Alboran sea
The Alboran Sea, historically Iberian Sea (Mare Ibericum), is the westernmost part of the Mediterranean Sea. Its limits are: to the north, the peninsular coast of Spain; to the south, the African coasts of Morocco, Spain - through Ceuta, Melilla, Chafarinas, Al Hoceima and Vélez de la Gomera - and Algeria; to the west, the Strait of Gibraltar, which connects it with the Atlantic Ocean; and to the east, in general, an imaginary line that goes from Cape Gata (Almería), in Spain, to Cape Fegalo, in Algeria, west of the city of Oran.
It owes its name to the island of Alborán, which is part of the Pescadería-La Chanca neighborhood, Almería.
Geography
The Alboran Sea is about 180 km maximum exceeds 2200 m in the eastern zone. There are several small islands among which the island of Alborán stands out, located in the central area. Most of these islands are under Spanish sovereignty, even though they are close to the African coast, and their sovereignty is disputed by Morocco.
Volcanic Geology
Most seamounts are of volcanic origin, except those off the African coast. All the volcanic mountains are composed of basalt and large lava flows dating from the Miocene. The best-known submarine volcano in the sea is the Chella bank (Seco de los Olivos). It is an underwater stratovolcano, located off the coast of Almería. It dates from the Neocene, and has a conical appearance with a large caldera, eroded due to marine pressures. Other underwater volcanic areas are Djibouti, Avempace and Cabliers.
Currents
The surface currents of the Alboran Sea flow eastward, bringing Atlantic water to the Mediterranean. Underwater currents flow westward, carrying the warmer and saltier Mediterranean waters towards the Atlantic. We must add the superficial effect of the winds, dominant from east (known as "Levante") to west.
All this set of currents generates a great wealth of fauna, very specific to the area. Since ancient times, humans have been attracted to this area, so the physical and geographical environment connects with humans.
From this can be deduced a large number of locality foundations, which have survived throughout time.
Ecology
The Alboran Sea is a transition zone between the two seas, being a mixture of both ecosystems. It is the habitat of the largest population of bottlenose dolphins in the western Mediterranean, home to the last population of Mediterranean harbor porpoises, and the most important sea turtle feeding ground in Europe. It is also home to important sardine and swordfish fisheries.
However, threats are also abundant, such as overexploitation of fishing grounds, uncontrolled dumping and mass tourism.
Environment
A mountainous arc, known as the Gibraltar arc, surrounds the Alboran Sea from the south, west and north. It is formed by the Betic mountain range of southern Spain and the Rif mountains of Morocco. This arc, known in ecology as the Bético-Rif complex, is one of the richest in biodiversity in the Mediterranean. Like the Alboran Sea, the Riffian Betic complex is a transition between the ecologies of the Mediterranean and the Atlantic. The moderating influence of the Atlantic has allowed many species of the Betic and Riffian mountains to survive the climatic fluctuations of the last million years, which caused their extinction outside the Mediterranean basin.
International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) delimitation
According to the highest authority in the delimitation of seas for maritime navigation purposes, the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO), in its publication Limits of oceans and seas (3rd edition of 1953), the Alboran Sea (which has the identification number 28b) has the following limits:
- to the west, the eastern boundary of the Strait of Gibraltar [a line that unites Europe tip with Almina tip (35°54′N 5°18′O / 35.900, -5.300)].
- to the east, a line linking the Cape of Gata (Spain) with Cape Fegalo (Algeria) (35°36′N 112′O / 35.600, -1.200).