Andaman Sea facts for kids
The Andaman Sea is a part of the Indian Ocean. It's located southeast of the Bay of Bengal. You can find it south of Myanmar, west of Thailand, and east of the Andaman Islands in India.
This sea is important for fishing and for moving goods between countries along its coast. Its beautiful coral reefs and islands are also very popular for tourists. Sadly, many buildings near the coast were badly damaged by the huge 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami that happened there.
The Andaman Sea is about 1,000 meters (3,300 feet) deep on average. The northern and eastern parts are shallower, less than 180 meters (600 feet) deep. This is because of all the silt brought in by the Irrawaddy River from Myanmar. The western and central areas are much deeper, from 900 to 3,000 meters (3,000–10,000 feet). Some parts are even deeper than 4,000 meters (13,200 feet)! The bottom of the sea is covered with pebbles, gravel, and sand.
Plants of the Sea
The coasts of the Andaman Sea are home to special mangrove forests and seagrass meadows. Mangrove trees have roots that trap soil and mud. They create safe places for fish and other small water creatures to live and grow. These forests also protect the shore from strong winds and waves. When parts of the mangroves break off, they become food for other animals in the sea.
Seagrass and the muddy bottoms of lagoons are also very important food sources. Many sea animals move between seagrass areas and other parts of the sea. They do this either every day or at different times in their lives.
Animals of the Sea
The waters near the Malay Peninsula are great for molluscs to grow. There are about 280 types of edible fish found here. Many of these fish live in the mangrove forests or seagrass meadows. Some species live in both places!
The Andaman Sea is also home to many animals that are in danger. These include the dugong, which is a gentle sea mammal. Several kinds of dolphins live here too, like the Irrawaddy Dolphin. There are also four types of sea turtles:
- The critically endangered leatherback turtle
- The critically endangered hawksbill turtle
- The threatened green turtle
- The threatened Olive Ridley turtle
Sadly, there are only about 150 dugongs left in the Andaman Sea. They are spread out between the Ranong and Satun provinces.
Volcanoes in the Sea
East of the main Great Andaman island group is Barren Island. This island has the only currently active volcano in the area of the Indian subcontinent. Barren Island is about 3 kilometers (1.9 miles) wide and rises 354 meters (1,161 feet) above the sea.
This volcano was quiet for almost 200 years, but it became active again in 1991. Its most recent eruption started on May 13, 2008, and it is still active today! Another volcanic island called Narcondam is further north. We don't have any records of it ever erupting.
Images for kids
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Satellite image of the Andaman Sea showing green algae and silt from the Irrawaddy River in the north.
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The depth (in meters) of the Andaman Sea shown in 2D and 3D.
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This chart shows what percentage of the Andaman Sea is at different depths.
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The Andaman Sea, showing where tectonic plates meet.
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How the tectonic plates moved during the 2004 Sumatra earthquake.
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Average monthly winds in the Andaman Sea for 2011.
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Average monthly Ekman pumping velocity (how water moves up or down) for June and December.
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Average monthly surface currents in January, April, June, and October.
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Changes over time in rainfall, river water flowing in, and sea surface height.
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Changes over time in the depth of the 20-degree Celsius water layer.
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How the swirling motion (vorticity) changes in the Andaman Sea.
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Mangrove trees growing on the coast of Neil Island, Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
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A starfish in the Andaman Sea, near Phuket.
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See also
In Spanish: Mar de Andamán para niños
