Description
Please respond to both the Professors Comments: to my original post and POST2: in at least 200 words.
My original post:
The Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf, which is also known as the
Arabian Gulf, is located in the Middle East and is a strategic military
and economic area. Its importance is related to the fact that the gulf
is a rich oil and gas reserve. Nations neighboring this feature are
Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Iraq, and the UAE. Notably, it is
approximately 990 km in length, 370 km in width, and 36 m in depth
(Kampf & Sadrinasab, 2006). Its total surface area is approximated
at 36 m.
The Persian Gulf is utilized as a water in which
persons and goods are transported from one part to another. It is,
therefore, critical to transportation services in the area. Besides, the
feature is a source of oil and gas hence its economic importance. For
instance, according to Robert Strauss Centre for International Security
Law (2019), the Persian Gulf accounted for the production of 23.6
million barrels daily in 2006.
The most significant environmental issues
affecting the feature include rapid coastal developments and land-based
pollution. The problems have adversely impacted ecosystems, urging the
responsible parties to develop measures needed to preserve the gulf
(Bayani, 2016). Countries around the region are mobilizing resources to
prevent further pollution and improve the situation. For instance, the
Kuwait Convention and Protocol is among the provisions enacted to
prevent marine life in the Persian Gulf. Indeed, the Persian Gulf is
important to the nations in the Middle East because it is a rich source
of natural resources and facilitates transport. Hence, stakeholders need
to employ more aggressive conservation measures on the gulf.
References
Kampf, J., & Sadrinasab, M. (2006). The circulation of the Persian Gulf: a numerical study. Ocean Science, 2(1), 27-41.
Robert Strauss Centre for International Security Law (2019). Oil in the Persian Gulf. Retrieved from https://www.strausscenter.org/hormuz/oil-in-the-persian-gulf.html (Links to an external site.)
Bayani, N. (2016). Ecology and environmental challenges of the Persian Gulf. Iranian Studies, 49(6), 1047-1063
Professors Comments:
Thank you for kicking off our discussion this week with the Persian
Gulf. You mentioned that its surface area is about 36 m. But at 36
meters, that would make it the size of a large swimming pool. Is it
possible the number is a bit larger? Or are there different units?
According to this article in the Tehran Times (Links to an external site.),
scientists project that 20% of the Gulf’s species may be extinct by
2100. Why might this happen, according to this article? In your opinion,
do you think this can be prevented? If so, what actions ought to be
taken above and beyond what is being done now to conserve this marine
ecosystem?
POST2:
The Gulf of California
Between Mexico and the Baja Peninsula is
the Gulf of California, also known as the Sea of Cortez, which stretches
approximately 700 miles wide and is the ninth-largest body of water in
the world. The Colorado River empties into the Gulf at its northern
point and to the east the Mexican bodies of water the Sinaloa River,
Mayo River, Sonora River, Fuerte River, and Yaqui Rivers.
Geologically speaking, the Gulf of
California is young and formed between 5 and 10 million years ago when
Baja California broke away from the mainland of Mexico due to tectonic
activity. It is located at the northern point of the East Pacific Rise,
an underwater mountain range and a divergent plate boundary. Located
at the Gulf of California the North American and Pacific plates are
moving sideways past one another causing transform faults including the
San Andreas Fault affecting much of California.
French explorer, Jacques Cousteau,
described the Gulf of California as “the world’s aquarium” (WWFN, 2019)
because of the diversity of its marine life. The Gulf is the breeding
area for the largest marine mammal on Earth, the blue whale and home to
more than 900 species of fish, and 7 species of endangered sea turtles.
Coastal development and overfishing are two
of the biggest threats to the health of the Gulf of California. It is a
popular vacation spot encouraging the construction of vacation resorts
that have the potential to harm coral reefs and fisheries. The Gulf is
also the source of 75 percent of Mexico’s annual fish catch, but
overfishing is causing a decline in sharks, rays, fish stocks, and
crustaceans (MBAQRI, 2002).
The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWFN) is
doing what they can to raise funds for research and protection of the
marine life in the Gulf. They are tagging the marine life, creating
safer fishing equipment, and helped to create several protected areas
within the Gulf. Mexico has also established protected areas such as
the Isla of Rada because it is a breeding ground for gulls.
Resources:
Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute. (2002). The geological setting of the Gulf of California. Retrieved from https://www.mbari.org/the-geologic-setting-of-the-gulf-of-california/ (Links to an external site.)
World Wide Fund for Nature. (2019). Retrieved fromhttps://wwf.panda.org/knowledge_hub/where_we_work/california_gulf/