Ariake Sea

The nihongo|Ariake Sea|有明海|Ariake-kai is a body of salt water surrounded by Fukuoka, Saga, Nagasaki, and Kumamoto Prefectures, all of which lie on the island of Kyūshū in Japan. It is the largest bay in Kyūshū. Its deepest point is only about 50 m deep, and extreme tides exceed 4 m. It is used for aquaculture, with nori being a major product. Various species of fauna including mudskipper, Pen shell (Atrina pectinata), and fiddler crab live in the Ariake Sea. Recent years have brought increasing pollution, with resultant red tide. Isahaya Bay is a branch of the Ariake Sea. Across the Amakusa Islands lies the Yatsushiro Sea.

Many harbors are located on the coast. Among them are Misumi (in the city of Uki, Kumamoto Prefecture), Shimabara (Shimabara, Nagasaki), Taira (Unzen, Nagasaki), Nagasu (Nagasu, Kumamoto), Kumamoto (Kumamoto, Kumamoto), Miike (Omuta, Fukuoka), Kuchinotsu (Minamishimabara, Nagasaki), and Oniike (Amakusa, Kumamoto).

Five ferry routes cross the Ariake Sea.

ource

* [http://ja.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E6%9C%89%E6%98%8E%E6%B5%B7&oldid=10326316 有明海] (at Japanese Wikipedia)

External links

* [http://www.ariake.civil.saga-u.ac.jp/ 有明海総合研究プロジェクト] "Ariake Sea General Research Project" (Saga University, in Japanese)
* [http://ay.fish-jfrca.jp/ariake/index.asp 有明海等環境情報・研究ネットワーク] "Environmental Information on Ariake Etc.: Research Network" (Japan Fisheries Resource Conservation Association, in Japanese)