The Sargasso Sea is a clockwise circulating gyre that encompasses nearly two-thirds of the North Atlantic Ocean, unique in being the world's only sea that does not have a coastline; circulating ocean currents accumulate “floating reefs” of brown Sargassum seaweed to create its only border. You'll also find here free-floating brown macroalgae (phaeophyta) which Dr. Sylvia Earle refers to as “the golden rainforest of the sea.” The Sargasso Sea is home to several iconic species including the Bluefin tuna, eels, sea turtles, the endangered Bermuda Petrel (seabird) and the critically endangered Porbeagle shark which is threatened by overfishing and the North Atlantic “garbage patch” of consolidated plastic waste. The good news: five countries are involved in an international effort called the "Hamilton Declaration", a positive next step towards the official protection of the Sargasso Sea.
