Labrador Sea facts for kids
The Labrador Sea (which is mer du Labrador in French) is a large part of the Atlantic Ocean. It is located between the Labrador Peninsula in Canada and the big island of Greenland. This sea is surrounded by underwater land extensions called continental shelves on its southwest, northwest, and northeast sides.
To the north, the Labrador Sea connects with Baffin Bay through a narrow passage called the Davis Strait. It's often called a "marginal sea" because it's on the edge of the larger Atlantic Ocean.
The Labrador Sea is very deep, reaching about 3,400 meters (11,150 feet) where it meets the Atlantic Ocean. It is also very wide, about 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) across at that point. As you go north towards Baffin Bay, the sea gets much shallower, less than 700 meters (2,300 feet) deep. It then narrows into the 300-kilometer (190-mile) wide Davis Strait.
The water temperature in the Labrador Sea changes with the seasons. In winter, it can be as cold as -1°C (30°F). In summer, it warms up to about 5-6°C (41-43°F). The water is not very salty, with a salinity of 31 to 34.9 parts per thousand. During winter, about two-thirds of the sea is covered in ice.
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Animals of the Labrador Sea
The northern and western parts of the Labrador Sea are covered in ice from December to June. This floating ice is a very important place for seals to have their babies in early spring. The sea is also a feeding ground for many different animals.
Marine Life
Many types of fish and marine mammals live in the Labrador Sea. Atlantic salmon are found here, along with several kinds of whales. Fishing for shrimp started in 1978. Cod fishing was also popular but stopped in 1992 because there were not enough fish left.
Other fish caught in the southern parts of the sea include haddock, Atlantic herring, lobster, and different types of flatfish. You can also find pelagic fish like sand lance and capelin.
The Labrador Sea is home to one of the two main groups of Sei whales. The other group lives near the Scotian Shelf. Minke whales and bottlenose whales are also commonly seen here.
Animals on the Coast
The Labrador duck used to be a common bird along the Canadian coast until the 1800s, but it is now extinct. Animals that live on the land near the coast include the Labrador wolf, caribou, moose, black bear, red fox, arctic fox, and wolverine. Smaller animals like the snowshoe hare, grouse, and various types of ducks and geese also live here. Birds like osprey and raven are also common.
Plants of the Labrador Sea Coast
The plants that grow along the coast of the Labrador Sea are adapted to the cold climate.
Coastal Vegetation
Common trees and shrubs include black spruce, tamarack, white spruce, dwarf birch, aspen, and willow. You can also find various types of ericaceous shrubs, which are small, woody plants.
Smaller plants like cottongrass, sedge, lichens, and mosses grow on the ground. Evergreen bushes of Labrador tea are very common in this area, found on both the Greenland and Canadian coasts. Labrador tea is a plant that can be used to make herbal tea.
Images for kids
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Arctic cultures in history
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Major North Atlantic currents
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Close up of a Labrador tea flower
See also
In Spanish: Mar de Labrador para niños
