As England is an island nation, its coast faces several powerful seas, which touch every part of our lives.
The North Sea
This sea in East of England is the coldest in the world, and links England to Europe, namely Belgium, The Netherlands and Scandinavia. It’s a foggy sea that also unfortunately contains busy shipping lanes, oil platforms and too many wind farms. It also includes major ports like Hull and Newcastle.
A Line in the World is lauded book by a writer who lives on the North Sea coast in Denmark. The coldest sea in the world stretches from the north tip of Denmark to the Netherlands, and of course is home to most of our East Coast.
The author (who says she is from ‘Denmark’s answer to Manchester’) writes how her family has lived amid storm-battered trees and wind-blasted beaches – a story of shipwrecks and storm surges, of cold-water surfers, sun-creased beach mums and sailors’ wives.
It’s a sea that in the past has been rich with fish, but issues with declining populations of puffins and kittiwakes, has led to a controversial ban on sandeel fishing, which some European fisherman are up in arms about.
This sea is home to many marine creatures. Learn how to help native seals (keep yourself and dogs away from seals and pups).
The English Channel
This is in the south of England, the border from England to France, which is just 21 miles at one point. From many areas of Sussex and Kent, on a clear day you can see the French coast.
Of course it’s been in the news recently, as this is the controversy with the migrant boat tragedies. It’s also the world’s busiest shipping lane with cargo ships, fishing boats and ferries crossing each day, and of course under the water is the Channel Tunnel.
The Irish Sea
The Turning Tide connects the west of England with Ireland, Wales, Scotland and the Isle of Man. This is a much calmer and shallower sea than on the east coast.
Again it has many ferries taking people to Ireland (from Holyhead and Liverpool), and it is now being used for tidal energy.
The Celtic Sea
This is a small wild sea with strong winds and rough waters, that stretches from Cornwall to the Atlantic Sea. Many seabirds and dolphins live here.
The North Sea also houses several islands on the Scottish coast and Danish Coast (Sylt is also known as ‘The Hamptons of Germany’, made popular in the 60s by playboy Gunter Sachs and his then-wife Brigitte Bardot).
Where are the World’s Major Oceans?
The oceans make up around 70% of our planet (a good reason for never releasing anything from balloons to fire lanterns, as most land in the sea, harming marine creatures).
The Pacific Ocean is the world’s deepest ocean, covering a third of the earth’s surface. It has over 25,000 islands and is home to the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, and thousands of volcanoes.
The Atlantic Ocean straddles the Equator, linking both Americas, Europe and Africa. It has icy Baltic sea to warm Caribbean waters. The Mid-Atlantic Ridge helped form volcanic islands including Iceland and Azores. It faces major struggles, due to climate change and pollution.
The Indian Ocean connects Africa with Asia and Australia. The warmer waters are home to unique wildlife, colourful coral reefs and dense mangrove forests. Due to major cities operating in the ocean, again it’s at risk from pollution, and rising sea levels.
The Southern Ocean is an icy sea across the bottom of the globe, surrounding Antarctica. With harsh winds and towering waves, often only explorers sailed the stormy seas. Today tourists flock to see penguins, seabirds and blue whales, but this brings pollution.
The Arctic Ocean is the smallest ocean, on the northern most tip of the world, with temperatures rarely above freezing, packed with thick ice and icebergs.
This ocean is home to polar bears, who need the thick ice to survive, so they can hunt for seals, without becoming exhausted from swimming.
Seas, Gulfs and Bays covers other big bodies of water including warm tropical seas, cold and icy seas (like the North Sea) and salty inland seas. Other seas include:
- The Mediterranean
- Gulf of Mexico
- South China Sea
- The Bering Sea
- Hudson Bay
- The Caribbean
- The Red Sea
- Weddell Sea
Extraordinary Facts About Our Oceans
Coasts is a book of amazing facts about the oceans, including rising sea levels, tides, puffins, sea caves and sea otters. Our coasts are home to a huge variety of wildlife from whales and dolphins to rare orchids and undersea forests.
Impress natural structures include dunes, saltmarshes along with manmade features – piers, lighthouses and holiday camps! The coast bursts with extraordinary energy from the weather.
Some of the questions answered in this book include:
- Where were human footprints found (from 850,000 years ago?)
- Where do minke whales return to the coast, each year?
- Where is the coast’s largest gannet colony?
- Where can you see the remains of a famous shipwreck, at low tide?
- Do you know sand dunes can sing? Where can you hear them?
- Where can you find a mermaid carved in a church? And why?
Ruth Binney has been studying plants and gardening all her life, and holds a degree in Natural Sciences from Cambridge University. She lives in Cardiff (Wales).
The High Seas is an important book, to uncover the truth behind exploitative fishing practices, the devastating impact of deep-sea mining and Silicon-Valley interventionists whose solutions to climate change are often radically irresponsible. The author is currently funded to report on ocean conservation, from her home in Ireland (by the sea).
