II. Brief Description

*www.worldatlas.com/aatlas/infopage/redsea.htm

The Red Sea is a large marine ecosystem that connects the Mediterranean Sea to the Indian Ocean, which is  known for its endemism and considered by some geologists as one of the youngest, warmest oceans in the world. Its name is a direct translation of the Greek Erythra Thalessa and translates in Arabic (Al-Bahr Al-Ahmar/Bahr Al-Qalzami), in Somali (Badda Cas) and in Tigrinya (the Eritrean national language (Qeyyih bahri). The sea is roughly1450 miles long, 225miles wide, covers 170,000 square miles and is the world’s northernmost tropical sea. [1] 


Some have speculated that the Red Sea is named for the redness in a type of coral that grows near the sea’s surface, while others suggest that name stems from the fact that the Egyptian desert is also called the red land. Also, in the spring and summer, as the temperature rises, the Red Sea becomes  oligotropic, which means that the nutrients in its plants are low and oxygen is abundant in deeper parts. Furthermore, nearly 20% of its fish species are unique to the area as it cannot be found elsewhere. Large numbers of varied fish species can simultaneously co-exist in the Red Sea largely because the waters are untouched and unpolluted. Contrary to the northern region, the southern region of the Red Sea is largely unexplored. [2]   


 The Red Sea is a byproduct of the gradual splitting of Arabia and Africa. The two areas began to split during the Eocene epoch, 54.8-33.7 years ago. By the Oligocene epoch, the split had accelerated, which further widened and formed the Red Sea. *Tim Wright, an earth and environmental scientist at the University of Leeds in the United Kingdom, explained, “It is clear that the rise of molten rock through the plate is enabling the breakup of Africa and Arabia.” Consequently, “considerable disturbance of the sediments” led to much instability in the region. Specifically, the crust and sediments were moving apart as the axial trough was evolving.[3]


Large numbers of varied fish species can simultaneously co-exist in the Red Sea largely because the waters are untouched and unpolluted. 


[1] Shinn, David Hamilton., Thomas P. Ofcansky, and Chris Prouty. Historical Dictionary of Ethiopia. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow, 2004. 339. Print.
[2]http://www.dive-the-world.com/reefs-and-parks-red-sea-formation-and-endemism.php
[3]Girdler, R.W., and Whitmarsh, R.B., Rep. Deep Sea Drilling Project, 23 (in the press),