The Arabian Sea

Credit: Jeff Schmaltz/MODIS team, Posted on: Saturday, 1 April 2006, 09:07 CST Download full size image

The Arabian Sea is featured in this image acquired on March 21, 2006. To the north, the Sea is bounded by the coastlines of Iran and Pakistan, to the east by India, to the west by Oman and Yemen, to the southwest by Somalia; the latter two countries are just outside the lower left corner and bottom of the scene, respectively.

The southern boundary grades into the Indian Ocean. The Arabian Sea connects with the Persian Gulf (via the Gulf of Oman) and the Red Sea (via the Gulf of Aden), making it a very important waterway strategically and economically -- as well as ecologically.

Clearly visible along the coastal margins are phytoplankton blooms. Upwelling, or nutrients carried by rising water currents, creates a highly productive environment along the shorelines conducive to the growth of brown, green, and red alga, as well as kelp.

The abundant plant life supports other species in the food web that feed on them, creating a region that is rich in aquatic diversity, including dugong, rare turtle species, and several species of whales.

However, according to the World Wildlife Fund, oil spills, pollution, development, tourism, and war-related activities are producing stress on this sensitive aquatic ecosystem.

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