- Northwest Atlantic Marine
The Northwest Atlantic is a Canadian marine ecozone forming a transitional region between the cold northern waters of the
Arctic Ocean and the more temperate waters in its southern extent.Geography
Stretching in a narrow strip offshore from
Ellesmere Island andDevon Island inBaffin Bay , it runs parallel to the coast ofBylot Island andBaffin Island until meeting it at theCumberland Peninsula . It covers the waters of theDavis Strait and theHudson Strait ,Ungava Bay and portions of theLabrador Sea , including all coastal areas ofLabrador and the northern coast of Newfoundland. It also includes theGulf of Saint Lawrence to the mouth of theSaint Lawrence River .The cold, highly saline
North Atlantic Deep Water forms in the Labrador Sea and flows at great depth along the western edge of the North Atlantic. Moreover, in this ecozone the cold Labrador Current meets theGulf Stream at theGrand Banks , and together with thefreshwater discharge from the Saint Lawrence River, moderate the climate of the coastal areas of theMaritimes .Cite web
url=http://canadianbiodiversity.mcgill.ca/english/ecozones/arcticbasinmarine/arcticbasinmarine.htm
title=Arctic Basin Marine
work=Canada's Ecozones, Canadian Biodiversity project
last=Bernhardt
first=Torsten
publisher=McGill University , Redpath Museum
accessdate=2008-02-09]There are more than 440,000 islands in this zone.Cite web
url=http://www.ec.gc.ca/soer-ree/English/vignettes/Marine/nam/land.cfm
title=Landforms and Climate of the Northwest Atlantic Marine Ecozone
work=Northwest Atlantic Marine Ecozone
publisher=Environment Canada
accessdate=2008-02-09]Regions
This ecozone consists of eight regions, namely:
*
Hudson Strait
*Labrador Shelf
*Newfoundland Shelf
*North Gulf Shelf
*Saint Lawrence River Estuary
*Magdalen Shallows
*Laurentian Channel
*Scotian Shelf (only a small portion nearCape Breton Island )Climate
This ecozone's climate varies throughout its extent, with temperatures differing by 20°C between the arctic waters in the north and the Gulf Stream in the south. Sub-surface temperatures are always below the
freezing point , but the salinity of the waters prevents them from freezing. Surfacesea ice forms throughout this region, and thousands oficeberg s may be observed between the northeast coast of Newfoundland and the Grand Banks. The Saint Lawrence River freezes over during the winter, closing the important shipping channel until the ice clears in the summer.Summer
tide s may reach 9 to 12 m, though they tend to be exaggerated in Ungava Bay and more subdued in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence.References
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.