The Gulf of Maine

The Gulf of Maine is located along the North America’s northeast coastal line starting from Cape Cod to New Brunswick heading to Nova Scotia. The gulf is located in the Atlantic Ocean, it comprises the shoreline of Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. The total surface area of Gulf of Maine is estimated to be approximately 36,000 square miles. The gulf adjoins the province of Maine,an English colonial. It is believed to have been named by ancient explorers after the province of Maine. The Gulf of Maine system has 4 bays located in it. They include; Massachusetts Bay, Penobscot Bay, Passamaquoddy Bay and Bay of Fundy.

The Gulf of Maine Facts for Kids

Some of the interesting facts about Gulf of Maine Facts include:

• About 50% of the Gulf of Maine has the depth of not more than 130 m and 25 % has an average depth of 70m. The deepest point in the Gulf of Maine is estimated to be 366 meters, located in the middle of Georges Basin. Only 1.5 % of the Gulf has a depth of more than 300m. Generally the mean depth of Gulf of Maine is estimated about 139m.
• The Gulf of Maine has three large basins on it which are namely Jordan, Wilkinson and Georges with Georges being the largest basin.
• The Gulf of Maine has both physical and biological habitats. The physical habitats include sandy beaches, mudflats, sand dunes, and intertidal regions while biological habitats include shellfish beds, sea grass beds, kelp beds, cold water coral, salt marshes, and codium beds.
• The salt marshes found in the Gulf of Maine are used as homes by ribbed mussels, fiddler crabs and striped bass while the sea grass beds are used as the residential areas for winter flounder, Atlantic cod, Mytilus edulis and bay scallops. Also the kelp beds of the Gulf of Maine are used as homes for Atlantic lobster and a variety of useful organisms.
• The Gulf of Maine is a major fishing site in the area for many years. This has resulted in a decrease in the fish population.In 1659 merchants in Massachusetts reported the first shortage in the Gulf of Maine.
• Politically the Gulf of Maine is under the control of Canada and the United States.
• The Gulf of Maine is considered to be the home of the highest tidal variations in the universe.
• Gulf of Maine is ahabitat for more than 3,000 species. There around 20 species of whales and dolphins found in the Gulf of Maine while the common types of fishes are Atlantic cod, Bluefin tuna, Ocean sunfish, basking sharks, thresher sharks, mako sharks haddock and flounder.
• In 1851 there were about 1260000 metric tons of cod fish caught in the Gulf of Maine.
• In the recent years there has been an increase in the number of lobsters and sea urchins in the Gulf of Maine which has been as a result of excess fishing of the cod and the haddock. The increase in the lobsters and the sea urchin has resulted to the destruction of the kelp beds.
• The common types of invertebrate fish found in the Gulf of Maine are Northern shrimp, ocean quahog, Atlantic surf clam, American sea scallop, and Atlantic lobster.

It is also important for one to understand the following questions.

Question: What Ocean is close to the Gulf of Maine?

Answer: Atlantic Ocean

Question: How long does the shoreline of the Gulf of Maine Extend?

Answer: About 12000 kilometers

Question: Which are some of the contaminants found in the Gulf of Maine?

Answer: Mercury, Nitrogen, Sewage and Wastewater.