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Argentine Sea Facts

Argentine Sea Facts
The Argentine Sea is located off the southeast coast of the Argentina mainland in the South Atlantic Ocean. It is approximately 500 miles north of Antarctica, and is considered to be one of the largest seas in the world with a surface area of 390,000 square miles. As the Argentine Sea progresses south it widens with a sea platform of plateaus that mimic steps descending eastward. The Falkland Islands are contained within the Argentine Sea. It is considered to be one of the world's most temperate seas due to the warm Brazil current from the north and the cold Falkland Current from the south.
Interesting Argentine Sea Facts:
The average depth of the Argentine Sea is 3,952 feet and the maximum depth is 7,296 feet.
The salinity of the Argentine Sea is 3.5%.
Rivers that flow into the Argentine Sea include Rio de la Plata, Colorado River, Chubut River, Rio Negro, and Deseado River.
Countries included in the Argentine Sea's basin include Chile, Argentina, and Uruguay.
The stair-shaped plateaus of the Argentine Sea mimic the Andean Patagonia.
The Falkland Islands, located in the Argentine Sea have been in dispute between the UK and Argentina, due to controversy over the islands' discovery and colonization. There have been settlements over the years by British, French, Spanish, and Argentines.
In 1833 Britain reasserted its claim to the Falkland Islands but Argentina still maintains its own claim.
The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea Article 59, the claims have no force until Argentina and the UK resolve their dispute.
Within the Argentine Sea there are 12 regions that have been identified as having great biodiversity. One is nationally protected, two are internationally protected, and eighteen are provincially protected.
Sea life and other species living within the Argentine Sea includes penguins, cormorants, sharks, whales, porpoises, fur seals, dolphins, sea lions, and southern elephant seals.
The Argentine Sea contains a variety of algae, plankton, and crustacean species, sardines, and anchovies.
The Argentine coastline is 3100 miles long.
The unsustainable commercial fishing practices in the Argentine Sea have led to many fisheries collapsing. In the 1990s six fisheries collapsed as a result of unsustainable fishing practices.
The coast of the Argentine Sea provides an important breeding ground for a variety of seabirds and mammals.
Whales found in the Argentine Sea include the Orca whale, the Humpback whale, the Southern Right whale, and the Blue whale.
The largest seal species - the southern elephant seal, can be found in the Argentine Sea. South American fur seals, South American sea lions, dolphins, and many other species can be found in the Argentine Sea.
The Tierra del Fuego is an archipelago divided between Argentina and Chile in the sea.
The second national park located along the Argentine Sea was Monte Leon National Park, established in 2004. It contains several paleontological sites considered to be of high value as well as important archaeological sites. It is considered to be in a good state of conservation. It is 165,000 acres in size.


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