Tyrrhenian Sea

Tyrrhenian Sea is located on the western coastline of Italy and is the larger part of Mediterranean Sea which is located on the border of Eurasian and African volcanic plates. The name Tyrrhenian can be traced back to the 6th century BC. On the east the Tyrrhenian Sea borders Italy’s province and Sardinia Island and Corsica Island on the west. Also the TyrrhenianSea borders Sicily on its south.

Tyrrhenian Sea Facts for Kids

• The Tyrrhenian Sea covers a total area which is estimated to be approximately 106,000 square miles.
• Tyrrhenian Sea has a maximum depth of 12,418 feet and a mean depth of 2,000m which is equivalent to 6,562 feet.
• Tyrrhenian Sea is unique in that it contains four exits which are; Corsica waterway which lies between Tuscany and Corsica, Bonifacio Strait which lies between Sardinia Island and Corsica Island, the unnamed exit which is located between Sardinia Island and Sicily Island and the Strait of Messina exit which lies between theSicily Island and Calabria Island.
• Tyrrhenian Sea has a number of islands that are located on its land. Examples of these islands are Aeolian archipelago islands that covers a total area of 3,000 acres, Ustica which covers an area of 3.18 square miles and the Tuscan archipelago islands.
• Tyrrhenian Sea has some historic benefits associated with it in the area of cultural and social roles. Due to its convenient location, ships could connect from different parts of the world such as Africa and Europe which facilitated international trade.
• Currently the Tyrrhenian Sea is used as a major transport route for both people and goods. The islands and cities on its coastline has enabled it to be a major tourist attraction site. It also supports large scale fishing activities. All these activities contribute to economic growth of the surrounding area.
• Tyrrhenian Sea has mount chains and active volcanoes, these mount chains are as a result of the sea being close to the junction between Eurasian and African plates.
• The geography of the underwater of the Tyrrhenian Sea divides into two; Marsili plain and Vavilov plain which are on both sides of the Issel Bridge. The special feature of Tyrrhenian Sea is that there are a number of mountains and volcanoes which are located underwater for example Mount Marsili.
• Tyrrhenian is a habitat for many plants and animals. The northern part of the sea is usually under protection since it is considered as part of the Pelagos Sanctuary for Mediterranean Marine Mammals.
• One of the major challenges that Tyrrhenian Sea encounters is overfishing due to increased demand for fish. Overfishing prevents fish from reproducing resulting to decreased fish populations.
• Tyrrhenian Sea bears subtropical Mediterranean climate whereby the summers are usually warm and dry with temperatures ranging between 28 degrees and 34 degrees while the winters are usually rainy with mean water temperatures being about 23 degrees during summer and 13 degrees during water.

The questions below are also important as far as understanding of the Tyrrhenian Sea is concerned.

Question: Where the main ports located along the Tyrrhenian Sea?

Answer: The main ports include ones that are Naples, Palermo, Salerno, Gioia Tauro, Trapani, Rome, Giglio Porto, and Bastia.

Question: Which are the two basins of the two Tyrrhenian basin?

Answer: Marsili plain and Vavilov plain.

Question: What is the name of the sea which meets the Tyrrhenian Sea at its northwest corner?

Answer: Ligurian Sea.

Question: Which are the most common species of fishes in Tyrrhenian Sea?

Answer: Sea bass, Bluefin tuna, swordfish, grouper, long-finned pilot whales, bottlenose dolphins, sperm whales, and fin whales.