Google Wonders of the World

Project

Gulf of Mexico

By: Lucia Morales

GULF OF MEXICO

• The Gulf of Mexico is located in Mexico, North America

• Regions and Landscapes, Wonders of Nature

Interesting Facts• It is the ninth largest body in the world, covering about 600,000 square

miles, and is bordered by five US states in the north, five Mexican states in the west, and Cuba in the southeast.

• The Islands and cared Areas of the Gulf of California include 244 islands• 40% of the world’s total species of marine mammals and 33% of cetaceans are found

here• The total coastline of the gulf measures about 3,540 miles from the tip of Florida to

the tip of the Yucatan• The Gulf Stream, which is in the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico, is one of the

strongest ocean currents in the world

QuickTime™ and a decompressor

are needed to see this picture.

History• In  the  beginning,  the  Gulf  of   Mexico  was  periodically   flooded  with  seawater.• The first European exploration of the Gulf of Mexico was by Amerigo Vespucci in

1497.• The Gulf oil spill is recognized as the worst oil spill in U.S. history. Within days of the

April 20, 2010 explosion and sinking of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico that killed 11 people.

• By the time the well was capped on July 15, 2010, an estimated 4.9 million barrels of oil had leaked into the Gulf.

• The Deepwater horizon oil spill was an oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico Considered the largest accidental marine oil spill in the history of the petroleum industry, estimated to be between 8% and 31% larger in volume than the earlier Ixtoc l oil spill.

References• World wonders project:

http://www.google.com/culturalinstitute/worldwonders/islands-gulf-california/#tab=photos&ql=1• Google maps: http://maps.google.com/

• 48 facts you should know about the Gulf of Mexico: http://www.treehugger.com/natural-sciences/48-facts-you-should-know-about-the-gulf-of-mexico-from-sunken-ships-to-ancient-corals.html

• Gulf oil spill: http://ocean.si.edu/gulf-oil-spill• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gulf_of_Mexico• http://www.scubanautsintl.org/teacher/History%20of%20the%20Gulf%20of%20Mexico.pdf

Thank You Hoped you enjoyed it