This large, subtropical mass of water located in the Northwest Atlantic near Bermuda churns slowly in a clockwise direction within the North Atlantic gyre. As Earth’s only sea without a land boundary, the Sargasso Sea contains expansive mats of free-floating brown algae called Sargassum, which reproduces vegetatively without attaching to the seafloor. This prolific alga provides structural habitat to diverse species in search of shelter, nurseries, and spawning and feeding areas. Below the surface, common fauna include pipefish, snails, anglerfish, shrimp, crabs, turtles, and even river eels. While a portion of the Sargasso Sea is within Bermuda’s jurisdiction, the majority of it is governed by international laws of the high seas, making this unique habitat vulnerable to encroachment.
