emphasized the absolute superiority of the Anglo-Saxon element as the only possible one. After the purchase of Louisiana , the occupation of Florida and the capture of Texas in the first half of the 19th century, the northern coast of the bay passed under the jurisdiction of the United States and underwent a strong landscape change due to urban development and rapid population growth. Nowadays, the population of the gulf has an extremely mixed character - white immigrants of the most diverse origin, Khajuns , African-Americans , mulattos and mestizos (mainly Mexicans and Cubans ).

The Strait of Florida connects the Gulf of Mexico with the Atlantic Ocean, and the Yucatan Strait with the Caribbean Sea. Due to the relatively small width of these straits, tidal phenomena are weakly expressed. Many rivers flow into the Gulf of Mexico, including the river. Mississippi , p. Alabama , p. Pearl (pearl), p. Nuezes , p. San Antonio

The coastline is extremely winding, subject to constant changes, especially after the hurricane season. The shores are mostly gentle, in places heavily boggy ( Everglades swamps). Sand spits, shallows, banks, small and large islands ( Galveston Island , Dauphin Island , etc.) stretch along the coast. At the same time, a gradual shallowing of the northern part of the gulf occurs due to the alluvial activity of rivers flowing from the northern side (primarily the Mississippi River ). Despite the shallowing, the area of ​​the mirror tends to increase, mainly due to the erosion of beaches and small islands (almost disappeared Chandelier Islands ) near Louisiana . In the northern part of the bay there are many smaller bays, bays and harbors ( Mobilsky Bay , etc.), as well as lagoons and estuaries ( Ponchantren , Born , Morepa in Louisiana).

• Dolphins
• Sharks
  • Bull shark (extremely aggressive and especially dangerous for humans)
  • Great White Shark (very dangerous for humans)
  • Lemon shark
  • Hammerhead shark
• Ramps

The largest cities on the coast of Mexico : Campeche , Veracruz , Tampico ; Cuba : the capital of Havana , USA : Tampa , St. Petersburg , Pensacola in Florida, Mobile in Alabama , New Orleans in Louisiana , Biloxi , Gulfport and Pascagula in Mississippi , Houston , Galveston and Corpus Christi in Texas . In the second half of the XX century, there is an intensive growth of cities and population density in the Gulf area. The most dynamically developing resorts and oil and gas centers ( Houston ).

Significant oil and natural gas reserves are concentrated on the Gulf of Mexico shelf ; the extraction of these minerals is carried out mainly through oil platforms / oil rigs. Intensive fishing is conducted - industrial ( tuna ), as well as amateur - (shark). Shrimps are grown in small bays. It is important for shipping; Many ports of the USA, Mexico and Cuba are located on the shores.

Being the largest body of water in the south of the United States, the bay has traditionally been of great transport importance. In the 20th century, a recreational role was added to it, when coastal state governments began investing in the development of local tourism infrastructure to stimulate urban growth with the goal of attracting retirees in the North American region. Since the 1930s, masses have rushed to the coast of the bay from all over the country. The coast is currently a favorite venue for spring , autumn and summer holidays for residents of the whole country, especially students. Especially popular are the cities of Panama City , Pensacola , Destin , Miami in the state of Florida , as well as Orange Beach in the state of Alabama . The entire coast of the bay is dotted with a variety of hotels , private villas and condominiums . The largest resort in Mexico is Cancun .

Not all the coast of the bay is suitable for a good rest. Due to severe bogging, constant hurricanes and storms, hot and humid air, poor quality sand and muddy water, the northern part of the bay, especially the area of ​​the Mississippi River mouth, is simply unsuitable for recreation . Nevertheless, families with low social status and incomes come here as "savages", which is why the coast of the gulf received the humorous name of " rare-skinned riviera ." In more attractive regions (Destin and others) in the east of the gulf of tourists, other dangers await (dangerous casting currents, massive invasions of poisonous jellyfish and stingrays , electric eels, many species of sharks, alligators and sea crocodiles). Because of sharks, most Americans resting by the bay either do not go into the water at all (swimming in the hotel pools ) or simply wet their feet and sunbathe.

The northern part of the bay, owned by the United States, has an extremely adverse environmental situation. The main reason for the pollution is the abuse of powerful chemical fertilizers by US agricultural enterprises to increase crop yields in fields and plantations north of the bay. Chemicals are washed by rains and carried by rivers to the bay, where, in turn, they stimulate the growth of small brown algae, which, in the process of their mass reproduction, absorb all oxygen in the water surrounding them, which leads to the death of fish and other organisms. Another problem is the massive construction of large residential complexes ( condominiums ) directly at the water's edge. The gentle, swampy shore of the bay is not suitable for multi-story construction. Frequent hurricanes , which are a natural method of updating coastal regions, force construction firms to carry out massive repair and construction work of high-rise buildings every 2-3 years, which leads to the destruction of the ecological balance in the dunes , landfill of construction waste, deterioration of sand quality, erosion of beaches, disappearance of coastal meadows and mangroves , increasing salinity in the northern part of the bay. Moreover, sewage from condominiums attract sharks closer to the shore, and an increase in salinity leads to the mass reproduction of poisonous jellyfish , creating a danger to vacationers.

Deepwater Horizon Platform

On April 22, 2010, after an explosion and a 36-hour fire, BP's Deepwater Horizon oil platform, located 64 km off the coast of Louisiana, sank. An oil well was damaged during flooding, and oil from it entered the ocean for several months ^[9] . After a few months, the oil concentration in the plume hanging in the water column decreased significantly, and a large number of microorganisms processing the oil appeared at the disaster site ^[10] .

• Underwater salt lake
• Deepwater Horizon Oil Platform Blast

• Gulf of Mexico - article from the Great Soviet Encyclopedia .

• Resource Database for Gulf of Mexico Research
•   " Mexico, Gulf of ", Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.), 1911  

• Bathymetry of the Northern Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean East of Florida United States Geological Survey
• The Present State of the West-Indies: Containing an Accurate Description of What Parts Are Possessed by the Several Powers in Europe written by Thomas Kitchin, 1778, in which Kitchin discusses, in chapter 1, why the Gulf should have been called the “West Indian Sea "