THE BLACK SEAThe Black Sea is a unique body of water situated between Asia and Europe, and has a sur

THE BLACK SEAThe Black Sea is a unique body of water situated between Asia and Europe, and has a surface area of roughly 436,400 square kilometers. Originally dubbed Pontus Axeinos (The Inhospitable Sea) as it was difficult to navigate, the name was changed to Pontus Euxinos (The Hospitable Sea) soon after the Ancient Greeks arrived on its shores.It was once a part of the ancient Sarmatic Sea – which also included the Caspian Sea and Aral Lake – until a collapse created the Bosphor Strait, resulting in the Pontic Lake becoming the Black Sea. The Black Sea communicates with the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean Sea (basically, the Black Sea- Bosphor Strait- Marmara Sea- Dardanele Strait- Mediterranean Sea). Surrounded by six countries (Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine, Russia, Georgia, Turkey), the Black Sea – continuously supplied by several major rivers including the Danube, Dnieper, Dniester, and Don – hosts several busy ports, fishing fleets, and is a popular tourist destination.What makes the Black Sea unique is a layering effect, known as stratification. The surface layers (0-200 m) are oxygenated, and teeming with light and life (plants and animals). The deeper layers (200-2211 m) are anoxic – aka deprived of oxygen – with no light or life due to the presence of a toxic gas (hydrogen sulfide), which forms from the decomposition of dead plants and animals. Thanks to the major rivers that flow into it, the surface layers have an average salinity (17-18%), while the deeper layers have a higher salinity (21-22%) due to a hydrological exchange with the salty Mediterranean Sea.The large volume of freshwater delivers many nutrients, which support large blooms of phytoplankton (algae and bacteria). In 2012, NASA captured a satellite image in which the Black Sea was turned light blue because of the phytoplankton bloom (aka coccolithophores).FUN FACT:The Black Sea lacks tides (because of its continental character), which has contributed to the formation of the Danube Delta in Romania – arguably one of the most amazing places to visit in Europe.Dana K.Sources: Personal knowledge and materials, www.blackseascene.net http://www.marineinsight.com/know-more/8-amazing-facts-about-the-black-sea/https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap170424.htmlhttps://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD//view.php?id=78705http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/phyto.htmlImage: NASA/Aqua/MODIShttps://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap170424.html -- source link

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