Tropical Shelf Seas and Shores

Tropical Shelf Seas and Shores

Tropical Shelf Seas and Shores are the shelf seas and shores in the tropical equatorial band: between the Tropic of Cancer (23.5° North latitude) and the Tropic of Capricorn (23.5° South latitude). The central portions of the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans and most of the Indian Ocean lie within the tropics. The main dissimilarity between tropical and temperate waters relates to differences in temperature and rainfall. A shelf seas is the submerged border of a continent that slopes gradually towards the shelf edge, a steep descent to the ocean bottom. Shores are defined as the intersection of water and land surfaces. In the tropics, mangroves, seagrass and coral species are commonly present within this environment. Coastal upwelling in tropical waters creates a unique food chain for both animals and humans. Representing only 0.01 percent of the Earths’ ocean volume, tropical coastal waters account for about half of the worlds’ fish catch.

You can read more about tropical shelf sea and shore environments here.